my new sink {an old cast iron}

I have received a few questions about my ‘new’ sink. First, I am crazy happy with it. It is more perfect than I imagined it would be for the space and the functions of our family. Secondly, it is not a sink that everyone would be thrilled to own.

Here is the story of my sink:

I was not looking for a new sink, but I’ve never really liked our previous stainless steel sink.  My friend Jaime of Restore House (her online shop is open now!) opened my eyes to the beauty of old sinks. When my daughter and I were visiting another friend’s shop, Southern Hospitality, I saw my new old sink sitting out in the yard. It was love at first sight.

I sent Chris the picture below and told him I found something new for the house. His response was, “where are you going to put that?” I responded, “Our bedroom.” Sarcasm isn’t my greatest attribute.

I rushed home to measure the sink area of our kitchen and was semi-confident the sink would fit. Thankfully, it fit perfectly.

The sink has several chips on it. I considered re-finishing it before we installed it. However, the cost to refinish it was more than the cost of the sink itself. I had also read that cast iron sinks can chip easily. Considering the amount of people in this house, the chances of us chipping the sink are pretty high. So, I am embracing the chips. I bought a new faucet to match them! I figure I would rather live with it for a while and then decide if I want to refinish it.

The other downside to not refinishing the sink is that the glossy finish in the sink basins has worn off significantly. This means that it picks up stains easily. For now, I am just using Bartender’s Friend and am fine with the not so perfect white in the basin. If I decided to refinish the sink soon it will be more a result of the staining than the chips.

One issue we have had with our butcher block counters is water always on the wood near the sink. With so many people washing dishes or piling things up, it just happens. The extended draining boards on this sink are saving our counters. Though we lost about 2 feet of wood counter space, we are able to use that space now without worrying about wet stuff on the wood.

All in all – a vintage cast iron sink is not for everyone, but it is just right for us.