Apron-front, farmhouse sink options… and why I decided AGAINST FIRECLAY.
I thought there was one kitchen decision that was finished… But then I remembered that if you think something is not a problem, it is most likely because you have not yet determined the extent to which it is actually a huge problem.
This is what I want in a sink:
single bowl.
apron front.
offset drain.
undermount.
white.
I had originally wanted the 36” Rohl Shaw farmhouse sink… the larger size is visually appealing to me. But I’ve scaled back to the 30” sink because I’m not planning to bathe in the kitchen, and we don’t have a huge amount of space.
However. Over the last week, I’ve gotten my PhD in fireclay… I ended up in the quagmire of 500-open-tabs, trying to convince myself that a sink that gets half 5-stars and half 1-star doesn’t equal a possible problem.
The review here pretty much sums up everything I read about installation issues: it will be amazing to look at, but you your husband might abandon the project halfway through.
What I already knew:
Ooooh pretty.
$$$$$$$$$.
Heavy.
What I did not know:
–fireclay can crack.
–or discolor.
–or craze.
–it can develop pitting.
–the sink measurements vary by as much as +/- 2%, across ALL PLANES.
–sometimes people have issues with drainage: if the pitch is off slightly, the water can pool in a shallow area away from the drain.
Basically, fireclay is a natural material; AND the sinks are handmade… which means, depending on your personality, EITHER:
Perfection is in the imperfection.
Or it will make you crazy.
I usually skew towards crazy… especially in the service of something shiny, but I think this is going to be a rare practical exception.
PLUS, I have to consider that my sink-installation-guy is brand new to the process.
I can guess how he will feel about me supervising the job; clutching my pearls, playing YouTube installation videos, and reading aloud instructions, (via bullhorn) that explain how YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WHEN TIGHTENING THE FLANGE.
I gave Paul a brief overview of this potential in-home circus, and he said getting it level wasn’t even his biggest concern… he was worried about the issue of how a true farmhouse sink shows the face of the cabinet’s rough opening.
And how for someone who has done this 500 times, no big deal… but for a guy who is married to the customer, and ALREADY perceives the customer as being “difficult,” there is the concern of mis-cutting / not-NASA-level-alignment / +/- 2% variation / and the extreme unlikelyhood of the lady of the house being satisfied with “we’ll just fill that space with caulk.”
This review details (with photos,) how a woman bumped her fireclay sink with a crockpot and a huge chunk fell off the front… This was sort of the deciding factor for me because regardless of whether this is a miniscule possibility:
A– I am a risk-adverse person who likes to control all factors.
B–my installation guy is NOT going to want to replace the sink… ESPECIALLY if it involves mathematical sorcery and removing the countertop.
So I started looking at other sinks… I really like a wall-mounted sink with an integrated backsplash.
I revisited the vintage option. I do really love an old sink, and they can be had for next to no money… but ultimately I think I’m addicted to the practicality of an undermount/being able to wipe the counter directly into the sink.
Below is my dream sink amalgamation. If I were a foot shorter, I’d do this… those are old utility sinks, and they are DEEP. But already I feel hunched over washing dishes, I can’t imagine reaching down another foot.
I see this version on craigslist from time to time or at the salvage yard and they look amazing in person– super thick and solid. Although you’d have to retrofit the drain to fit a garbage disposal. Most vintage sink drains aren’t large enough.
Considering everything– that I like the look of a farmhouse sink, I want to undermount, and it needs to be apron front because I’m 6’, Paul taller, and I’m hoping that installing the sink closer to my body is going to be a big improvement.
So I think what I’ve ended up with is the Kohler Whitehaven… these are sort of a faux farmhouse. They have a self-trimming face that covers the rough opening of the cabinet. So it LOOKS like you cut the cabinet to fit the front of the sink, but the lip of the sink is actually covering it.
