Hooray!! Looking good. Just LOVE that tile!

Ah,,,,,,,,,there's that counter again......you have no idea how much I lust after that counter.
AFTER my sink was installed with the drain on the right, I found out I do dishes in reverse and I'm constantly looking for a knife to put under the dishpan so the water will drain. Might have to get a grate. Really don't want to. Or learn how to wash dishes left to right. But isn't it great to not have that stupid divider right in the middle of everything!

Cool sink! Great shape. And I want to see more of those counters!! They look so so cool.

Awesome sink! I'd prefer a cast iron sink and am finding my options pretty limited. Is a tile-in sink only for tile and not solid surface? Now that I've typed that out, that's sounds like a "duh!" questions, but thought I'd make sure.

Any sink that can make you enjoy washing dishes must have magical powers. I might have to consider a tile counter just so I can have one. :-) Seriously, it's beautiful and it's great that you are enjoying it.

Cj

No wonder you love it. It's lovely! As expected. :-)

So roomy Plllog!! I love that adorable peek of tile I can see...and the red everywhere accessories. Yum. I want pink mixing bowls...where did you get your red ones?

That's such a great sink! So happy for you and glad it works so well for you.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words and support.

Chicagoans, check the Tile Tour link, below.

I've added the window casings to the Tile Tour.

Ouch! Pinch, that's not good. I wash from left to right, then stack to the left. Not well thought out, huh? Just habit. The drain is under the dishpan in my picture. I guess there's just enough room for the water to go down. My grate is only on the round side of the sink (it's the one that's designed for the sink). I really like it. Heck, I love the sink. :)

Pickle, last year there were half a dozen versions of this sink. Kohler has way cut back on their cast iron sinks. I think it's the economy and the number of people going for stainless. Entree is still listed at vendors online in drop-in versions, plus, I think any sink with a deck and flange can be made to work with solid surface.

Redroze, The red mixing bowls were a gift. They're a nesting set of 6 melamine. I just found a tag on another part of the gift, so I think they may have come from Crate & Barrel. Pink might be easiest to find in a Breast Cancer awareness set, if that shade works for you.

I really like it also. tho I still want a double...

they do make it as drop in.

Here is a link that might be useful: drop in sink

forgot to say - i also looove the tile work!

does the sink feel the same as regular porcelain? it is the first sink that made me have a 2nd thought on the double!

the deck part would be somewhat of a problem for me tho.

Steph, Did you look for an undermount? I'm pretty sure they made one, but they may be all gone. It doesn't feel like porcelain. For about a year I'd see it at the fittings store and get a kick out of the shape, but didn't like the feel or sound. Fireclay feels wonderful! Between the lack of dividers and the grate I touch the sink a lot less, but I also got used to the new feel, which is more like touching Corningware. I should say, though, that I'm acutely sensitive to mass. I can stand near a wall--not touching--and tell whether it's drywall or lath and plaster (though it's harder if it's 3/4" drywall where the mass is more similar). The new enamel is just different. It's not bad or anything. And it's supposed to be more durable and stain resistant.

Beautiful gorgeous large sink! So glad you are loving it....the rest of us love your amazing counter!

Love the shape! And it's perfect with your kitchen. But most of all...YAY! You love it!

Plllog,

I'm one of those who hates having tile on the kitchen countertop because of the grout. It's the thing that I hate the most about my current kitchen. I couldn't understand why anyone would want tile for the counter until I saw yours. It's absolutely stunning. You did a beautiful job. I am blown away.

What handsome tiling around your awesome sink! Love it!

LOL! That is THE SAME SINK my DH and I put into our first kitchen reno in about 1990 -- except that instead of 2, it had 5 holes for faucet, etc. We called it our 5 holer Kohler. We LOVED THAT THING. We moved out of that house when the kids were 4 and 6, and we were still giving them bathes in it. I know if I show DH this picture he'll say, "Why aren't we getting that sink again????" (I'm going with a Kohler Stages).

LOVE IT, and I am jealous. And yes, we tiled it in as well in our little 1935 Bungalow with it's black and white kitchen.

That is the coolest tile job EVER! I don't know what part of it I love the most... AWESOME!!

plllog -- those counters are kickin'!! I watched American Idol last night so I'll do a Randy Jackson... "Dawg those tiles are DOPE!" (Yeah he pulls it off better than me.)

I also love the knobs and the window casing. Great touches! Love the creativity.

That is a GOOD LOOKING SINK! I love the bright colors of your stock pot and b0wls and the cheerful pattern of your tile. What a cheerful place to do dishes!

