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caitlinmagner

What are your thoughts about farm sinks?

13 years ago

Can't decide if I love them or think they're ugly! :D I'm guessing the advantage is that they are very big and deep, plus have a unique look. Am I missing anything? I definitely want a one bowl sink, and I keep getting drawn toward farm sinks.

Comments (42)

  • 13 years ago

    I love them but alas my kitchen was too small to have a farm sink. I like the fact that the sink is forward. I did get a white single bowl sink, Kohler Riverby, and I love it. Some day I will have a kitchen with a farm sink and an island. Good luck!

  • 13 years ago

    Can't say i like the look of them. Something about emphasizing the sink, where I'm most likely to have a mess, just doesn't work for me.

  • 13 years ago

    Just put in a stainless apron front sink, love it! I figure its a choice between fake drawer fronts or an apron. I like stainless and my kitchen will have lot of it.

  • 13 years ago

    Love...love...love my farmhouse sink!!!!! It's brown and holds lots. I also love the look!

  • 13 years ago

    I love my farmhouse sink - but then I live in a farmhouse too.

  • 13 years ago

    Would never go back to a regular sink. Love mine totally! I live in an old farm house, too.

  • 13 years ago

    Here was another thread on this topic almost 2 years ago. A very lively thread.

    For the record, I still adore mine and I am so glad I have it!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Farmhouse sink

  • 13 years ago

    Would never go back to a regular sink. Love mine totally! I live in an old farm house, too.

  • 13 years ago

    Would never go back to a regular sink. Love mine totally! I live in an old farm house, too.

  • 13 years ago

    I just had Caesarstone countertops installed and learned, too late, the advantage of farm house/apron front sinks.

    My old sink, with tile counters, was 3 inches back from the edge of the counter. Now there are 6 inches of Caesarstone between the new (conventional double-bowl) sink and the counter edge, and the reach is miserably uncomfortable. I wish I had known that I could have avoided the problem by getting an apron front sink.

    Some of the width may be because I have a corner sink (as I also had before the new countertops), but I suggest that before you commit to a sink you verify what the setback would be.

  • 13 years ago

    I love them and wanted one since I first started noticing kitchen design.

    I've had mine for almost a year, and love it. Ergonomically, it's great for my upper back and shoulders because I don't have to reach forward past 3 inches of countertop while I'm doing dishes--with a farmhouse sink, you're right there with your tummy/hips basically pressing up against the sink. It's sooooo much more comfortable, especially when washing heavy pots and pans.

    When the ergonomic stuff is important, a farmhouse sink paired with a faucet that has a really wide reach is the perfect combo.

  • 13 years ago

    I agree with LWO that outside of farmhouse homes, they will date the kitchen. Mine is just a SS integrated apron sink. I like the functionlity, but I can see that it will likely date my kitchen and I'm thinking now that it might not have been the best choce. But not a big deal. My hood fan still bothers me more!

  • 13 years ago

    I don't care about dating my kitchen if that will be the case. I'm only 4'11, and I am the one who washes the dishes so it is function over form in this case.

    Also we will be building a comfortable farm house on a farm. To me the farmhouse sink is comforting somehow. It's deep, close basin is almost welcoming to me whenever I see them. I love metal and contemporary style so ours will be stainless.

  • 13 years ago

    I'm not sure you can design a kitchen that won't be dated. If the latest and greatest trend in 10 years is trapezoid shaped kitchen sinks then any sink you choose today will date your kitchen. It sounds like everyone values what is new and young in kitchens (as with almost everything else). I say design a kitchen that works, that you love and which will age gracefully. It's not a bad thing if your kitchen looks like it was created in the early 2000's ten or twenty years from now.

  • 13 years ago

    I have to agree with itsallaboutfood. I'm not sure we can predict the top things that'll date a kitchen, as almost every feature of a kitchen, from fixture finishes to cabinet style and finish to knobs and pulls to appliances to countertops to bar stools to layout can pretty much date it.

    If you like the farmhouse sinks, it seems a shame not to get one based on a prediction that it'll date the kitchen.

    I also gotta second Iowa's thoughts...I do love the look, but the farmhouse is sooooo much more comfortable for me, and that's been the best part about having one.

  • 13 years ago

    Not everybody's a fan, by any means.

