This Montana Kitchen Had One Very Literal Champagne Problem

Chances are, you can relate to Brandi Russell: “I saw some version of a beverage sink on Pinterest and thought, Wow, what a cool concept,” she says. But as any renovator knows, the journey from idea to final product can be a long one: “When I purchased the home, the kitchen very much felt like what you’d find in a financial firm—it definitely didn’t have an island, and overall it was stale and sad.” Russell, who is the head of sales and marketing at Casetta, is referring to Grover’s Lodge, the Missoula, Montana, house she named after her late father. “I knew the kitchen was always going to be the heart of the house, so I wanted it to be a place where friends and family could gather around to be a part of the action,” she explains.

The bubbly sink quickly made her list of must-haves, but it came with its own set of hurdles—dare we call them champagne problems? The biggest being assembling the right teammate to take on the project. Once she found a stonemason who was open to the challenge, she talked him into using soapstone, which is nonporous, instead of marble. In the end, the island became the control center of the kitchen, housing the main sink, a dishwasher, trash bins, storage, seating, and—of course—a narrow beverage station that can house up to six bottles on ice.

And while she didn’t plan an unveiling event specifically for the sink, it certainly stole the show at her housewarming party, which brought in friends and family from 10 states. “The overwhelming love was for the champagne sink,” Russell says, nothing that it can also hold beer, wine, and soda. And thankfully so, because she adds with a laugh: “The joke is that I don’t even drink champagne.”