I rarely feature products from Ikea, mostly because I do not live near one but also because so many other blogs seem to spotlight their stuff a lot. However, these two kitchen sinks recently came onto my radar. I will add them to the Product Guide for renovators to consider for their kitchen updates, and hunt and peck their site more diligently for appropriate and affordable choices for mid-century homes.
The white sink, the Domsjo, echoes the look of mid-century double-bowl sinks, and it’s nice and big. A key difference from the Kohler Bakersfield, which remains my top choice, is that the Ikea model has no hudee ring, only one hole and is a bit more modern in that ridged deck toward the back. But it is most certainly modern and nice and big like the oldies.
Remember: You can get this Dishmaster in a WALL-MOUNT configuration, too.
The Boholmen steel sinks are pretty cool indeed – and the price is terrific. This particular model is $146. I think this is way way cheaper that the Elkays — which are a longtime recommendation, and which include many more variations including double drainboard set-on-top-of-your-sink-cabinet sinks. The key challenge with this Ikea sink is where to put the faucet. If you set this into laminate, I would be concerned about the long-term durability of the laminate where it meets the faucet. Alternatively, you might try a wall-mount Dishmaster with this sink. Or, gasp: granite or Caesarstone or Silestone. Then again, if you can afford granite or caesarstone or Silestone, go look at the Elkay, too.
Links:
Retro kitchen sinks: Great 50s style choices 
8 vintage style Elkay drainboard sinks for a midcentury kitchen remodel 
Retro kitchen sinks from Kohler – cast iron, metal framed – my new #1 choice if you are buying new! 
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We have the Domsjo, sitting on a custom box rather than the IKEA box. (Pam knows this, but I always like an excuse to post this picture.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41733092@N00/3220025173/in/set-72157612906989994/
Oh my goodness, that is one gorgeous kitchen!
Wow, that looks great! I am an Ikea fan. You just have to pick the right stuff!
Thanks Pam, great post!
The Loviken black matte faucet also from Ikea would go really nicely with the white sink: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60139136
I really like a lot of the Ikea kitchen products. Yes, they are somewhat modern, but they have that European design sensibility that makes me think Mid-century modern. And they’re modestly priced!
Off topic, but does anyone (especially Pam!) have a recommendation for a single-lever bathroom lav faucet? We are replacing ours and want that style for ease of use. We have an older one in our main bath but I think it may not be original.
hi jane – over on my Product Guides: Bathrooms page, I have several lav faucets identified. I haven’t seen most of them in person, so cannot comment on the hand-feel quality, but they have the “look.” The one that I have seen in person (and I have the 8″ spread version is the deco Mississippi – I love mine, it’s honkin’ heavy duty feeling albeit expensive compared to the more-basic single-handle faucets out there.) I’d love to hear from anyone who buy the single handle faucet with the shampoo sprayer regarding how they like it.
Bathroom Product Guide
I’ve been eyeing that first sink for a awhile now, though preferred the one they had prior to that (without the ribbed back). Unfortunately we have an over sized sink in our kitchen so none of those from IKEA will work. The price is certainly right though, especially considering I bought a much more expensive sink (and name brand) and ended up with a dud (failing porcelain – porous).
We have a single lever faucet in our kitchen and plan to go with that in the bathroom as well. IKEA also has a couple of single lever bathroom faucets now, although they’re more modern in look.
One thing: I cannot recommend the IKEA facets. They’re inexpensive, and worth every penny. Yuk.
My husband and I also have the Domsjo sink from Ikea.
One word of caution: most of the images you see of this sink show it installed against a wall, rather that on a peninsula or island counter.
I point this out because we didn’t realize that the back edge of the sink, where it curves toward the counter at the back of the drain board, is rough rather than unfinished. We had to have our quartz installer create a custom 1 inch quartz ledge to cover the roughness, which would have attracted dirt and probably stains over time if left unfinished.
But we sure do love the sink!
We have an Ikea in Canton, Michigan, so it’s close enough for regular hauntings!
The Domsjo is the model I think is winning out, since I prefer a white porcelain sink over stainless- and with my new Dishmaster, should make a hit!
The single hole with the Domsjo was a concern, but my Dishmaster will wall mount over this area, and I’ll just cover the hole with a chrome plug.
The Domsjo double sink is larger than 30″ inches, which is the size base cabinet I had in mind, but with planning this week, we’re re-sizing the new cabinets on that wall to handle the double bowl size- it’s worth it!!
