Katieob did 2 beautiful kitchens on gardenweb and used BM White Dove on the cabinets. The pics are gone from gw. But you can google her moniker and images will show you the cabinetry with a white sink.

I am doing White Dove as well and I prefer the white sink but I have not seen the Sea Salt in person. Good luck!

ILoveRed: Thanks for the white confirmation based on your choice. I found some pictures on KAtieob's house listing...gorgeous kitchen. I have struggled with finalizing my sink choice.

I always knew I wanted an apron sink, but DH could not promise to baby the Whitehaven so I kept trying to love the stainless apron Strive sink. I love the roominess of its sink bottom, two inches larger than the Whitehaven and the idea of no chipping, stainless scratch "patina" does not bother me....but it never "sang" to me the way the Whitehaven does.

If anyone from Kohler reads this site...I really disliked the over 3 inch thick front on the Strive and Vault sinks and wish the Whitehaven did not slope so much which makes the sink bottom two inches less roomy than the Strive sink.

I ordered cabs yesterday and HAD to give my final sink choice. I hope I like using the Whitehaven as much as I like looking at it! I have to order the sink ASAP so I went to the showroom to look at the sink again. The showroom has terrible lighting and spots so I always assumed that the sink they had labeled white really was white with poor lighting...when I asked for clarification, they said Dune but that color looked nothing like a toilet color identified as Dune. Geez! I saw the Seasalt, held up my paint sample, and still cannot tell what the true color of sea salt is...the lighting is that bad!

I have 3 whitehavens in sea salt. You can get color chips from Kohler. They are like $3 each. Sea salt reads as white. The difference between sea salt and standard white is subtle and is more of a texture than color thing. There is a non trivial upcharge with sea salt. My 24" version also required a special order and took quite a while for delivery.

I have a Whitehaven and love it. I have had it over a year - still looks great. I did get the grills for the bottom so I don't worry about dropping my heavy skillets. I did drop one a couple of times before getting the grills - no chips happened, but it scared me.

Some don't like the grills, but I have the sink for 36"base so it has two grills side by side - easy to clean etc. The grills also raise the bottom up a bit which I find helpful because it is a deep sink. I do not find the slope a problem or that it makes the bottom smaller - the bottom is very big regardless. The slope is the same angle of my arms reaching into the sink.

DrB477: The showroom did not have any color samples so I coukd take them outside with my paint sample. I just discovered the sample ordering today and do not think I have time...cab maker wants the sink NOW...I do not get why...the sink fits in a standard 36 inch base. Does your sink base have any special beefing up or a platform it sits on?

Would you say Seasalt has undertones of cream, grey, or both? I feel good about my final sink choice but wish I had gotten here weeks ago so I could have ordered those samples. I am crossing my fingers that my plumber has some color samples in his limited showroom when I ask tomorrow.

I'd call it a slightly creamy white.

These might help

The Whitehaven comes in a "short apron" style and a "tall apron" style. The short apron is for a standard sink base cabinet and the tall apron is for a farm sink base cabinet. The Whitehaven has a self facing front and is easier to install than a traditional farm sink. They are very popular, but if your cabinet person has not installed one before he may think he needs the sink to make the cut for the apron - he doesn't since the sink front slides over the frame of the cabinet. The false drawers need to be removed and a small amount of the upper cabinet framing needs to be removed. That can be done on site when the counters arrive and the sink is installed.

If your cabinet person has never done a Whitehaven before, here is a video about installing the "short apron" style. I assume the tall apron would be similar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLHJEXdb5wM

I like the depth of the color on the sea salt.

DrB477: thank you for posting about the samples and those photos! Unfortunately, I read these posts yesterday before you posted the photos, and ordered samples in white, biscuit, and ... something else (forget what now). Now I wish I'd requested Sea Salt. It looks green on my monitor on Kohler's site and other sites but not in your photos, and I too love the depth in the sea salt. Well, gonna call them back!

FYI you can call 1-800-456-4537 to place your order with Kohler - that's their Customer Support number, then choose the option for the Literature Department. I could not find any place online to place sample orders, and during live chat was told to call the literature department - no place online to order them. They offer samples on paper (free) and as of 9/20/2017 in the US they offer cast iron samples for $2 each, free postage.

DrB477: could you see crackle subway with the Seasalt or is that just too much different textures fighting along with the granite. My plumber had a sample but said the sample is slightly darker than the sink he recently installed.

What kind of backsplash and counter do you have with your Seasalt sink?

Whoa! $1k difference for 3 sinks... hmmm... might have to find another area to cut the budget, but running out of places!

