I made an Invisible Concrete Sink

Summary

Kim Kardashian's viral sink, with its flat, sinkless design, sparked widespread curiosity and debate over its functionality and $30,000 price tag. Inspired by this unique concept, a home builder teamed up with experts to replicate the sink for an Airbnb project. Using innovative techniques like stretchable fabric molds and sculpting clay to create the perfect slope, they successfully built a concrete sink with an invisible drain. While the final product exceeded expectations in terms of design and function, the $30,000 price remained a point of discussion, with many believing the craftsmanship justified a high cost, but questioning the extreme price.

Takeaways

• 😀 Kim Kardashian's viral flat sink with no visible drain caused a stir on the internet, leading her to clarify its functionality on social media.
• 😀 The flat sink is designed to slope slightly, with a slit to guide water to a hidden drain, despite its unconventional appearance.
• 😀 The cost of the sink was revealed to be over $30,000, which sparked curiosity about how it was made and whether it justified the price tag.
• 😀 The creator of the replica sink project teamed up with a local concrete expert to build a similar sink and evaluate its craftsmanship and cost.
• 😀 The team used stretchable fabric to create the sink mold, which required precise shaping and sculpting to achieve the gradual slope for the invisible drain.
• 😀 While building the sink, the team encountered challenges, including a dangerous mishap with power tools, which emphasized the importance of safety.
• 😀 The sink construction process involved using a mix of clay to sculpt the reverse of the sink shape, then covering it with stretch fabric to create the mold.
• 😀 A special drain fitting was used for the tiny slot drain, which was incorporated into the concrete structure with a series of precise installations.
• 😀 The concrete mixture was carefully prepared with pigments to achieve the desired off-white color and a smooth surface using a face coat and backer coat technique.
• 😀 After completing the mold, the concrete was demolded and shaped, followed by a sealing process to ensure durability and smoothness.
• 😀 Despite the high price tag for Kim Kardashian's sink, the video concludes that concrete artisan work is costly due to the skill, time, and labor involved, with a final estimated price range of $5,000 to $20,000 for a similar sink.

Q & A

What sparked the interest in Kim Kardashian's bathroom sink?

The interest was sparked by a brief glimpse of her seemingly flat, sinkless bathroom sink during an in-home interview, which went viral on the internet. People were curious about how it worked and how water was managed without a traditional sink structure.

How did Kim Kardashian respond to the viral attention about her sink?

Kim Kardashian responded on social media to clarify that the sink actually worked, explaining that it had a slight slope and a slit for water to drain. She aimed to assure everyone that the sink functioned properly despite its unconventional design.

What materials and methods were used to create a replica of Kim Kardashian's sink?

A stretchable fabric with a waterproof membrane was used as the base material for creating the sink's form. The process also involved sculpting clay to create the inverse shape of the sink basin and using concrete with a glass fiber backer coat for durability.

What was the initial challenge in creating the sink replica?

The primary challenge was determining whether the stretchable fabric could be pulled tight enough to create the necessary slope without flattening under the weight of the concrete, which could affect the desired 'invisible' drain look.

How did the team approach creating the mold for the sink?

The team decided to use clay to sculpt the inverse shape of the sink basin and then covered it with the stretch fabric. The clay was shaped to create a gradual slope, ensuring the sink would appear as if it had no visible drain.

What was the purpose of the pilot holes and pins in the sink mold?

Pilot holes and pins were used to secure a small slot drain fitting in the sink mold, ensuring that it could connect to standard plumbing fittings for water drainage.

How did the team ensure a smooth finish for the concrete sink?

The team used a combination of spraying on a face coat of concrete to smooth the surface and applying a backer coat for added strength. They also used a brush to remove any air bubbles trapped in the concrete.

What was the cost breakdown of the materials and labor for the sink?

The materials for the sink cost about $500, but the labor, especially with the complex process of making eight prototype versions, significantly increased the total cost. Kim Kardashian's sink reportedly cost over $30,000 due to the labor and craftsmanship involved.

Did Kim Kardashian overpay for the sink, according to the video creator?

While the creator acknowledges the significant labor and craftsmanship required, they feel that the $30,000 price tag is high. Based on the labor involved, the sink could have cost between $5,000 to $20,000 if it were made for a typical client.

What is the final verdict on the functionality of the sink?

The sink works as intended. When tested, the water flowed as expected, confirming that it was both functional and visually striking, with no visible drain while still efficiently draining water.