    Not everybody buys the ergonomic argument. I don't. Most people don't seem to notice that they redid their kitchen at the same time they went farmhouse. Cabinets changed, counters changed, toekicks changed--and some of those things are way more responsible for comfort than a sink style, especially toekicks. In fact, it's pretty funny to watch people who installed a farm sink for ergonomics and then put it in a cabinet with a furniture base.

    I actually use that strip of counter in front of the sink at times, and others do, too. They've said so.

    I get a little tired of their ubiquity in "vintage" kitchens, since they're an import from the UK and rarely if ever graced a U.S. farmhouse in the past, except occasionally in soapstone form.

    They're definitely a fad, and one that's starting to feel a little gimmicky to me. I don't hate them, but I don't coo at them either. I think, "Yup, there it is."

    So, not everybody is a fan.

  • 13 years ago

    I have to say, I love my Farm Sink... I love everything about it. The way it looks, the way it feels the way it works so well in my kitchen. I enjoy the fact that it is such a perfect size and when I compare it to what I removed from the pre- remodel (a 1950's double stainless steel sink) - it works so much better for me. I can get through a lot of pans and dishes when I am cooking and entertaining and the farm sink works great when there is a lot of clean up. By the way my Kitchen is almost finished and i will soon be posting pictures.

  • 13 years ago

    I have to say, I love my Farm Sink... I love everything about it. The way it looks, the way it feels the way it works so well in my kitchen. I enjoy the fact that it is such a perfect size and when I compare it to what I removed from the pre- remodel (a 1950's double stainless steel sink) - it works so much better for me. I can get through a lot of pans and dishes when I am cooking and entertaining and the farm sink works great when there is a lot of clean up. By the way my Kitchen is almost finished and i will soon be posting pictures.

  • 13 years ago

    To those that have a farmhouse sink, what material is it made of? I am considering fire clay. Do they get the black marks from your pots and pans? Other concerns that I should be aware of.

    Thanks.

  • 13 years ago

    I really like my farmhouse sink! It is comfortable for this short person to use! That was what sold me in the showroom, even though I did like the look. Since I still have clothes from high school almost 40 years ago, I guess I have never been concerned with "dated"!!

    We live in the country, on a farm, our house is a country house. Mine is a cast iron Kohler, because all of the others were on backorder for months, and the cabinet maker needed the sink. Hindsite being 20-20, anything more fragile would have been broken during installation of something else!!

    Nancy

  • 13 years ago

    in answer to your question Gizobo, my sink is a Kohler, cast Iron. When I was making a decision on purchasing a Farm Sink, I took the advice of several seasoned members from this Forum who had recommended Cast Iron for durability.

    Hope this helps.

  • 13 years ago

    greenhousems - how is your sink holding up? How long have you had it? What do you clean it with? Any issues?

  • 13 years ago

    My farmhouse sink is made of hammered copper and I chose it more for looks than for ergonomics - I get to see more copper with the apron. It is the one thing I splurged on purely for emotional reasons. :)
    I have to admit, when I first saw the classic white farmhouse sink I thought more of bathroom than kitchen. Now that I have seen them in more kitchens I love the look.

  • 13 years ago

    I have a stainless farm sink, which I love--love the look, love the single bowl. I live on the remnant of a dairy farm, and when I found an online picture of mozzarella cheese being made in a huge, rectangular, stainless steel vat, I knew the stainless apron front sink was right for my kitchen. It was also on sale, and large enough to hold a bushel of apples.

    If I'm doing only a few pots and pans, the depth of the sink is no problem, but I'm on the taller side of average, and it's not really comfortable to do a lot of dishes without a booster for the dishpan. The zero radius corners need a little extra care to keep clean, and debris needs to be 'chased' with a spray.

    The happiest I've been with the sink was the day I discovered that the oven racks would lay flat for soaking--I fell in love all over again!

  • 13 years ago

    Google "fireclay" "crack" "gardenweb."

  • 13 years ago

    my 36 inch kohler whitehaven is still in its box waiting for the cabinets to be built. i love it and can't wait for that big expanse. it will be the queen of my kitchen.

    i think my kitchen will be timeless. but then, i would never make a kitchen decision based on what might become dated.

    and, fyi, all the houses we ever worked on sold easily and for good prices.

