They will look of their period just like pastel appliances, Formica counters, built-in grills, and things like that were more popular at certain times

And there is nothing the matter with that. In the future, some design buff will be able to look at most kitchens and be able to give an approximate date of when kitchens with white shaker doors and farmhouse sinks were done, that's inevitable.

That said, the sink will look more appropriate in your house down the road than it will in a highrise condo.

Thank you, those are really good points, it might not be avoidable. When we bought our house, the previous owners did a fairly timeless kitchen update in the 80’s, other other than the Corian countertops and drop in stainless sink. I might be overthinking this.

Get the sink you want, the one which will work best with your style of kitchen work.

Thanks, socks. My issue is I don’t know what I want, but leaning towards something other than an apron front. I’m not sure what else would be classified as classic and traditional, but also durable since I don’t want to redo my kitchen again in 10 years :)

Apron front sinks have been in use for more than a hundred years. However, I‘d hesitate to get a fireclay apron front sink because fireclay is a more difficult installation and we’ve seen many reports on this forum of fireclay sinks crazing. There are other materials for apron front sinks like enameled cast iron (Kohler), stainless steel (Elkay, Kraus), and granite composite (Elkay, Blanco).

The ”drop in” sink you mentioned is actually the more dated look. People don’t like the sink lip on the counter. If you don’t like an apron front sink, an undermount sink in enamelled cast iron will look very nice in your kitchen

I love my apron-front sink. Frankly, I don't know why everyone doesn't have one. Any drips/splashes land or run down the apron of the sink and not onto the cabinet underneath, thereby keeping the cabinet from getting any water damage. I have a fireclay but if you don't want to go that route, there are also apron-front stainless sinks, and I think copper, too.

I have an apron front sink in SS, and my kitchen is MCM. So apron sinks have many different looks.

You might want to visit some kitchen design stores and mime using them. Deep sinks create back issues for tall people. Shorter people are more likely to be happier with apron sinks. And a stainless standard undermount sink will be a workhorse that will oulast your grandchildren. Everything has a plus and minus. And this is where an experienced Kitchen Designer can steer you into a direction to try first, based on thousands of past projects with clients of all shapes and sizes and needs.

While a sink can be dated (my brother had a fabulous mid-century American Standard sink with built-in drainboards that was fabulous), I don't think they receive the same amount of scorn as, I don't know, avocado refrigerators or Tuscan rooster tile mosaics or busy glass mosaic backsplashes. Sinks are functional, and it's the purely aesthetic choices that seem to suffer the "dated" label the most.

Because apron-front sinks are more of a design feature than either a drop-in or undermount sink, I think they may be more at risk of looking dated, especially if a farmhouse sink is shoe-horned into a kitchen that isn't farmhouse (not all apron-fronts sinks are farmhouse, so this isn't a blanket statement).

Just like the double bowl cast iron sink hung around for decades, a large single bowl sink is largely more desired for most kitchens. Whether it has a front apron is simply a question of style. The sinks certainly take on a different appearance when the apron is stainless steel.

The sink below is one of my favorites in that it's large enough for any pot or rack that needs washing and large enough to bathe a dog if necessary. I also like the backsplash which protects the kitchen from splashing water.

If you *don't* want an apron front, an undermount stainless basin is pretty close to timeless -- they wear awesomely and impose not at all on the style of the room.

"Shorter people are more likely to be happier with apron sinks."

This is non-sensical. Tall people like apron front sinks too.

"I think they may be more at risk of looking dated, especially if a farmhouse sink is shoe-horned into a kitchen that isn't farmhouse"

As I mentioned above, apron front sinks have been around for more than a hundred years. They are not "shoe-horned" into a kitchen that is not farmhouse. Just look at all the pics of apron front sinks online - all materials and all decors. I don't know why people want to pigeon-hole like this.

