It's a dry sink. My parents had one and the recessed part had a copper tray in it. They used it to hide their stereo.

dry sink!

Yep, dry sink. Metal pan of some sort in the cutout. The covered park would hold toiletries, towel, shaving kits etc. My parents had one that had a smaller open area with a porcelain bowl and pitcher. When you see those antique huge pitchers and huge bowls that's what they were used for. Washing up. Water brought in from the well. My grandparents still had a pump and would bring water in for cooking. They had a bathroom with running water but the kitchen was the last part to get hooked up. Very different era. Kinda lovely.

That's so cool. I thought for sure it was a stereo cabinet.

dry sink? nah, i think it is a stereo cabinet. the deep side would hold the LP's and the stereo player would sit to the right. . .

It may have been a dry sink, but it could now be a wet bar!

It's a bar. The glasses go in the open compartment on the right. That's were you make the drinks. The bottles go in the compartment to the left.

I don't think it looks old enough to be a dry sink. Aren't dry sinks more of a 19th century type of furniture item?

I was also thinking that it was a turntable cabinet.

It's a dry sink!! But for the record (wink wink), folks have been repurposing them as stereo cabinets for decades...

It's definitely a DRY SINK. I believe this was designed to be more decorative than practical as modern day folks don't use a pitcher and basin to wash up.

Having said that, my folks one of these made by Pennsylvania House furniture and they used it mostly two ways:

1) as a sometimes bar area
2) desert station during dinner parties---especially buffets

My parents used to have a stereo cabinet and it was a little similar to this. It had a hinged top to cover the turntable and record storage area. It also had built in speakers and an 8-track player!

It's a mid-twentieth century reproduction dry sink. Useful for displaying grandma's bowl & pitcher. Not useful for much else.

@Ladymantle, you totally just made my day.

This piece is from the 70s-80s. Its not that old. My grandmother and my mom have several pieces from this company. they all look the same. same hardware, etc. but, they don't have this piece.

Hard to believe it's a dry sink. Why on earth do a reproduction of a dry sink in some ugly-butt 70s vein? Doesn't make sense. I vote for bar.

Also busting a gut @ladymantle!

It really is a repro dry sink from the 70s or 80s. My grandmother had one and she displayed an antique pitcher & basin on the open part, which was never used for anything other than collecting dust. The closed side hid booze, so perhaps she was the innovator of the dry-sink-as-wet-bar concept.

a baby changing table

I love it ladymantle!!

My first thought was "bar," and it seems like it would make a great one even if that wasn't the original intention.

Dry sink! My grandmother had one. You'd put a bowl and pitcher in the recessed part and store toiletries/dressing things in all the compartments.

It does look like a dry sink but I really think the indentation is meant for a turntable/stereo combo. You can put your records in the side compartment.

If it was made in the 70's I would guess turntable cabinet.
My parents owned a "fireplace" sterio cabinet. It has a fake fire roller in the front, the top opens to be a turn table and 8 track player. That era had a few "things disguised as something else".

That there is a 1970s reproduction dry sink. My father just loved that kind of "faux colonial" stuff. He bought one but never used it for anything. That one looks like it's in great shape. It looks like it could make a dandy bar!

It's a reproduction dry sink. I used to have one.

It's a 1970's Colonial-reproduction dry sink that was intended to be used in the home as a bar. While growing up I saw others that have been TV Console cabinets (open the doors and there's the built-in TV screen) and/or stereo consoles (lift the lid on the left and there's the turntable)

In a real dry-sink, the reservoir (dry-sink - because there's no plumbing) on the right might be lined with copper or zinc and would have a drain hole and a plug: The housewife/servant girl would heat water in a kettle, plug the hole and fill the sink with water and soap to wash the households cooking pots, plates and utensils - perhaps even a baby. Then a bucket kept inside the cabinet behind the doors would catch the water when the plug was pulled and the sink drained and the used water would be dumped in the garden outdoors. I wouldn't suggest putting water or ice in this one however as there's no drainage hole and you'll ruin the finish.

"Why on earth do a reproduction of a dry sink in some ugly-butt 70s vein?"

Because everything "Colonial/Country" was a BIG trend in the mid-1970's. Everything from "Granny Skirts" & Hollie Hobbie greeting cards to TV shows such as "Little House on the Prairie" and Colonial/Country-themed home furnishings & textiles were very popular among the middle-classes in the Early to Mid 70's - simultaneously cashing in on & building up national pride and excitement leading up to the Bicentennial celebration of 1976.

Pottery Barn currently sells similar items of furniture that actually have removable metal-lined reservoirs that you can put ice in.

I immediately thought dry-sink when I saw the pictures but thought I must just be really old to think that! We had a real dry-sink when I was growing up out on the porch that my dad used to clean up when he came in from the fields.

Ah, yes, the 70s when there was too much colonial for my taste. I can see that piece easily fitting in that era.

Dry sink! I have one that is very similar to this. Mine has open shelves, and a copper basin lining the sink. It's probably one of my favorite pieces- very versatile.

For the record, there is also a sideboard that matches these pieces. My dry sink is a different style than yours, but your drawer hardware exactly matches what is on my sideboard. Any idea where to find a drawer pull that'll match? ONe of mine broke recently!

Bee T. -- I'd try eBay after taking a spin through one of those dusty hardware stores that looks as if no one has cleaned it in 30 years. Not only was there a matching sideboard... there was a bedroom set! My parents had the dressers. That'd put it originally in the Sears-Wards-Penneys axis of furniture, if that helps in identifying the right hardware.

wow! thanks everyone!! so many great ideas.... i think it probably is from the 70s or 80s too and def a reproduction. it's not old enough to be a real dry sink. thanks for the help! that actually makes sense. we've thought of using it as a bar. we appreciate everyone's comments!

xoxoxo
micaela

It has to be from the 70's. It looks like a piece of furniture in my house from Sears. I also think it is a stereo cabinet. My parents had one that had the record player on one side and the eight track and knobs for the radio on the other side.