Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We were busy with One Room Challenge projects, hanging a new fan in Wilder’s room, staining kitchen shelves, scary movie watching, and more. You guys have all gotten a little peek of our kitchen sink by now, but today I wanted to talk a little bit about what went into that decision. As we get closer and closer to the final product, I’ve been sharing all of the parts that went into creating our dream kitchen which balances budget and special splurge items. So far, I’ve talked about our cabinetry, flooring, light fixtures, and cookware. Today I want to focus on the piece that really came to be the central part of this design, the brass sink. (This blog uses affiliate links).
When I first set out to design this kitchen, I had in mind that I would use a black under mount kitchen sink. Now that I have the brass sink in place, I can’t imagine anything else. How did such a change come to be?
Well, since moving to Greensboro, I have been very fortunate to have been welcomed into the wonderful network of entrepreneurs and creatives. Last Spring as we were planning our kitchen, I met Amber, a local kitchen designer. We grew to become friends and she understood that I was looking for companies who might partner with me on this project and suggested I reach out to a local company, Thompson Traders, for a sink. She told me it was a family owned business which was started by a female entrepreneur. I always love working with local people, and especially local people who have options to ship because I want the items to be accessible to all of you as well. I checked out their website, and reached out to them about partnering with me. Clifford Thompson replied to me and said that Thompson Traders would love to work with me. I was beyond thrilled, and at the time thought I would use this double basin copper sink. By the way, their items are available for purchase through build.com.)
I wanted to be 100% certain of my choice, since our sink is in such a focal location- it is in the line of view from the front door. Here’s an older photo to remind you of that view.
Rather than just ordering without seeing, Clifford agreed to meet me at their warehouse here in Greensboro so that I could see the sinks in person. As soon as I spied the brass sink, I knew it was the one. I had a gut reaction to it! As you can see, Wilder was a fan as well. I am sure he was imaging all the baths he could take in its glory.
At the time of kitchen designing, I knew I wanted to have some touches of gold in our kitchen in the lighting and possibly appliances, so this sink just made sense. It makes a statement, and to be honest I have never seen another person use it before and that thought truly appeals to the enneagram 4 that I am (4 is the individualist!).
While the sink is a total thing of beauty and I am obsessed with it, I want to tell you a little more about this wonderful company. Over the course of the months that I have been working with Thompson Traders, I have mostly worked with Clifford, one of the sons of the founder, Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson. However, last week was the High Point Furniture Market which is a HUGE deal in the design world, and happens to be just 15 minutes from our home. During the time of the market, the Thompson family threw a fabulous Dia De Los Muertos party in Alejandra and Clifford Senior’s home for several invited designers and guests, including myself. This party was the first time that I had the opportunity to meet Alejandra (who inspired me with her talent and grace) as well as the rest of the Thompson family. It was beautifully decorated by Alejandra, and the back deck was set up with dining tables, and gorgeous traditional Mexican floral chains as well as twinkling lights. I felt like I was walking into an enchanted scene.
The party also included traditional Day of the Dead performances which had us all in awe. There were drummers, dancers, singers, a violinist… it was a night that celebrated life and creativity in such a beautiful way.
Before we all sat down to eat the traditional food that Alejandra had prepared, she gave a little speech and talked about the town in which she grew up in Mexico, where the Day of the Dead is a special event and the town gathers to celebrate life. She spoke of the traditions of her culture, and to be honest, she has such a gorgeous speaking voice and accent that I could have listened to her all night.
On the Thompson Traders website, they tell the story of how the company came to be, based on the coppersmithing culture of the region of Mexico from which Alejandra hails. They currently own a factory there, and it is their goal to bring the artistry of the coppersmiths to the United States. Learning more about the background of this company made me fall in love with them and appreciate my sink even more than I already did. I absolutely love when businesses are women founded, family operated, and based in culture and giving back to their roots (by employing several in Mexico.)
As you can see, our kitchen sink is now so much more than just a kitchen sink. It is a beautifully crafted piece steeped in culture and connection for me, and I am so proud to be able to show off a little part of Thompson Traders in our home. I am also really excited to be able to share their story with you, and to tell it to anyone who comes to my house and comments on our gorgeous brass sink. They’ve created a legacy, and I am so happy that I am allowed to be part of what carries it on.
If you are interested in checking out what is currently available for sale from this fantastic company, click here. To read more of their story, click here. And finally, to see some of what’s new at Thompson Traders, click here.
