Part of the "look" of granite is an undermount sink. You might explore the option of a bar or veggie sink.which are often shallower. We have done projectrs where the customer used 2 smaller undermount sinks with a granite rail in the middle. costs more as there are 2 undermount cutouts but at least you can consider the option and it ;looks very nice.

A 1st rate fabricator will machine a depression in the center rail so if the faucet is passed over the center rail the water runs into the sinks instead of possibly down the front of the cabinet. finishing the depression in the rail can be challenging because it requires the fab shop to grind the top of the rail and then bring the polish back which can be difficult.

Also note the front rail width (front to back) affects the ergonomics of the sink for a shorter person. you'll want the fabricator to make the front rail as narrow as possible.

Sure you can do it and the thread I linked below has some very nice looking pictures of others who have done just that.

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

You might also be able to have her existing sink undermounted. Many drop-in sinks can be undermounted. It will make the sink a little bit deeper, though.

Why not surprise her with a pretty card or gift certificate FOR the updates, and let her be part of the choosing process? She's the one who will have to live with the choices, and she'd be just as surprised with the reality that it's going to happen as a gift from you!

Since she hand washes in a double basin sink, show her pictures of a low-divide sink and see what she thinks. We use our DW but always have several things to hand wash, and a double equal low divide sink is fantastic for that. It's one of the most useful changes we made when we renovated. The divider is plenty high enough to fill one bowl for washing.

I'm linking the Kohler site since it has photos of low divide sinks in use, but many manufacturers make them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler smart divide sinks

Texas gem - thanks for the link!

Weissman - is there a way to tell if it can be undermounted?

Fishymom - I have read your thread with your kitchen pics. Love it! I think your sink looks great.

Beautybutdebtfree - good idea, my mom is so hilarious though. Through this whole process she always says, oh you just pick this or that, you know what I like. Ha! She would rather have something she doesn't love than have to shop. She would be happy with any granite, but I know the kinds that she likes. I think part of the surprise for her will be not having to do anything to get it.

Northcarolina - I'll have to check that link out. Thanks!

i just had granite installed with a blanco silgranite sink. it is the 1 1/2 configuration. it has a deep bowl and a shallow bowl. it was supposed to be top mounted but the installers showed up with my granite cut for under mount. (long story) i love love love the sink! it is a sink that can be either under mount or top mount. i am still trying to move on and like the under mount but i would have been happier with this gorgeous sink being the center piece, plus under mount can have issues if not done properly and top mount is easy to change out if you have a crack or get sick of it.

As someone who never hit 5'2", I'd have to say faucet reach is what gets me; depth isn't a big deal. If the sink is set back more than she's accustomed to, you might need a faucet with a longer spout.

"Weissman - is there a way to tell if it can be undermounted?"

Post a picture.

Thanks! I will post a picture of the sink ASAP. It's at the new house already.

Ardcp, is that a Delta Trinsic faucet? I'm considering it for my kitchen (although I can't decide between the pull down version or pull out version). Do you like it?

(Sorry - don't mean to hijack the thread!)

I'm 5' 1" and on top of that my arms are short (my torso is pretty much normal height). We have a deep undermount (10") sink and I have no problem reaching the bottom.

Deep sinks may be more annoying for particularly tall people who don't like having to bend over to reach things on the bottom.

Like Fori, the reach to the faucet can be more of a stretch.

We made sure to get a faucet with the handle on the side, not the back, got a sink where part of the sink is shorter front to back like ardcp's. Then we had our sink mounted as close to the front of the cabinet as our granite guy would tolerate (because the granite rail in the front of the sink could be fragile if it was too narrow) and put the faucet also as close to the back of the sink as practical.

That way I can reach the faucet comfortably. We also put in an airswitch for the garbage disposal next to the faucet. The old switch was on the wall towards the corner of the L which made it hard to reach for me.

Putting the sink closer to the front edge of the cabinet also helps with being able to reach the bottom.

julia42 - i love it! i am very picky and have had mild to moderate disappointments throughout this reno but the faucet i love wholeheartedly. i finally decided on delta because we built our house 15 years ago and we have delta shower handles. i have a finish issue with 1 so i called delta with no part number, no receipt, etc. they said no problem and sent me a new handle at no cost! that decided it for me on brand.
i was torn on the chrome vs artic stainless but dh liked the ss better. honestly they were both lovely. plus the trinsic has the new diamond seal cartridge which is supposed to last even longer than a ceramic one.

I'm 5' and have the blanco sink in anthracite shown above under mounted. We've had it in our home for the last 7 years and it works great. I've also taught my kids how to do dishes in it and they are finally taller than me now, but were fine even when they were much shorter using it.

Trebruchet - finally a picture of the sink. Can this be undermounted?

Thanks!
Tricia

How close to the back of the sink can a faucet be installed in granite? I assume there's a minimum distance between the faucet hole and the sink cut-out, to keep the granite from cracking there.