I am one of the "old-timers" on this forum, and every few months, for the last decade, there is a post on here saying that farmhouse sinks are a fad, and/or they are only in kitchens that have a farmhouse decor. I am waiting for the poster Patricia Cromwell - she can be relied on to say that they are a fad - as she has been doing for as many years as I have been here.

The OP should decide if she likes a farmhouse sink or not, regardless of people saying they are a fad or are only farmhouse, since both are incorrect.

BTW - I do not have an apron front sink, and have no skin in this game. I just dislike when people make statements that are generalizations and are not correct.

The difference between the apron-front sinks being used now and the ones of yesteryear are that the ones now are built into a cabinet, whereas the older ones were freestanding and open underneath. If they were built into a cabinet, only a small edge showed on the lip, not the whole squared off tub.

I think it's best to match the feel of your kitchen to the era of the house. That way the kitchen won't feel "dated" it will feel like part of a cohesive antique house. Redoing a whole kitchen every ten years isn't good for your wallet or the planet, so I'm happy you're looking for something that will last.

In the 1940s, they had these beautiful farmhouse (but not apron) sinks that had two built-in drainboards flanking the sink. It still looks very classic and functional, but with a little late art deco flair.

You can still find vintage cast iron sinks like this, but you'd have to worry about lead in the enamel. You can find a reproduction here.

Thank you to all of you for sharing your thoughts and so many great photos! This really is helping me think through what I want and what might look right in this particular house. And I don’t hate an apron sink, I added a fireclay in another house and it works well with the type and age of the house. I agree that sink is a killer on my back (i’m tall), but I have seen some more shallow versions that might help with that issue. It’s been installed there for a few years and thankfully is holding up ok for now. I’ll check out some of your recommendations!

I've seen some newer styles that had modern angles or unusual finishes that absolutely could be dated in a few years. I think if you choose a white one that looks as closely to the classic kind, it will look good forever.

It's like subway tile. If you choose an odd color and stack it, then yes, it will become dated. But if you choose white in a running bond pattern, that's never going to go out of style. It might cease to be trendy, but it's so classic that won't matter.

I have a vintage home too....1925. i went with FULL HEIGHT DOORS on my sink base instead of a farm sink. Farm sinks are a risk if they break...but I guess all sinks are kind of. But might be a lot easier to replace an undermount sink in a rectangular standard size. My friend did a farmsink in her kitchen....the kind that went back to the wall. She broke it...it was discontinued. She had to repair the sink instead of replace it because a replacement sink was not available.

my sink base w/ full height doors and a 29" single bowl sink.

Plain & Fancy Kitchen - Dayton Ohio · More Info

""Shorter people are more likely to be happier with apron sinks."

This is non-sensical. Tall people like apron front sinks too."

I used to believe this until I had a wheelchair-bound customer pull up to her new apron front sink and exclaim how delighted she was that the the front sink edge was now an inch and a quarter lower.

Subway tile, Glacier White Corian, and apron front sinks have all been around more than 50 years. None have ever went out of style.

I wanted a farmhouse sink for my farmhouse kitchen remoldel so bad. I really wanted a copper one. Every time my husband would say, ”Oh you want a laundry sink?“ I would show him example after example of kitchens and explain how it’s not a laundry sink! I usually get my way, but I lost that battle.

I love my undermount low divide double bowl. I hand wash a lot of stuff and use a bowl for drying. I was not even aware of a low divide until seeing it in a showroom. I love it! So much easier to wash large items.

"Shannon " BTW my last name is Colwell. yes I do think certain things are dated I personally do not like apron front sinks but IMO not any more dated than many other things we are putting in our kitchens now. I like stainless single bowl large I like undermount IMO what ever style sink suits your use for it. Everything will become dated eventually. I actully say dated when someone is wanting to in 2021 do something that was out of date 10 yrs ago .