October 16, 2015 @ 5:38 am
I don’t know about most kitchens but the things that go on in my kitchen don’t include June Cleaver like activities. I have dropped heavy crocks of hot potatoes or glass baking dishes of casserole into the sink and all have broken. I could likely crack a fire clay apron sink in about 2 minutes. If I didn’t break it, I’m sure one of the kids playing bang the pots and pans could manage to do so in the twinkle of an eye. I have a white porcelain under-mount sink and I spend too much time scrubbing the gray marks left by pots and pans from the sides of the sink. If given the opportunity, I will gladly go back to stainless steel. I enjoyed your post.
October 16, 2015 @ 7:06 am
Very interesting post! I never realized exactly how complicated choosing a farmhouse style sink could be.
October 16, 2015 @ 8:06 am
What a great post! I think you’ve made the right choice keeping in mind your personality 😀 I have the Rohl Shaw sink and LOVE it! We built our house (I was the GC ) four years ago and the sink has been fabulous. I did however have plumbers that have put in this type of sink many times and my cabinet maker fit the sink perfectly.
October 16, 2015 @ 11:34 am
That’s my sink! You will love it!
October 17, 2015 @ 7:48 pm
We got the Kohler Whitehaven deeper sink last year and I love it. I’m 5’10” but we built our own mahogany cabinets so everything is taller for me, hooray! (Along with a hood high enough I can’t hit my head without jumping.) We ordered the sink from Amazon so got it at a discount, and free shipping. When the poor delivery guy hauled the heavy sink inside, I looked at it in the box and signed for it. It sat in our living room for about 5 months until we could install it. After it was installed and we peeled off the protective plastic, we discovered an edge was broken, invisible to casual inspection and it came off with the plastic. Both Kohler and Amazon were great to work with and sent out UPS to collect the damaged sink and then sent out another new one in a special freight truck. If we had done a more careful inspection in the beginning, we could have replaced it at some time other than CHRISTMAS! Just a warning for anyone else. We do love it though and are happy with the choice.
October 18, 2015 @ 12:20 am
Have you seen this kitchen: https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/jodie-patterson-home-tour/
October 18, 2015 @ 6:20 am
Looking very Victorian and Wallis Simpsonesque.
October 20, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
We redid our kitchen last year – we chose Fireclay despite the ominous warnings (30″ Reinhard Fireclay Farmhouse Sink – thank you Signature Hardware!). Installation was straightforward and pretty much problem free, but the cabinet did need to be custom cut and reinforced (the sink came with detailed installation instructions which we gave to our CG ahead of time). We cook A LOT and have had no problems with chips, scratches or dings so far (knock on wood) – its easy to clean and stays clean and shiny. We also had the counters raised to 38″ plus we installed 1.5″ (4 cm) slab marble (yay – no molded edge) – so no more hunching over for prep, etc. (we are both tall).
December 18, 2015 @ 3:55 pm
I use Johnson’s kitchen wax on my Rohl also – and it keeps it so pretty and nice. I have the grate for it too. so pretty. I am not tall, but I am round, and having no counter between me and the sink is lovely.
October 21, 2015 @ 5:34 am
Hello, first time here, from France! Just to say, I don’t like those apron fronts, neither all those “false old” kitchens. Either really old stuff, like the book cases you got on Craigslist, or really modern, with minimalist design and very practical. Get a modern, discreet and unobtrusive kitchen, and put one giant fancy piece on one wall, with beautiful things in it to catch all the looks! Much more simple, classy, and certainly not so expensive!
October 21, 2015 @ 5:38 am
Have forgotten to say, thank you for your blog, I love it, even if I do not always understand everything, my English is not that good. I’m frustrated for I can’t open the videos here. I’m waiting for your next post!
October 21, 2015 @ 12:43 pm
All I know is I loved the kitchen pictures. So gorgeous and making me rethink everything about my home.
October 24, 2015 @ 9:49 am
Wow! I could have written this ( just kidding!). We are currently building a new home and my dream sink was the Rohl Shaws 30″ farmhouse sink. I did hours of research, like you, and emailed friends I’d met through blogging and social media who owned them. They loved them, but I was unsure. #1 My husband who is our budget guy said it was crazy expensive. He agreed that it was fine to get it but we had to be 100% sure. #2 I talked to our cabinet maker and his advice played a big part in my decision not to go with it. He told me stories of poor installation that resulted cracked sinks, etc. He also told me I had to have the sink on location when he made the cabinets because each sink was unique. #3 I talked to our plumber who said he had never installed one and I didn’t want to be the first one considering this is our forever home. #4 The final factor that swayed me to go with the Kohler Whitehaven (just like you!) is the awesome ladies at the showroom of the plumbing supply place we are using. They LOVED the whitehaven and said they currently are not selling the Shaws like they used to. I’m going with the Kohler Artifacts single handle pull down faucet.
