Since I came up empty when I did a search before I posted this thread, I thought, perhaps, someone might benefit from the following information on how we solved our lack of support over the dishwasher between an apron-front sink and an oven cabinet dilemma. First, DH attached horizontal 2x4s to studs and two vertical 2x4s (ripped to 1" thick for our application) to the horizontal boards. He then bolted solid cold rolled steel brackets--large 20"X20", 3" wide, 1/2" thick-- to the vertical 2x4s. Before he attached the brackets, he ensured they were completely level. It looked like this: (please pardon the look of the beadboard panel on the left, as it needs another coat of paint and to be trimmed out.) It is important to note that our sink cabinet (on the right) is bumped out by a 2X4 behind it, that also extends behind the dishwasher. DH added the extra vertical board to bring the brackets forward more to cover more of the counter depth. With our particular set-up, and our counters 26" in depth, the tip of the bracket comes to 3.75" from the edge of the countertop, so we are assured it has enough support. We special ordered the brackets online from a company called Short Run Pro. Our fabricator said they would work just fine. These brackets are called Freedom Brackets, and are for stone overhangs where one would not want to see the support. For our application, we did not build them into the support, as they will be hidden behind the dishwasher. They can be ordered in any size and are quite reasonable from what research I found. I hope this information may be beneficial to someone else.:^)

I don't have a photo of the sink in the castello; wish I did. Here's a slate farm sink that can be used as a guideline perhaps. Such a sink also can be done in soapstone, granite -- whatever you want. Here's a 19th century farm sink at Giverny that's similar to the castello sink, which had a drainboard. Older ones I've seen tend to be quite shallow. There is also a very nice variation in granite with a lovely curve which is a popular contemporary-country style -- this one is granite I believe. Another issue I forgot to mention is water staining and spots caused by the fat in liquid soap. The height and dimensions of the sink are fairly subject to the space and how it fits together in the cabinet configuration and with the installation in general. Sink depth is a function of preference and comfort. I discussed this type of sink with my fabricator when we redid my apartment kitchen last year. He had made one before -- I wouldn't let anyone do it who hadn't made one in the past. I might have gone for the sink if we had been changing out the cabinets but it wasn't practical once we decided not to. Weight is also a concern. Find the right fabricator and it's no biggie, cost aside.

I have actually wondered the same thing...I suspect it is just that they aren't convinced there is a big enough market, though they might be wrong about that. Your friend does have some options other than fireclay and stainless. There are lots of copper farmhouse sinks, and I have also seen them made from concrete, teak wood (see William Garvey in the UK), bamboo (see Lenova and Alfi), and a number of natural stones including granite, slate, marble and soapstone. Depending on her counter choice, one of those could work. Finally...Mitrani at least used to make farmhouse sinks made from quartz composite. They only came in white, though, and they seem to have been discontinued (though some online retailers look like they have them in stock). There are some previous threads about these sinks, and there are some members who own them and seem to be happy. See, for example, Shelayne's post with pic in the linked thread. Here is a link that might be useful: Thread discussing quartz farmhouse sink

There are pros & cons for each type of reveal (that's what it's called regarding counter overhanging the sink or not): . Positive Reveal -- where the sink shows/granite is cut slightly larger than sink Pros: Easier to clean b/c you can see the gunk and can easily wipe it off (it only gets nasty if you leave it there) You can use the ledge to put a cutting board over the sink (assuming a cutting board is available for the sink or you can find one to fit) Cons: Silicone (caulk?) might be visible, but if they use clear you won't see it when it dries . Negative Reveal -- where the granite overhangs the sink Pros: You cannot see the gunk buildup Easiest reveal for a fabricator b/c s/he does not need to be precise with the cutout since the stone will hide any mistakes following the contours of the sink consistently. Cons: You cannot see the gunk to clean it. Edge underneath is not polished so gunk is more likely to "stick" Dirty water/food can splash up & under where you cannot see to clean it. It's difficult to see underneath to check for gunk w/o leaning way over & into the sink. Dishes have been known to break b/c when you lift them out near the edge of the sink the dish hits the stone counter & can break (or, if the dish wins, the counter could chip...but I'm not sure how likely that is). . Flush Reveal -- where the granite & sink are the same Pros: Easier to clean b/c you can see the gunk along the edges No platform over or under for the gunk to collect Cons: Very difficult to do perfectly Silicone might be visible, but if they use clear you won't see it when it dries You will find proponents of all three types of reveals here...but in the end it's what works best for you.