Kitchen sink

What's in a name? That which we call a sink
By any other name would clean as well.

And not get chipped.
Or spotty.
Or be too loud.
And fits in a 36" cabinet.
And is large enough so I can soak my biggest pan flat.
And fits accessories like a colander so I never have to worry about putting clean pasta in a sink with dirty dishes.
And looks appropriate in a vintage English Colonial with a dash of industrial kitchen.
And doesn't cost a blipping fortune.

That's not too much to ask, is it?



The sink du jour is of course the fireclay apron sink. The queen bee of the popular fireclay apron sink set is the Rohl Shaw's Original sink.



The Rohl site invites you to "add some authentic English character to your kitchen." Well, a Rohl sink plus the Aga plus Farrow & Ball paint would practically magic carpet us to the English countryside. Too bad that the Shaw sink is so trendy. And I read worrying things about fireclay. That it does chip. That underneath its tactile, seductive white (or biscuit) surface is a dark material that shows glaringly in chips and cracks. Oh yes. And it cracks if one overtightens the drain or disposal upon installation. How tight is overtight?

Yesterday, I thought I'd found the sink of my dreams. The one that made my heart go pitter pat. (And yes. It is sad when you've been researching kitchen stuff so obsessively that a sink can make your heart go all fluttery.) Here it is.



The Franke Drop In Apron Front single bowl stainless steel sink. Quite a mouthful. Otherwise known as FHX710-36SP. Look at the way it marries the industrial (the material, the lines) with the vintage (the farmhouse style, the integral deck and backsplash). Gorgeous!! Yes, it's discontinued, but the Franke authorized dealer, irawoods.com, has it on sale here.

I. Want. This. Sink.

Too bad for me. I called Franke this morning. This sink is designed to be used with a wall-mount faucet. We have no room for a wall-mount under the sink window. So. Reality intrudes. My beauty is out.

I'm still on my sink quest. The Kohler Dickinson? The Franke Orca? Something else entirely? My frugal side makes me obsessively check craigslist and ebay hoping for a closeout score. Nothing yet.