Nowhere was this more difficult than in choosing, installing, and learning to live with our kitchen sink. Many Victorian-era kitchens and laundry rooms were equipped with soapstone sinks. Soapstone is a natural rock, gray to black in color, that is relatively soft and easy to cut and form. While not so soft as a bar of Ivory, soapstone is much easier to tool than, say, granite. With the resurgence of interest in Victorian design in the last few decades, the use of soapstone has become popular again both for sinks and for countertops.
Most people are familiar with either stainless steel or enameled sinks.
They are easy to install, supported by a wide variety of products, and easy to maintain. Most normal people will choose them. But you may have seen a soapstone sink in a magazine picture or at your local kitchen design showroom. You may become entranced by the unique appearance, the aptness of soapstone for a Victorian kitchen, the implied durability of solid rock. Be careful, you are now hooked and your quiet, ordinary existence is about to become a fond memory.