Actually about 20 years ago subway tile 3x6 was impossible to find except in a fully rectified form, basically made-to-order and pricey. No one used that shape from the post WWII period until almost the turn of the 21st c. unless they were doing a Victorian/Edwardian restoration.

^^I disagree. My 1999 kitchen had plain white subway tile backsplash from Home Depot. I wanted handmade square crackle tiles, but couldn't afford them, and Home Depot subway tiles were the budget option (still are).

I've been reading complaints about how these big flat sinks drain, or don't drain. I think there is a reason improvements were made and we moved to two bowl sinks in kitchens for a reason. I do not know why anyone would want just one large sink. I know young people wash dishes differently than I was taught. They leave the water running and scrub with a soapy brush..rinse and move on so the never have a full sink of hot soapy water so they have plenty of room for rinsing..some day they will realize the amount of water they waste!

1999 is "almost the turn of the 21st c." but go ahead and disagree, since that seems to something you enjoy.

???? Gee Palimpsest. I was disagreeing with ”Actually about 20 years ago subway tile 3x6 was impossible to find except in a fully rectified form, basically made-to-order and pricey.”

My point was that people are calling it "timeless" in the 3x6 form and it's not. Square was the standard for decades and even if 3x6 was available, nobody was really using it. And it doesn't look particularly authentic laid brick style in a modern style house built between the 50s and the 80s,90s, because the tile would have overwhelmingly have been a different format. "Timeless" is something that people talk about, but you can almost always tell when something was from. And I don't think there is anything the matter with that.

raises hand Me. I’m a bit taller than average, and I do not like using farmhouse apron sinks. They tend to bother my back. Go figure. They’re pretty, and I think they’d go just fine (not dated) with your style of house it sounds like. But I also think a SS under mount sink would also go just fine and not look out of place or dated. I much prefer a nice, big, single bowl SS under mount sink. (SS because I have arthritic hands and, try as I might, I cannot get white sinks truly clean and I hate having to depend on my hubby to get it sparkling clean. He’s willing, but it’s a hassle for me to have to delegate that, so SS for me thank you very much. LOL! Oh, and single bowl because I don’t hand wash very much, and I like using large cookware.) hope that helps!

skmom:

There is no bowl depth difference between undermounted and undermounted apron front sinks. Almost all are at 9" these days. It must be psycological, becaue physically you're not leaning any further. In fact, the lower front rail of an apron sink would result in less leaning.

Well then, I must hold my body differently at one. I just know, that of the ones I’ve used, I don’t like them. I have fibromyalgia, little differences/changes like that are noticeable to me and make a difference.

My kitchen will have white marble countertops and off-white cabinets.

These are trendy right now.

Because apron-front sinks are more of a design feature than either a drop-in or undermount sink, I think they may be more at risk of looking dated, especially if a farmhouse sink is shoe-horned into a kitchen that isn't farmhouse (not all apron-fronts sinks are farmhouse, so this isn't a blanket statement).

Agree. Consider your overall look. If your house is farmhouse or cottage, a white apron front sink will fit in ... other house styles might not work so well. Stainless steel apron sinks will fit into a different style kitchen.

Just like the double bowl cast iron sink hung around for decades, a large single bowl sink is largely more desired for most kitchens.

Single vs. double bowl sinks is a functional question, not a design question.

"Shorter people are more likely to be happier with apron sinks."

This is non-sensical. Tall people like apron front sinks too.

I can't speak for tall people, but we short people (and I'm very short) love apron-front sinks because we don't have to reach as far to reach the sink. It works with our shorter arms and reduces back strain. Totally NOT nonsense.

Another benefit: an apron-front sink provides for a few extra inches of space behind the sink.

raises hand Me. I’m a bit taller than average, and I do not like using farmhouse apron sinks. They tend to bother my back. Go figure.

Okay, so now you've heard from a short person and a tall person.

skmom, I agree with you, that 2 inches makes a big difference, my apron sink is better since I added the grid to the bottom.

