I Love My Farmhouse Sink!

Our kitchen remodel isn't done yet. The floor should be installed next week and hubby still needs to put the drawer pulls on the cupboards. I've painted 4 (count em') yes 4 coats of white paint on the walls only to find grout smudges on them from when the counter tiles were laid. Looks like I'll be painting again; but I'm getting smarter. I'm gonna wait until the floor is done. So I've decided to show you the remodel in stages...courses if you will; like a fine dining experience!

So far I must say, I love my farmhouse sink the best. When I first mentioned to hubby that I wanted a great big sink that would cost twice what a regular sink costs, he raised his eyebrows at me and had a few questions. Will it fit in our little kitchen? Why do you need a sink like that? But since I'm going to have to work in this kitchen for 20 years or so; he was a good sport about it. Thanks Honey!

Initially I wanted this sink mostly for aesthetic reasons. Somewhere back in my childhood, I remember being in old-timey country kitchens with buttery yellow walls, painted farm tables, and big old porcelain sinks. Every time I see a farmhouse sink a pleasant wave of nostalgia drifts over me. Scientists might say it's something in the cerebral cortex or the hippocampus of my brain...I just know that farm sinks make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  They make me think of sunny summer days, hot tea served in mismatched flowery cups, kitchen curtains dancing in the breeze, and an old-fashioned radio playing in the background as moms and aunties laugh while they work together in the kitchen.

But since that explanation doesn't really fly when you are trying to justify spending $600+ on a sink; here are the more practical reasons for getting one...

 *It is so deep that you can set the biggest stock pot you own in it and fill it with water.  And when it's time to wash that pot--no problem! You won't be splashing water all over the counters when you dump it out. *It also 'hides' a ton of dirty dishes if you're too tired to load the dishwasher tonight. *A turkey will sit nicely on that rack while you wash it. Come to think of it...you could bathe a baby very easily in my sink! (Back in the day, girls, that's how we bathed our babies. Just line the bottom of the sink with a towel so the baby doesn't slip, fill it with a few inches of lukewarm water, and make sure that the faucet is pushed to the side so that you don't accidentally turn the hot water on the baby.  Really, it was so much easier on the back than those little plastic tubs or the bathtub...and the baby could look out the kitchen window all the while. I know...your worried about sanitation. Well, I always did a thorough cleaning before and after the bath...no worries!)

 Just look at those wire racks in the bottom! *You can leave your dishclothes on them and they'll dry nicely...won't get all stinky and mucky. *They also protect the bottom of the sink from scratches. *And all that yucky food you rinsed off the dishes will drop below the dishes--until you're ready to scoop it up. *Have you ever set a colander of spaghetti noodles down in the sink, only to discover that dirty water that's lurking in the bottom has seeped up through the holes in the colander? Gag me! This doesn't happen with these racks!

*Just look at this cute little strainer basket that sits in one side of my sink. Makes cleaning the sink so nice!

Though I adore porcelain, I chose stainless steel. I've had porcelain before and I don't like cleaning it. So when choosing, know thyself. What's going to work for you? And since I do a lot of soaking and washing dishes, especially on the holidays, I needed a double sink. They come both ways, and it was no more expensive to get the partitioned one.

So what are the downsides to farmstyle sinks?

• You loose space underneath. We installed the size of cupboard that usually goes over a refrigerator beneath the sink in order to make it fit. I can't put as much junk under there.
• Stainless steel scratches. I'm awfully careful not to scratch this beauty, but I've got a couple of them...grrr! I never paid much attention when the old sink got a few scrapes, but this one's my baby! And there are those waterspots if you don't wipe them dry.
• Thats a pretty wide divider between my sinks. If the faucet is centered over it, there's quite a splash.
• They're expensive.

But what's a few dollars and a little less undercounter space compared with that wonderful homey feeling you get every time you walk into your kitchen? If you'll excuse me now, I think I'll pour myself a cuppa tea in a flowery mug, turn on the radio and open the window. The sun is shining and I'm feeling a big nostalgic...

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