For The Love of the Sink

I’m back today with another post on our home renovation.

The Sink was a big part of our new kitchen design.

We’ve had everything from plain 2-basin sinks to undermount sinks to vessel bowl sinks in bathrooms. We like plumbing. We’re kinda sick that way.

So when we started looking at options for our new kitchen, we were inspired by the farmhouse sink. We’ve always really loved how they look, and decided to try and work it in to our new design.

We spent days {not hours} on sink selection and installation, and here’s what you need to consider when choosing a farmhouse sink.

Decide on the number of basins you want and their positioning.

There are SO many options available for farmhouse sinks now! Think carefully about the number of basins that work for you. Two basins can be great if you do a lot of washing dishes by hand or if you like to keep clean dishes separate from dirty ones. We opted for a single basin because we have some very large pots and pans that have always been difficult to wash in a double basin sink. We also prefer the true “farmhouse” look and for us, single basin reflected that look more than a double basin.

If you opt for a double basin, keep in mind that there are various configurations. Both basins can be the same size, or you can have one large basin and one smaller. Think through how you use your current sink – what you love and don’t love about it – this will help you figure out the configuration that will work best for your family.

Think about size – both width and depth

Farmhouse sinks come in scads of different depths and widths. Measure your cabinetry carefully and make sure that visually, the sink fits well under the kitchen cabinet. If it’s too wide, you’ll have installation problems. Farmhouse sinks are available in many different sizes, with typical widths being from 20 to 36 inches.

Depth is one of the most important parts to consider when selecting a farmhouse sink. They can range from between 6 inches to over 10 inches deep! But remember that the depth of the sink will affect the cabinet beneath it. The deeper the sink, the less space you’ll have below for storage.

Think about color

No need to stick with a plain white sink if that’s not your thing! Farmhouse sinks now come in black, copper, stainless, bisque and many other colors. A sink with some color or contrast can really make a kitchen pop!

Think about mounting and installation

Our installation was a major bonehead move on our part. It’s not required, but MOST farmhouse sinks are installed lower than the countertop height, with the countertop surface material then covering the left and right edges of the sink completely (see pictures above). This makes for a beautiful, even look that’s practical, because you can just wipe all the crumbs or yuck from your counters directly into your sink without having to worry about it getting stuck in a seam, grout line, or sink edge.

Our farmhouse sink could not be installed that way due to some project schedule hiccups, and it drives me nuts every day.

Shop around

Farmhouse sinks are not cheap! You will want to shop around on your pricing. Home Depot wanted to charge us $1000 to special order a plain single basin white farmhouse sink. I found a fabulous source for sinks and plumbing supplies online called Blue Bath, and got a gorgeous sink from them at 60% of Home Depot’s cost. They shipped super promptly (shipping was also free!) and were amazingly helpful when I emailed them with customer service questions.

Buy a sink grid

The finish on fireclay farmhouse sinks can get damaged by pots and pans, so invest in a good metal sink grid for the bottom of your sink. Make sure you get one that matches the size and drain placement of your particular sink. Blue Bath helped me find one that fit our sink perfectly.

Our Sink

Here are some pictures of our sink. It’s not completed yet – we still have a backsplash to install and some finish-out on our sink cabinet.

I am gloriously happy with the choice of a farmhouse sink. The single basin makes it a pleasure to wash big pots. We can defrost meat on one side of the sink (to catch drips) and still wash dishes on the other side. We can also let clean dishes drip dry on one side and wash on the other, and the dry dishes don’t get wet.

This sink is by Alfi. It’s a 30 inch wide single basin fireclay with a 9+ inch depth. It’s one of our favorite elements of our new kitchen!

Tagged as: sinks