D’oh! Thanks, Pam for the lav sources: I saw the Gerber page, but somehow didn’t find the other single-handle options. My research skills, even given your site, are clearly rusty. Thank goodness yours are well-honed!
I’m with Rebecca: If you pick right, Ikea can be great.
We just bought the Fusion kitchen table that’s a 1960s dream come true and had made our mid-century kitchen look three times it’s size. (www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70092553)
And we’re stalking the Stockholm collection that’s very much in keeping with mid-century style. If you can’t afford the real deal or you need something you won’t feel bad about a kid breaking, Ikea can be great.
Hey Julie,
Right, the (new?) Stockholm collection is great! We bought the cabinet with the circular glass window, which is CLEARLY a bar to me. (“glass door cabinet”) And the orange rug of the collection. We love that table you got! We have the same taste. I think we almost bought it like 4 times. But we haven’t decided on how to redo our kitchen yet. Did you see this? So scandi and Danish MCM-looking.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10103795
I was thinking that this light in copper is perfect to show all the retrorenovators on here. It looks much better in person. It reminds of the pendant light from Rejuvenation.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10153592
Oh, Rebecca, I am so jealous. We liked that circular-glass-window cabinet too. My husband was saying it would be a bar for us also. I think it’s time for Ikea to just rename it and admit it needs to be a bar.
The TV unit you linked to is exactly the one my husband wants the most. I actually search “stockholm” on Craigslist each day to see if I can get them a bit cheaper. I almost got the oval coffee table, but then my car needed work, making a gorgeous coffee table not a priority.
And you’re right, the light looks much better in person. I look at it at the store each time, but I never am drawn to it in the catalog or online.
As for the fusion table set, if anyone wants it, check Ikea’s page for your closest store frequently. We happened to check our local store’s page one day and found out it was $100 off that day only, that store only. Sweet.
Is Ikea in Australia? I don’t have one in my town and am trying to work out what to do with our kitchen. The sinks look great!
Yeah IKEA!
Julie,
You sound just like me about Ikea and how they should rename it! Funny! If you, or anyone else, does get it-you have to get a light from there and attach it to the top. There’s a hole out the back for plugging it in. Then, at cocktail hours, you can turn it on and it looks great! You should get it as soon as you can. I personally like the design of the coffee table a lot but I do not think the wood looks good enough. It looks cheap, which it is.
Do you mean the webpage of the closet Ikea store? I didn’t know they did specials at stores!
I live near an Ikea and we check the scratch and dent area a lot and find that many of the drop farm sinks you show come back with large chips along the back side. It seems like the material is weak there, be careful!
Does IKEA not carry the porcelain farm sink anymore???!
It would be a shame, I was designing my sink area specifically for that sink.
i don’t know, john – you need to check their catalog, etc. this underscores a real basic: if there’s a retro style product out there that you really need, buy it and hoard it, because you don’t know when it is going to be discontinued….
Here’s another sink source. Cecosinks.com- they have the exact sink I need to replace which is stamped 1954. After looking at their stuff, I’m changing to a single 7″ deep.They were an original manuf. of some of the name brands like mine, American Standard. I saw the ceco sink at Reeback’s in Gardena Ca.- high retail- $458. I think they will sell direct (cheaper too) if there’s no distributor near you. Reeback’s sells The Dishmaster faucet too but are waiting on supplier
Thank you! Excellent resource — looks like they are the manufacturing source for hudee-rimmed bathroom sinks. But, I don’t immediately see any hudee-rimmed kitchen sinks… will have to explore more closely. Again – thank you!
When we first bought our 1962 house we did a quick facelift of the kitchen that included a double-bowl Farmhouse Sink. I am removing the existing butcher board countertops (Ikea, Pronomen) because they have warped so badly that we can use them as fruit bowls.
When we installed the sink initially, we just cut down our existing cabinet to accomodate the sink. It sat on top of the counters, on the apron of the cabinet and on two wee little L-brackets that make me laugh just to think about it.
Things to note:
1. The double bowl Domsjo is a special order. They only have it in stock in New Jersey. 1/2 of them break in shipping. DON’T think you’re going to bop down to Ikea and just buy one.
2. It weighs about 450 pounds. Not cute when my sister and I had to haul it up to the upper-level of our split-level house.
3. The weight can be an issue. Be sure that everything is safe and secure. I believe that if the thing were to give way, it would crash through the floor into the basement.
4. Those fluted edges in the back are not easy to keep clean. Trap and hold water, soap, you do the math.
I know it’s an old thread, but it came up on Google.
Also, anyone in Atlanta want to buy MY Domsjo. It looks as good as the day I got it!