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olympia776

Please help me choose a sink

olympia776
10 years ago

I'm starting a remodel as soon as I can source some materials (namely, vintage flooring!) and I'm having a hard time with the sink.

I'm thinking undermount - although I'm hugely nervous about it. I'm going to have white macauba quartzite that's diagonal cut and I'm terrified of chipping it. I feel like the overmounts are kind of clunky looking in comparison though and think it'll be worth the risk (please correct me if I'm wrong!). I'm planning on transitioning from a double bowl to a single bowl and probably planning on a positive reveal - I'm hoping both will help mitigate any banging on the edges. I'm not the most graceful person you ever met and I've got plenty of big pots and pans and burners that might get banged around. I'm a little concerned with transitioning to a single bowl since we're not the most fastidious people you've ever met and tend to use one side of the sink for dirty dishes. Might this be happily rectified with the use of some sort of dish pan or are those of you who switched disappointed? I'm open to all advice!

So, I'm looking for something with these specs in mind:
*33 in cabinet
*undermount
*singlebowl (I think...)
*probably not 10" deep - maybe 8-9"?
*offset drain - seemingly best on the right back corner? (also open to advice about this)
*stainless or silgranit (don't think there's a silgranit model for me?)
*has a grid or can purchase a grid for it

I'm always looking for a deal. Under $400 would be great but I also don't want to skim on something so important.

I'm thinking of reusing our faucet and purified water spout. Is this a bad idea? I know it would limit where holes would be for future changes.

Just some backstory - this started out as a simple project to replact POs tile countertops but we decided that it wouldn't be smart to put it all down over a floor that we hate. So, we're hoping to find some vintage flooring to match the rest of the house - contractor said it shouldn't be a problem. If that doesn't work out I think we'll go with a tile lookalike for slate which is what we have in the entryway and another large room. When we first bought the house in the middle of last year we knocked out a wall between the smallish kitchen (10x15) and dining room and got a new range - bluestar 36" 6 burner and more recently got a zephyr hood installed. I'm hoping to paint the cabinets white and hopefully get new hardware; the existing is from ikea. The cabinets were custom made and have wood boxes so we'll be reusing them. We had the slate backsplash removed and currently it's just painted. Down the line I'll likely do subway tile - so ubiquitous but we like it!

I'm kind of astonished about all of the options/decisions. We might be doing some of in stages as our budget allows. What we weren't initally planning on is that the current tiles are over a couple of layers of linoleum and set around the counters - we found out when we changed the layout on one side from opening up the wall. So, the counters need to be raised/leveled as well. I'm a little scared to do demo thinking of what could come up but we're hoping for the best!

I'm seriously happy for any/all advice. Thanks for reading this tome!

Comments (9)

  • threeapples
    10 years ago

    Hi Browneyes! :)
    We chose a single bowl under mount and I love how it looks, but already know the edge of our stone will get chipped. I regret not doing over mount even though we haven't even used the sink yet. There are some really beautiful over mounts so Id look into those if you, too, are worried about damage to your pretty counters.
    Post pics of your project!

  • olympia776
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Threeapples, thanks! That name rings a bell...

    Do you have any ideas or favorites already for overmount sinks? I've kind of liked the blanco microedge - it looks a bit like an undermount without holes for the faucet, etc. They seem to be disproportionately expensive though.

    Just when I thought I was all set for undermount!

    What stone are you using? Soapstone?

  • threeapples
    10 years ago

    Hi :)
    We have Montclair Danby marble in the kitchen. I like the Blanco sink. I found others, but as our computers are packed I can't access my Internet bookmarks. I'll try to update in a few days.

  • angie_diy
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I used an Elkay eghu2816r undermount in soapstone with a positive reveal. It is about $400. I like it a lot. I will admit to some very small nicks on the exposed soapstone edge.

  • olympia776
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That looks like a great sink and I'd love to use it but it says it's only for 36 in cabinets. I wonder if it'd fit in a smaller cabinet?

  • angie_diy
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I apologize; I did not see the 33" cab spec.

    It might work, depending on your cab construction. The outer dimensions of the sink are 30.5". The inner dimensions of a frameless cab would be 33"-1.5"=31.5". So, you could fit it in there, but there would not be enough room for mounting clips. If you are interested, however, talk to your fabricator. I used a Sink Setter, and so did not need clips. You could readily fit that sink in a 33" cab using a Sink Setter.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sink Setter

  • PRO
    Rachiele Custom Sinks
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Often there are alternative ways to install under mount sinks so you can fit them in a smaller cabinet than what is recommended by the installer. I put a link that explains how this could be done. It is certainly not the only way to do this, but it is an option.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Optional installation to fit larger under mount sink in smaller cabinets

  • olympia776
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks very much for the info - I'm gonig to check out the links you two provided!

    I'm kind of fainting at what all of this costs! Or maybe it's just project creep. We decided on new counters and now it's become floors too. I suppose everyone feels this way!

  • annkh_nd
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Several years ago, my Mom offered to help me paint our bathroom. When I asked DH what color we should choose, he said "First that vanity and counter have to go!" I had never heard of that color. My $60 can of paint turned into... a lot more. New vanity, counter, sink, faucet, toilet, accessories - but it looks terrific, and I still love it!