  • 13 years ago

    It appears everyone who has one loves it. Everyone who doesn't have one doesn't want you to get one. My fireclay, in my possession for a few years, works just fine. No cracks, no chips, no problems. I treat it just like any sink I ever had. If it would break, I'd get another one just like it. I would not even consider a double bowl of any sort now that I've had a great big bowl that fits everything I own. Are you soaking one end of the pan while the other end is up in the air? I'm not.

  • 13 years ago

    I'm curious if all of you who love these also have an additional sink in the kitchen somewhere else.

    Right now I have a really different configuration white Kohler cast iron sink that has a large bowl, a very small bowl to the side and a drainboard to the right of that. I like having the small sink to drain something or to rinse off something while the main bowl is full of water. I'm curious because when we get new countertops (soon), I'll need to install a new sink. And, we don't have a separate prep sink.

  • 13 years ago

    my sink configuration now is a double sink, the left is bigger than the right side, where we keep a drain rack. in the new big 36" sink, i plan to put the drain rack in the sink when i need it but take it out when i want the whole space..

    we mostly cook at home from scratch without using a dishwasher. I am so looking forward to that big sink. the last time i had a big sink, it was an old huge soapstone sink. I liked how big it was, so i think i will be very happy.

  • 13 years ago

    My inlaws built a house in the mid 50's with an apron front sink & my dad's business had a farm house sink. Having used both I definitly wanted and have a soapstone one. It is true for those of us height challenged, not having that 3 inches in front of a sink makes a difference in comfort.

  • 13 years ago

    This may br TMI, but whenever I use an apron front sink, my, uh, chest gets wet. Therefore, I prefer a bit of counter between the sink and me.

  • 13 years ago

    What does a farmhouse sink have to do with single versus double bowl? A farmhouse sink can have one bowl or two bowls. A non-farmhouse sink can have one bowl or two bowls. Whether it's a farmhouse or not is irrelevant.

    And obviously, people who don't like farmhouse sinks don't buy them.

  • 13 years ago

    I'm on the shorter end of short and find my apron front sink very comfortable. I really think I love it for the 36" single bowl design and depth. I love the style (Stainless and somewhat contemporary) but even if my tastes change over time I will still love the function of the deep single bowl.

  • 13 years ago

    I don't think this special to a farmhouse sink, but I loved my sink because of the depth and single bowl. It was great for washing large skillets, big pots and party-sized amounts of dishes. I do like the look of a farmhouse sink (not the ceramic ones) but the SS ones with the apron front. I found it beautiful and comfortable for me since I am shorter and the sink was deep.

  • 13 years ago

    gizibo.. I have had my sink for 2.5 years, however I only installed in a month ago due to delays with the re-model. No issues so far. I have cleaned it with Palmolive liquid from the soap dispenser and it cleans well. I am very happy with the sink and the way the contractor installed it.

    Hope this helps.

  • 13 years ago

    gizibo.. I have had my sink for 2.5 years, however I only installed in a month ago due to delays with the re-model. No issues so far. I have cleaned it with Palmolive liquid from the soap dispenser and it cleans well. I am very happy with the sink and the way the contractor installed it.

    Hope this helps.

  • 13 years ago

    We have had a Shaw farm sink for 6 years and I have mixed feelings. Love how it looks, but I have a problem with water splashing out onto me a lot more than with our old "regular" sink. I think the issue is I am tall - so the sink feels really low for me, and the sink itself isn't that deep. When I use the water spray i tend to squirt it too high given where the dishes are sitting in it. I love the idea of the single bowl - and most time that works for us - however there are some times where the sink doesn't hold nearly as much as it would look like - so for some very large items i wash them in my laundry sink which is much deeper.

  • 13 years ago

    I'm linking rather than copying because I am unsure of Houzz copyright rules. Here is a Boston mansion built in 1859 for the widow of a magnate. Note the statement that it is a time capsule of how people lived at the end of the nineteenth century. Yeah, right . . .

    You'll need to scroll through to get to kitchen and laundry.

    Here is a link that might be useful: [1859 kitchen and laundry with farm sinks[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/experience-a-victorian-christmas-at-the-gibson-house-stsetivw-vs~5884755?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u207&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery16)

  • 13 years ago

    maybe it's all us short people who like farmhouse sinks. my current sink/faucet make me stand on tiptoe or my back hurts...it's too high and too far back from the front edge.

  • 13 years ago

    So to those with fireclay, does it get those black marks when a metal pan comes in contact with it?

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you for the replies and links