Plllog  Your tile is making me almost think I could give up my dream of marbleÂ

oh, wow!!! I can see why you love your sink, and I'm very happy for you. (where else but here can you go where people will tell you that?!)

Now, tell me, is this the tile that gave you so much grief? 100% yes, it was worth it!!! I can't wait to see more. Fabulous!

Thanks, everyone!

RJR, thanks for the history! I guess if it's 20+ years old it's not such a big deal that they discontinued it, but it still does seem a shame!

Re the tile, yes, it's the tile that I had the troubles with, but the artisan made good on everything. It just took time. The quality is tremendous. A lot of handmade tile doesn't have the same quality.

For those who missed it, I'm attaching the link to the Tile Tour.

Regarding the practicality, my GC, the indomitable former soldier, looked scared when I mentioned my housekeeper was standing on the counter to clean the up top cabinets. It's tile. It's okay to stand on it. Really. The cabinets are strong, there's 3/4" plywood attached, and a proper mortar bed, thinset and 3/8" of high quality tile.

Re grout, I was washing out a jar from tomato sauce and missed some which dried right on the grout because I was too tired to notice. Next day it came off with a slightly damp sponge. As expected.

I should mention that this is fancy, experimental grout. Because of the variation in the tile, the grout had to be wider than 1/8", but I didn't want sanded grout for the counters. My tile setters devised a way to use a combination of sanded and unsanded so that the lines would be strong, but the surface smooth. It also required a cold rainy week and a house with no heat for it not to crack, but I love the result!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tile Tour

Plllog,

I'm reassured to know you selected the Kohler porcelain/cast iron sink and love it -- a few of the comments on sinks here in the forum have made me question our choice of the same.

What finish is yours? We chose the Cane Sugar and it matches our Rixi Crema tile perfectly. I'd given up the apron front because of the price, so splurged a little on that finish. Of course for now it's all just sitting in the basement, waiting for our renovation to start in mid-April.

I'd also like to add my voice to the chorus singing the praises of your tilework. It's jaw-dropping-gorgeous!

Oh my, I have only heard of your famed tile, and seeing it now for the first time I can see why it's so talked about. I had no idea tile could be so gorgeous. I LOVE it. Wow, wow, wow. I think your counters are by far the most fascinating I've seen and probably ever will. I love the color scheme and the backsplash and how unique the sink is. It's perfect for those counters. I like that the sink sits slightly lower than the tile, that's a neat little detail.

Love it all. Is your kitchen finished or still in progress?

I love the way there are wavy lines and pops of different colors. It gives a happy feeling.

O M G -- That tilework is to die for!
Where did you get your inspiration for that? And who installed? It's just incredible...

And of course, you need the right sink. Which you've clearly found...

Wow! Thanks, folks!

Re the sink, it's a tile-in sink. One of the last. As far as I can tell, Kohler has stopped making them. One can use other sink types with tile, but it's so much nicer and easier with a deck and a flange.

Needsometips, I'm guessing you haven't had old fashioned tile. The tile coming over the flange and finished with quarter round is the old standard for kitchen counters where I live. It's grossly out of style, but so danged functional! That's why people used to like the standard 30" double sink. You could put the cookie sheet, or whatever across the top, and the water would fall into the sink, because the sheet was lower than the counter. A lot of tile companies don't even make quarter round, coves and v-caps anymore!

Clergychick, my sink is just "white" I think. I originally was going to get sea salt, but then I decided on soapstone for the island and thought it would be too busy there, so changed to white for both. There is absolutely nothing that beats cast iron. With the old, true porcelain finish you could crack, chip or scratch it, if you tried hard, and you could eventually scrub the finish right off. For both we're talking about abuse! I've seen 80 year old cast iron sinks that were just fine and didn't need restoration. It was slightly porous and if you let something set too long you might have to use bleach to get the stain out (I hate bleach, so I just clean up regularly). It felt wonderful, like fireclay. The new Kohler product is fired higher and is nigh on indestructible. They have demos where they invite you to throw hammers at them. I haven't heard good things about Americast. But I think there's a lot of confusion about old vs. new, and high quality vs. off. I'm sure you'll love your sink as much as I love mine--and how wonderful that the color matches so well!

Honeysuckle, the pops of color and wavy lines are just in that area in the garden window. Glad you like them! I love that part!

