How is the Corten sink made?

Corten steel, despite being a material that has been used in many interior design and architecture projects for a few years now, continues to be on trend. This is because it's an element that combines perfectly with concrete, wood, and stone, and always adds an industrial character to projects.

In the Bathco Atelier go one step further. Within their collection of handmade sinks, they have developed a very original proposal. A Corten sink which is actually a trompe-l'oeil that plays directly with the viewer. Since what appears to be one thing is actually another, the artists at the Bathco workshop intervene in the pieces, seeking a play on the senses, memory, and perception.

This is a porcelain sink that retains all its properties and guarantees but allows the incorporation of the originality and beauty of Corten steel into the bathroom.

This work is not accidental. It is the result of the research and experimentation of the artists at the Atelier. One only needs to examine their manufacturing process to realize the complexity of the piece.

This sink involves one of the most complex processes in the Atelier.

To be able to achieve this finish, we start with an unglazed porcelain sink, which is called “raw porcelain,” and it undergoes a completely artisanal process divided into two phases.

In the first phase, the artists at the Atelier apply an orange vitreous pigment as a base. Then, natural earth collected directly in Cantabria is applied to achieve that characteristic rusted effect of Corten steel. Specifically, earth with a high iron content is applied, which helps give the sink that reddish appearance.

All of this is done manually, using a sponge and a special oil. Afterward, it is subjected to a baking process to set the applied materials.

In the second phase, after the firing of the piece, a vitrifiable pigment is applied again, this time in brown. Then, orange pigment is applied again using the stenciling technique. This means that with a brush, small drops of paint are dispersed all over the sink to give the finish more realism.

Finally, the sink undergoes a new firing process to set the last applied pigments. And once it comes out of the kiln, it is sanded to remove imperfections.

As an example of how to install the Corten sink in a project, we can see Casa Mas Ametller by interior designer Sara Alenyá.