Thank you for the responses. DD and I are experiencing one of the greatest joys of a reno---figuring out how to make every half inch count. When she started on this project she knew every inch could matter and is now afraid that she will soon be down to obsessing over millimeters. She has decided that her sink size and placement is the key to her entire kitchen. If she can get the sink far enough to the right on her long wall, she can shift the DW to the left of the sink and get a trash pullout on the right. The latest iteration of the plan calls for a sink base no wider than 30" with the goal to achieve the most sink space possible and still get that DW on the left. From measuring her cookies sheets and roasting pans 22" x 15 1/2" (16" would be better) is the least rectangle that she thinks is functional. I was up into the wee hours last night looking on line and Elkay had the best website for stating exactly the minimum size base cabinet for each sink. In general, I'm estimating that an effective interior sink width of 22" would be found with an overall 24" wide sink which would then require at least a 27" wide cabinet. So the best that she can hope to get in her 30" sink base would be a 27" wide sink that has an effective interior width of 25" or so. Most brands of sinks, though, seem to jump from offering 24" wide to 30" wide with nothing in between. Has anyone seen a 27" wide sink available anywhere? Thanks, again.

We put a 21" Julien in our 27" sink base. Our kitchen was so tight, I couldn't even eek out another three inches to get a full thirty inch sink base. The upside was minimal filler needed. The sink is a VERY tight fit inside the cabinet. Our plumber opened the doors to connect the faucet - you should have seen the look on his face, somewhat horrified. My husband had to crawl in there to connect the lines because the plumber couldn't fit! Wish I could've been there for that! We are ecstatic with our Julien; yes, big money, but, well worth it! I can fit TWO sets of pots AND dishes in there all at the same time! Yes, in that small sink - it's pretty deep & I'm pretty short. No nasty dirty dishes on our counter since the day that sucker was operable. LOVE IT!

Is there a Blanco sink that fits your cab? I've had two people in the kitchen reno/sink business tell me independently of each other and without me asking that Blanco is the far superior brand of composite sink. One specifically told me not to use Elkay. OTOH, there are people here who have used other brands and are happy. Just thought I'd mention what I was told. (btw, these people weren't trying to sell me a sink either.)

@C. First of all, if you are 5'10" and have really bad back pain, then a 38" countertop height might still be too low for you. I'm barely 5'7" when when standing up as straight as I can, and a 38 3/4" countertop height is very comfortable for me. At 5'10", you could easily go up to a 40" countertop height. It is uncommon for kitchen designers to specify countertops much higher than 40" for anyone except a frequent kitchen user who is taller than 6 feet in order to retain the general usability for varying heights of potential users, but you may always do what you find best for yourself. I would encourage you to do a mockup of a 40" countertop height and try different tasks like chopping on a cutting board and stirring in mixing bowls to see how you like it. Remember that you should allow 1/2" for cabinetry leveling, so find your perfect height, and then subtract 1/2" (from the total of cabinetry plus countertop) when placing your order. The minimum possible front countertop ledge width is determined by factors which contribute to the risk of a break. I will guarantee you that ledge width in your picture is probably wider in person than it may appear here. Few fabricators will cut a continuous ledge (meaning without seams) less than 2 1/2" to 3" wide, and some fabricators will even burden you with a 4" or greater ledge, though that is excessive. The Galley issues guidelines for cutting the sink hole with no seams around the hole, but this technique complicates the handling and transport of the piece because that area is so delicate once it is cut. If I understand, correctly your countertop will only be 1/2" thick which may mean that you are using porcelain or something of that nature, and in that case, the substrate will dictate that you will need a seam for a narrow front ledge rather than having the sink cut from the middle. Porcelain is already fragile, and it won't survive the handling, transport, and installation with a pre-cut, narrow, continuous sink ledge. Be cautious of any fabricator who wants to install steel rods to help stabilize a front sink ledge. Those rods can get wet and swell and cause future breakage. The best policy is to avoid rod reinforcement. In terms of ergonomics, the height of your countertop and the height of your sink is relatively more important than how far forward you stand to the sink, but if you have really bad back pain and want to give your best effort to eliminating that in your kitchen, then an apron-front sink still needs to be on your list for consideration. I regularly operate within the full confines of the apron front which brings dishes and other tasks such as cleaning the sink very close to my body and allows me to stand mostly upright. It is the leaning forward at a sink that strains your back, and you will lose at least a hand width's advantage with a non-apron-front sink of your ability to work closer to your body to minimize leaning. For many people this is not an issue, and due to the fact that non-apron-front sinks are usually less expensive and more plentiful in terms of brands and styles, plus more aesthetically pleasing in many instances, the majority of kitchen remodelers are not using apron-fronts. Both Rachiele and Havens offer texturing for their stainless steel sinks, and if you look at their portfolios, you'll see that a hammered or otherwise textured finish is actually very pretty for an apron front sink. I have a textured finish, and it hides water spots and scratches and it looks as new today as it did several years ago when I had it installed. My only caution is that the interior of the sink should preferably be smooth to aid with cleaning. I believe that texturing can be applied only to the forward-facing and top ledge part of the apron front if you like that look. Spillage over the apron front is not a problem for me. Every now and then, I might get a small drip down the apron front, maybe after loading the dishwasher with something wet, but nothing more than you would sometimes get from a sink with a ledge that gets water on the front ledge and drips down occasionally. I would be hard pressed to say if I even have to wipe drips of water off the apron front even once per week. It just really is not a problem for me. It sounds like you are on the right track to helping with your ergonomics. As I mentioned earlier, your first step is to see if you can raise those countertops up to 40". If you do a lot of bread kneading or something where you need your arms straight down, you might consider doing dual levels somewhere in the kitchen. Generally, 41" to 42" is the upper stretch of a modified countertop height, and that would be for someone taller than 6 feet. The reason that we don't like to raise the countertop much more than that is because then they become unusable for people who are shorter. However, at a height of 5'10" with back problems, 40" is not at all out of reason. Be aware that if you wear shoes with thick soles when you are working in the kitchen or if you intend to put down a comfort mat on the floor that has substantial thickness, those factors could alter how you feel about your cabinetry height. Mocking up a height and doing various tasks is the most reliable way to determine what is best for you.