To reemphasize the importance of eBay, I have something to reveal. My DH and I are remodeling our kitchen to look like a 1930s Art Deco-ish kitchen, since our house is from that era and we love the style. We (especially I) looked all over the universe, or so it seemed, in search of the right sink. He liked the kinds with drainboards and aprons and curved corners. I really, really wanted one that was set up for vertical faucets instead of wall-mounted ones (almost all 1930s sinks had wallmounted faucets), so that it would look more "deco" than "country/farmhouse." Something like this (see "inspiration sink" link below). We also wanted it to have at least three holes, to fit the kinds of faucets we like. At first we wanted a single sink/double drainboard one, but then research showed that those sinks always had small basins, so we expanded the search to single-drainboard models. It turns out almost all 1930s drainboard sinks had wall-mounted faucets, so this style is VERY hard to find and very expensive when you do find it (again, see below--yikes! That sink went for $2495!). Also, we both preferred that the sink NOT be bright white, as 90% or more of sinks from that era are. We wanted ivory or cream or pale yellow or almond, something like that. A tall order, in other words. And what did I win in an eBay auction this morning? A 1934 Kohler single bowl/single drainboard sink in near-mint condition (no stains, no chips, gloss still on all the porcelain), set up for a vertical faucet, with four holes and an apron with curved corners, and a backsplash that forms a little shelf (very similar to the sink linked below, in other words). The basin is more than two feet wide, bigger than the modern sink we have now. And it's butter yellow! And I got it for HALF the price of the one linked below!!! Even though it's in better shape--the one below had a couple of small chips in the front of the apron. In other words, SCORE! Major score! We're so pleased. Yay eBay. I searched eBay every two or three days for almost two months, which is maybe a little... what's the word I'm looking for? Obsessive? Pathetic?? But I'm glad I did, because I saw this sink come up for auction, researched it to death, drew up our kitchen plan with this sink in it, used Photoshop to make mockups of our existing kitchen with this sink added to check that the scale of the sink worked with the room, and so on. Total obsession, but enough to convince me and DH this was indeed the right sink for us. So then I swooped in thirty seconds before the auction ended and won it! Yay. I hope this inspires everyone here to look for what they want, especially on eBay... Here is a link that might be useful: Our inspiration sink

I get the Hobby Lobby newsletter so the coupon is right there in it. I wouldn't dream of buying anything there without the coupon. And they have half price sale all the time, all I have to do is find what I need and wait. 'Course it means a trip to M.C. and the gas to get there. Not a huge deal but sometimes I don't have the time. I was going to look at their knobs, too. Once, a long time ago when I didn't want any, I saw the most wonderful unusual knobs there. I am going to look at them again. I don't think I'm going to need any but if I see something I can't live without, I might have to figure out a reason to buy them;-) I looked out the window at one point last night and couldn't see the DOT buildings. That's a real bad sign. But this morning my "lakes" weren't much higher than they were yesterday. Sigh of relief. And my new sump pump is just humming along;-)

powermuffin, thanks for the caveat on the garbage disposal drain size. I'm not sure that I would put in a disposal, since we're on a septic and therefore quite rarely use the one I have now, though it's ~30 years old and perhaps just gumming anything I put down it anyhow. Since there are drains installed in the sink, I haven't figured out how to measure the diameter--oh no, sounds like real life math! ;) Definitely something to know *before* buying a new disposal! mtnrdredux, I have to take faucet concerns seriously from someone who put a pot filler in a rock wall... ;) Yes, the deck and drain hole sizes and what faucet will fit is now gnawing at me (heh, likely because the design questions don't have a finite answer like this does). the ledge above and behind the current sink (all along the counter and wood-covered in the other rooms) is actually open to the half-basement below with windows for solar gain. It's a hypocaust system where the south-facing windows heat the air and then there are fans that pump the air under the north side of the house. We also use a fireplace insert but the propane furnace runs quite rarely, set at 60, and we're at 8200' with an -18 degree night last winter! Well, that was a loooong answer to your comment! :) I *do* love having the ledge to set hot pans especially, which is why I really want to put tile/something heatproof there. I put all the pizza toppings on the ledge while taking up the whole counter handling the dough--feels like a real pizzaria that way lol! ptamom, I have read good reviews of reglazing for bathtubs but bad reviews for kitchen sinks. This sink is in good enough condition that I won't have to worry about that. Concrete counters sounds like they'd provide that contemporary/industrial edge, but I have concerns about the maintenance required. Also, the counters (well, everything...) has to be DIY which is why I've focused on laminate and lately soapstone if other concerns can be met. thanks for coming back to this thread with your thoughts! cheers

Thank you all for your comments. You've all raised many good points that I also had lingering in my mind: staining on older finishes too small of bowls on the double basin sink taking up alot of real estate faucets/taps issues/cost I think I would be making a big trade off on functionality just to have the 'vintage aesthetic'. With this reno, I'm not looking to strive for 'true period appropriate'. This won't be a museum, it will be my working kitchen and there are limitations as to what is actually available and the price point. When I first found those sinks, it was an immediate, emotional yes! But once I started to rationalize this choice, it doesn't appear to be the best option. I've become sink obsessed lately, scouring the GW threads about single vs. double. I don't plan on a dishwasher, and there will be no prep sink; so I am in the double sink camp. I would like to have a larger sink, and it is quite hard to find a double larger than 36" (even those are rare enough). A 60/40 split would be preferred. I don't want too deep of a sink either. I just discovered the Rohl Shaws 39" 60/40 Farmhouse Fireclay Apron Sink, and am in love. --- But not with the price; sigh. Another option I had considered, and just found some back up for is having two separate sinks; a large single and a small single. Whether that would be less expensive than the Rohl option or just too weird, I don't know yet.