CEFreeman - All good considerations! The only change from what I'm used to working with now is that the drainboard is on the opposite side of the sink to where I'm used to setting my dishes. Since this is a new kitchen in a new apartment, I'll be adapting to everything else anyhow, so I don't forsee it being a problem. Twodogs - All the features will be rounded so there are no "crud catchers" including rounding the cutting board to fit in the rounded lip on the counter. I could model it that way in the program, but I am lazy and it would take too long for what it's worth - sorry for the confusion. I understand what you're describing about the different planes - it's the best compromise I could come up with to keep both my sliding cutting board and my apron front sink. It also simplifies the sink casting so that the complex lip edge is built into the countertop instead. I think of it as the apron announcing "this is the sink area" and the encroaching countertop on the right is just a fancy feature. Hollysprings - Thanks for the informative post! I plan on doing four big pieces: the island, the sink, and the long run in two separate sections split by the sink. Our cabinets are being custom built out of quality plywood, and I had a long discussion with the cabinetmaker about considerations for the countertop - they are plenty sturdy. Marcolo - I have a 12.5' run of base cabinets plus a little home plate shape next to the stove in the island (I am considering doing that spot in walnut butcher block - thoughts?). Here's the sink in context of the larger kitchen (with an older sink version, but you can see the garbage drop): Bill - That's intense! You can wash a FULL sheet pan - industrial baking size. That wouldn't even fit in my oven. Standard cookie sheets (a "half" sheet pan - thanks Wikipedia!) are 18" long, so 19" should be plenty. The the interior of my oven is 24"x18" so it's feasible that I could buy and use a pan longer than 19", but that would probably be a once-a-year sort of thing (I use cookie sheets much, much, much more often). A lousy picture of the delicious walnut veneer that will wrap around the slab frameless doors: What's installed so far:

I just checked out the Silestone site since I didn't know they now made the integrated sinks... very cool concept. I wish they came in a 33" with an offset drain like the Super Single Silgranit. My only concern is this which I copied from the Silestone site: "Do not place any items over Silestone that have recently been placed over fire or a hot stove." How does that relate to draining a boiling pot of pasta into the sink?

garbanzobean: Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy sharing here. I'm not aware of any other manufacturers that offer an integrated stainless steel sink other than Karran. I've seen quite a few sinks in my day and the Karrans are impressive. If your fabricator has bonded solid surface bowls previously, he should have no trouble with the Karran. I'd rough out the cut-out with a jigsaw, because if the bearing comes off the router bit, and they have come off for me, it will probably seriously damage the sink. When he profiles the sink cut out edge, he can touch the stainless just a poo with the bit. It removes all the adhesive, but makes a very shiny mark that is easily removed when finishing the edge with abrasives. I've had the "D" shaped single bowl for several years and love it. This post was edited by Trebruchet on Tue, Sep 2, 14 at 14:25

I have the laminate with the Karran sink undermounted. I think it's very similar to the way that the Wilsonart sinks are being 'integrated' into their laminate. While I love it, mine is less than a year old, and the edges of the laminate are nicked a bit, and I bumped a heavy cookie sheet on the edge last week and it chipped the laminate. So I would not recommend it. Not the Karran, and not the Wilsonart. Because it looks like Wilsonart are using the same process to install theirs as the Karran sinks, and if I had it to do over, I wouldn't do it. I'm really disappointed with the laminate chipping. I don't think I'm going to have a water seepage issue, just because of the way they're glued together, but the chips are noticeable, and I'm not happy about it. I have a question in to the Karran people to see if others have had similar problems. I can't find anywhere online where people have commented about the laminate chipping at the edge. But mine has one chip and a few little nicks. So I think eventually I'm going to have to get this sink cut out and do a drop-in. Wish I'd done it in the first place. I'd advise against it.