DIY & Home Improvement

Last edited Sat Mar 16, 2013, 07:19 PM - Edit history (1)

I am still debating what to do about the dang sink. These pics are from about 3 years ago, so some things have changed, but I'll explain.

This is a close-up of the sink area. We don't have the traditional set-up with a window behind the sink. Previous owners built a 2-car garage on the other side of the wall, so the window was taken out. We have a geometric design tile backsplash.I added the round filigree decoration to soften the lines.
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Here's a close-up of the granite countertop:
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This is what's above the sink. We took the doors off the cabinets above the sink and made them shelves instead. There's crown moulding around the ceiling in the work area of the kitchen. Yes, it's black, and the cabinet is green.
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This is below the sink:
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This is from across the room. The table and rolling islands are gone. They are being replaced with an island that we are working on right now (creating ourselves because we can't find what we want). The stove has been replaced with a black one and the big black microwave has been replaced with a black hood (microwave didn't work right and I hated it).
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This shows the view to the right of the sink. Keep in mind that the stuff in the center is gone now, to be replaced with an island with a wooden top--will be work center and breakfast bar with stools. The stainless steel microwave is still there, and the crockpot with the stainless base is still there, but is now to the left of the stove. The silver radio is gone.
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This is a view of the rest of the room from back beside the refrigerator. There is a buffet along that long wall now, that is color-washed/antiqued in the same greens with a wooden top. There are nice french doors that go into the family room, which has lots of windows, so that's the main source of natural light in the room, although we are considering putting in a skylight above the sink area. We did the woodwork around the door. It was HORRIBLE when we bought the house. The doors will remain white. They have oil-rubbed bronze handles. The alcove to the left of the french doors is the landing for the stairs that go up to the attic (which is finished off into rooms).
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Here's a close-up of the decorative wooden accent above the french doors. It's color-washed.
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And one more... this is also visible from the kitchen. A hallway opens up to the left on the long wall that goes to the office and guest bath. There is a coffee bar in that hallway on top of the white cabinet. It stays. There's another tall, white built-in cabinet in the hallway (to the left) that's visible from certain angles.
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OK... so now you've sorta had a tour. It looks rather busy in the photos, I suppose, but doesn't look that way in person. It's quirky and eclectic, and mixes old and new. As you can see, the sink is a focal point, so I want to make the right choice since I'm gonna have to live with it for many years.

The white sink looks OK, because it brings in the other touches of white in the room (french doors, shelves on the long wall, coffee bar cabinet). It also looks traditional. This sink has to go, though.

I love the functionality of the single-basin stainless steel American standard sink we were discussing above, and it is lightweight, so would be easy for the hubby and I to install, but am concerned about the aesthetics. I don't know how it's going to look with my oil-rubbed faucet. I love the faucet and don't want to change it. Considering how eclectic the room already is, it might work. Then again, it might not. Thoughts?

Here's a link to that one. They've also just raised the price on this one about $30 (dammit!).
http://www.lowes.com/pd_102-94094-027OTH115STS_0__?productId=3608968&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

I've considered cast-iron sinks, but they are all VERY heavy (over 100 lbs.). I worry about whether my counter will support cast-iron, and whether the hubby and I could lift it up and get it in there without damaging the counter, the floor (if we dropped it--floor is tile), or our backs.

I like the low divider in this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100421281?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202739556&N=5yc1vZbze5&R=100421281#.UUT1sze6_O8

This one is a single basin:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_363667-20602-R5871-4-0_0__?productId=3547006&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

This is a black cast-iron one, and I like the color, but it is a double basin sink with a high center divide, which I think makes it less useful.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100065071?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202739538&N=5yc1vZbze5Z1z10i2d&R=100065071#.UUTX9Te6_O9

And here are a couple of composite granite sinks I'm thinking about. These sinks get mixed reviews, but I read a long discussion on Amazon last night about these sinks compared to cast-iron, and most of the reviewers said they really liked them. They seemed to think that the people complaining were just not caring for them properly. I like the color and aesthetics of these, and they are lightweight, but they are both double bowls.

This one is a chocolate brown (it has knock-outs for more holes):
http://www.lowes.com/pd_359986-1475-EDDB33229-1_0__?productId=3406426&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

And this one is black:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=171210-1475-FGS3322-4&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=1042505&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

I'm trying to keep cost down to $300 or less for the sink. If I could afford what I really want, it would be so much easier. I'd probably go with copper. But I can't do that right now, and this horrible acrylic sink MUST go soon. You can't see this in the pictures, but the bottoms of both bowls are stained and cracked. It looks awful.

So... now that you've looked at all this crazy stuff, maybe you can see how I'm just going back and forth... any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc. would be much appreciated!