Sweeby, Thanks! Coming from you that's really something! The inspiration was the tiles themselves. Total love! Because I loved the frogs and the waterlilies as much as the vines, which were what I chose to go with the bamboo, I figured it had to be a pond. The 30° angle came after agonizing that I loved the field tiles but they didn't look good. Once I turned them, and used Mindstorm's analysis of what a pond is really like when I got stuck on the layout, everything came together. The outdoor counter is flowers, and just got grouted, so is still under paper. The tile setters are Michael Schweit and Robin Nicholas (they had worked on my house previously and pre-book):

The kitchen is getting near done, but not quite. I promise there will be pictures!

Beautiful sink, tile and faucet!! What faucet is in the picture. I really like it!

Even though I have seen and commented about this before, I just had to take that TILE TOUR a few more times! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your tiles, and I am completely smitten with the garden window with all those teardrop colored tiles--that is GENIUS! I don't think I would ever tire of that view, and I wouldn't even need to look out the window-ha!

I also hemmed and hawed over that same sink. Yours looks so FABU, I am now feeling quite wistful about it, though it probably wouldn't look nearly as good in my kitchen. It's completely perfect for your space.

Again, congratulations on an absolutely jaw-dropping work of art!

Thanks, Shelayne! Good thing you wouldn't be looking at the view because outside the garden window is a fence!

Canintrainter, the faucet is the MGS VELA D. They had it in the store and I just loved touching it. It has a pulldown and spray, and is supposed to be tiptop quality. Sometimes the pressure difference turning off the water quickly is enough to make the pulldown part drop a little--then it pulls back when the water goes back on. That's the only down side. It's otherwise just lovely. And the plumber said it's the first one with a retracting hose he'd seen that actually worked. :)

Plllog,

I can't find your sink on the kohler web site. Any ideas? I want a single basin and my DH liked how easy your sink works with tile. I made him look at your tile as it's just beautiful.

Debrak,

Yeah, they don't have it any more, but it's still listed with various web outlets, so I have to think someone has some in stock somewhere.

You could also do a shout out to Solman who tracked down the people who import the cast iron sinks, or something like that.

Any tile-in sink will work easily with tile. The trick is finding one now that Kohler has turned their backs on us.

I enjoyed going on the tile tour for the 10th time and seeing the updated pictures. What a beautiful and functional spot you have to do dishes. It's amazing how much of a pleasure a sink can be, isn't it?

Plllog, nope, I've never had old fashioned tile, but I wish I would have after seeing yours. Ours was cheap 4" squares with a sink that had ridges that sat 1.5" higher than the counter and were constantly spilling water down the sides onto the countertop.

I would never tire of looking at your counters. They are absolutely lovely.

Not just the great sink, I wish this was MY kitchen!

Long live cast iron.

Correction to above.

Long live cast iron and tile countertops! Especially beautiful ones like this. My nominee to the Museum of Fine Countertops... and Backsplashes :)

And I love your sink too!!! Perfect. And your tile, again and again. Girl, you have vision and an eye.

Nice sink ....GORGEOUS TILE COUNTER!!!! I have never seen one like it. If I had, I'd have tile counters. Where did you get it? Fabulous! ( and this if from a person who isn't fond of tile counters)

Pillog, did I miss a posting of your finished kitchen? Your counter is gorgeous and that sink fits the space perfectly. So glad you are happy with it!

Wow, that is some pretty cool tile. Love the variety and the window trim colors too. Looks like the view out your kitchen windows isn't too bad either with the flowering vines to look at. I forsee your tile work being talked about years from now on garden web. Someone will say, I want to do something different with tile but don't know if it will look ok. Someone else will say, Oh, look at plllog's tile, it's fabulous!

Nice sink ....GORGEOUS TILE COUNTER!!!! I have never seen one like it. If I had, I'd have tile counters. Where did you get it? Fabulous! ( and this if from a person who isn't fond of tile counters)

Best tile countertop I have ever seen and your sink is awesome. Can't wait to see the the rest of your kitchen when it gets done.

Thanks, again, everybody!

No, I haven't posted the finished kitchen, because it isn't finished. It's at about 85%, though, and I made stock (see appliances pass their first tests).

The tile is Architerra-NW, the layout design is mine, and the tile setters are fabulous. :)

Just had to tell you... I sent your tile link to my carpenter's wife when I saw it and told her that's what I want for a backsplash. Tell her hubby to get ready. She either didn't tell him or he's in denial because I also printed it off and left it in a conspicious place when he was working here. He's a tile setter/carpet layer by trade. He never once mentioned it. He'll be back for the shower;-)Should I just surprise him and say, "Let's do something like this!" and put your photos in his hand? Anything I suggest after that should be a sure thing. I'm willing to compromise.