October 29, 2015 @ 9:52 pm
i just pointed at one of the lovelies above and said to my husband, “i want a sink like this,” to which he responded, “for here or the lake house?” and i replied, “yes.”
somehow, i think you’d approve.
October 29, 2015 @ 11:16 pm
I have and love this sink. We got a polished nickel rohl triflow faucet to go with it (our kitchen splurge). It’s been great.
November 8, 2015 @ 11:07 am
Hi! I wanted everyone to know that I own a fireclay black sink in my kitchen. We remodeled our kitchen last year and this is what I choose. It has been the best sink I have ever owned! I love it and I do not have any problems whatsoever with it. My husband is a custom home builder for over 35 years and lots of his clients have chosen them and again no problems. I do not know where this bad rap info on them came from but as for myself it has been awesome.
November 14, 2015 @ 11:37 am
This post is so funny (and informative)! 🙂 My personality is very similar. My husband and I did the “Strengths Finder 2.0” book a few years ago, and discovered that anticipating potential problems is one of my strengths. My husband’s attitude toward my tendency to worry and overplan changed after that. I’m not really a negative person like he thought I was. I just have the gift of seeing the pitfalls before they happen! It looks like maybe you do too. 😉
December 18, 2015 @ 3:52 pm
I hope you are loving it! I just redid my kitchen and we went with the Rohl 30 inch fireclay and I absolutely love it. it is wonderful. my contractor however did not love it. because well, it is hand made and he (of course) is a perfectionist. he also felt like he had to tell my husband (on several occasions) how much it cost $$$ bless him, my husband just said, I know – she’s worth it. The 30 inch is so roomy, I can’t imagine having the bigger one!
January 23, 2016 @ 1:51 pm
Our farmhouse sink in India (yeah I said India not Indiana big difference in contractor craziness) is like the Kohler Whitehaven. It has the faux lip. Our sink is hammered copper not porcelain or clay due to similar concerns about chipping. I liked the faux lip for the same reason you do – it does cover imperfections and 2%-off measurements. LOL. I would LOVE only 2% error!! If you think the farmhouse sink opening could be rough cut by inexperienced people (er, husbands) in the U.S., imagine in India where they’re using the most rudimentary tools and they’ve never even seen a farmhouse sink before! What IS this thing?! How does it work! Anyway the lip definitely covered some craziness. We had to show YouTube installation videos to them. They still built a solid platform under the sink that shows and that drives me INSANE to look at it. Because they usually put sinks and counters on top of concrete for support. They didn’t trust the granite counter and support of all the wood cabinets was enough to hold the copper sink. Huh?!? The sink is lightweight – I can lift it and I’m a weakling. They’re used to overkill. Oh well. I’m scheming how to shave back the rounded platform under the sink. I think I understand you!
January 26, 2016 @ 11:50 am
I got the American Standard farmhouse sink normally $1100 for a penny in a auction. So yeah, somebody is gonna figure out how to put it in my kitchen and I’m going to live with how ever it ages and not crash into it with a pot.
March 5, 2016 @ 1:04 pm
Franke Villeroy and Boch Farmhouse Sink Review: We recently moved to a new city and live in a newly built home. But three years previous, we put in a whole new kitchen in our old house. We splurged and bought a Franke Villeroy and Boch fireclay apron style sink installed and it was awesome!! It was white and never cracked, pitted or discoloured. That is nonsense. It was the showpiece of the room! Now and again if a pot rim or handle made a little bluish mark on the porcelain from a scrape while being washed I simply took a little baking soda and soft cloth and buffed it out. I would strenuously recommend this product!! The manufacturers of this sink stand behind their warranty , so you would have no problem if you take care while using it, like anything else.