Thanks again everyone, I find that I am definitely drawn to the white sinks you all have shared, but if I want durability and an undermount, I may need to go with stainless.

I do kind of hope drop ins come back, one of my favorite kitchens is from It’s Complicated

Mrs Pete, I agree that off white is popular, but I wouldn’t call it trendy. I’m replacing off white cabinets with new off white cabinets, they have been there for 40 years. I’m not convinced white or off white kitchens ever really were dated over the decades, maybe just not as popular as other styles from time to time. It also feels right for this house. I think that is where I’m struggling, I never quite understood the idea of making design choices that don’t honor the house, thinking about when the Italian or Tuscan style was popular in the 2000s, super modern kitchens in old houses and now the farmhouse, those choices would seem odd in my house.

By the way, my MIL would agree with you on the sink, she loves the apron style and she is very petite. You also make an excellent point about the sink sitting away from the wall, I have a really low window in front of that sink and it’s a pain to constantly clean the window and the area behind the faucet, that alone could sway me if I think about it. My apron sink at my cottage is in a large peninsula, so I never even considered that!

Have you thought about something that is a cross between the white apron front sink and a regular undermount stainless sink? I am waiting for this to be installed.

Kohler Iron/Tones Top/Under-Mount Double-Bowl Kitchen Sink, 33"x18-3/4"x9.63", White · More Info

Quick update: After meeting with a couple of contactors and learning about the extensive delays happening with cabinets, appliances, and general supply issues, we made the decision to hold off on a full renovation and just make some strategic updates. To stay true to the cottage style of our older home, I chose to do the 33” Sinkology fireclay drop in sink as opposed to stainless. Install just happened today and I really love it. I also had the plumber mount the faucet with the handle over the sink to cut down on drips from wet hands and it does what I had hoped (the constant puddle of water drives me crazy otherwise). Thank you for all of the comments, photos and reminders to figure out what I wanted and not worry about trends.

@Everett Smith "I also had the plumber mount the faucet with the handle over the sink to cut down on drips from wet hands and it does what I had hoped (the constant puddle of water drives me crazy otherwise)."

Why didn't I think of that?? I have a very similar faucet. We just built a new house, and the sink is installed in the island. The only thing I hate is the constant puddle of water under the handle! Thank you for the idea, I may have my plumber change mine! Enjoy your new sink, it looks nice!

P.S. I have a stainless steel undermount apron sink. I didn't think I would like it, but I do. Always had a drop-in or undermount to this point. The keeps water from dripping on my cabinet doors under the sink, which was always a problem in the past.

@CeeWhy, the plumber did have to reverse the hot and cold lines so that when the faucet handle is moved to the right it’s cold, but that was simple. Overall an easy solution to the puddles!

Unless part of a sink & surround setup as depicted in some photos as posted by "thethistle", above, the apron type sink is ugly as sin. They ruin the smooth continuous look of your counter and have a heavy clunky look, like an elephant in a little room.

The way "farmhouse" sinks are installed nowadays is not the original arrangement of the farmhouse sink of the past, which because of the overall setup of the kitchen looks qute correct. But some designer came along and decided that this new version of the farmhouse sink was ever-so-cool, and unfortunately the idea stuck, like so many modern reinventions.

blue_skink that is YOUR opinion and obviously tons of people disagree with you. Including me.

@blue_skink made me laugh by resurrecting this thread to harrumph and wag her finger. Who is the "some designer who came along"? Please tell their name so I can message them a thank you. We think our apron front stainless steel sink is great, and any kitchen we have in the future will have one. Thank you "some designer" whoever you are!

@cpartist. Yes, indeed, that is my "opinion" (re clunky apron sinks).

Last I heard, the expression of opinions is the purpose and function of forums such as this one. My expression of an opinion is just as legitimate as yours or anyone else's.

In the sink replacement business, customers repeatedly express their opinion very favorably for single bowl apron front sinks.