@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.

I have two sinks -- one next to the DW in the Cleanup Zone and one across the aisle (6' aisle) in the Prep Zone. They both get used all the time -- I use the Prep Sink almost exclusively for prepping and washing hands (I do the cooking). My DH does most of the cleanup and uses the cleanup sink most of the time. My Kitchen works wonderfully for us -- it did when everyone was still home and now when we're mostly empty nesters (kids away at college). HOWEVER, if we had only one sink, even a ledge sink or a stages sink, it would not work. The cooktop, MW, and warming drawer are on one side of the Kitchen and the DW and dish storage are across the 6' aisle. If I had to run b/w them, it would not work. So, in my case, the prep sink makes my layout work. And it works as a one-person Kitchen and as a 12-person Kitchen! (12 girl scouts earned their Cooking Badge in my Kitchen -- all at the same time!) This is one example of how the layout depends on whether one or two sinks will work and whether a very large single sink (ledge or stages) will work. No one should be saying categorically "one sink" or "two sinks" -- the real answer is "it depends on the Kitchen" (layout, workflow, etc.).

Sorry, for the late reply. I just saw this. No, we've had so many other issues come up with the build that have required all my attention, I haven't had time to focus on this. I do plan to use 30"-36" sinks. I will let the final cabinet layout dictate the sink sizes, so long as we are in that range. If I have an extra 3" of wasted space, I'll go up in sink size, or if I need a few inches for the trash can, I'll go down a couple inches on the sink. The main thing I haven't decided on yet, is whether they'll both be apron sinks or one apron and one under mount. Or, one stainless steel and one fire clay/ceramic/etc? Oh boy, I guess I have a little more left to decide than I thought! I think lead time and prices will point in the right direction on material! LOL! @vevmom, if your island is 10' long, I think the 33" sink will work nicely. That is still less than 1/3 of your island. I think bbtrix's photos above are great for helping to visualize this. (Thanks again bbtrix!) That island is 8' long with a stages 45. You'll have 2 more feet of island, plus a smaller sink. Let me know what you decide.

Meridee, that's where we are now too. We are definitely getting a workstation sink now and have decided on the 45 inch, but can't decide which one. We have it down to the Krause and the Create Good Sinks. We like the ledges better on the Krause and the radius of the corners (easier to clean) on the "Create Good Sinks". But we like the drain and the fact that you can get double basins on the Create Good Sinks. But are those features worth paying twice as much for? $900 for the Krause vs $1800 for the Create Good Sinks. The photos are to show the difference in the radius of the corners. First one is the Krause, second one Create Good Sinks.