White makes sense, sea salt (the real thing) is white. Thank you for explaining the crackled texture and light reflecting - that is not something you can detect online at Kohler, or on a paper sample (I'm assuming).

Backsplash is MSI whisper white (bought from Home Depot) and bright white grout. Counters are LG Muse.

This kind of shows the texture.

DrB477: thank you for your pictures...everything goes together so well. The texture is very subtle.

If I buy through my plumber's showroom, he gives a discount. With a substantial discount, the Seasalt Whitehaven runs $500 more than the white one. DH thinks the Seasalt goes best with the White Dove. The sink will actually be on a grey stained sink cab with white upper cabs above.

I piled everything on top of my Kohler white toilet tank. I think the white goes okay but maybe the Seasalt looks best color wise??? My counter will be busier than DrB477's photos so and I am drawn to crackle tile....will it be too much? The tiles are just samples I sent for because I like them...have no idea if they will go with my granite slabs.

DrB477: Thank you yet again for posting such lovely close-up photos of your sea salt Kohler! I've a question: While we don't intend to allow our sinks to stay dirty, I know there will be times when food bits are left in the sink a while as I do other things in the kitchen, and it might be a day or so before I can remove ss marks. Do you think the sea salt lends itself to not showing up such things quite as much as the flatter colors? I think if so, this might be a selling point.

rantontoo: I love your granite choice! We'll be choosing a busy granite, and for our tastes, I think the sea salt, given the depth, would look fabulous with a busy granite - but that is perhaps a very personal choice. The sea salt is not multi-colored to my eye, but rather it has depth. If we can fit the extra $1k into our budget for two sea salt sinks, I'm sure leaning that way.

I think it might hide dirt a little better than the flat white, but its not like the texture is going to mask the red spaghettios stuck to it. I generally make some minor effort to rinse it with the faucet, don't actually clean all that much. It cleans very easy (do not use abrasive cleaners or bleach in any enameled cast iron) and is less maintenance than I expected. Get the grids for sure.

I picked all our kitchen finishes myself (with plenty of gardenweb and wife input) but I am a guy and certainly no designer. So take my design advice for what it is is worth. That said, I don't see sea salt as a problem with crackle tile or a busy granite. The busy granite and crackle tile might not go well together however I don't think the sink would be the problem.

Again, thank you. I'd read a fabulous idea (maybe it was you who came up with it?) regarding the grids: Apparently they too can sometimes rub against the sink if jarred a bit and make small marks, so 'someone' purchased thin clear flexible tubing, cut it to fit the corners and sides of the grids where they can rub the sink, sliced down the middle of the tubing, and fit it over the grid's edges.

Ok, no bleach, no harsh cleansers (recently saw an older sink where harsh cleanser was used... every single stain stuck to it terribly!)... what about Bar Keeper's Friend? Is that considered too harsh? I'd read on GW to use it for SS marks?

BTW, I adore your backsplash tile and saving it to my kitchen ideabook!

I haven't had any issues with using the grates as is.

As for cleaners, Kohler says

Products to consider
· KOHLER Cast Iron Cleaner · Green Works®
All-Purpose Cleaner
· Fantastik®
Antibacterial Heavy Duty Cleaner · Soft Scrub®
Gel with Bleach
· Formula 409®
Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner · Soft cloth

For rust removal:
· Bon Ami®
(liquid or powder)
· Super Iron Out®
Rust Stain Remover

BKF is not listed, however it is on their recommended list for china/fireclay & stainless steel, so I take that to mean avoid for the cast iron.

I had a white Kohler cast iron sink in our previous kitchen. I also have a white Kohler cast iron sink in my laundry room. In the new kitchen we have just installed a 36" sea salt Whitehaven against SW Pure White cabinets. The white would have worked but I much refer the softer look and depth of the sea salt finish. I got lucky and found mine on Amazon Warehouse deals for almost 1/2 off and it was in perfect condition. Our counters are not in yet but we are planning to use Tahiti quartzite.

My grids do leave small 1/4 inch gray mark here and there which can be removed with above cleaners with no problem. When I did not have the grids, silverware and pans left much worse gray marks all over the bottom (again, totally removable) - if zealous kid or husband was washing dishes - one reason I got the grids. I had a cast iron sink for 18 years before the Whitehaven and I was always able to get it back to white, but it did require a nightly cleaning in the last few years. I only need to use a cleaner on my new sink now and then - usually someone left a tea bag or the fruit peelings sitting in the sink. Otherwise, I just wipe it down with a microfiber cloth every night and spray with hot water.