Stacia and her husband recently built the “retro modern farm house of their dreams.” We first met her when we featured her Easylux storage unit. Now, she has sent us photos of her fabulous, custom made stainless steel counter top with integrated drainboard sink. The sink and counter top initially installed in the kitchen were problematic, Stacia explains. She wanted a counter top and sink that not only wouldn’t stain or leak, but also, one with appropriate vintage style. Could this be the best of both worlds?
BE AWARE UPDATE: A reader commented that his contractor would not install a stainless steel countertop in his kitchen — the contractor said that the building code would not permit this metal countertop in residential uses. I am not an expert. Consult with your own properly licensed professional(s) to assess this issue so you can make your own informed decisions.
Stacia writes:
I thought you might be interested in our new stainless steel sink/counter combo we installed over the last couple of days. Even though our house is only a couple of years old, we had some issues with the sink and counter we originally installed, and they needed to be replaced. I originally bought a black “granite” composite sink, and we began getting hard water stains on it immediately. We have a water softener, but the kitchen sink is the one place it doesn’t run to. It was also easily stained by stuff like coffee and berry juice. I could keep up with rinsing and cleaning away foods that would stain, but the hard water was impossible. We also had other problems with alignment of the laminate backsplash and some faulty caulk that wasn’t watertight from the beginning, so mold was seeping in.
When we designed the kitchen, and the whole house really, we tried to keep our focus on what we wanted, not what various designers, retailers, etc. felt was trendy or necessary. I’ve always liked the utility and affordability of Formica so we went with that. Giant stainless steel range exhaust fans were pushed at us, but we found one that is restaurant-grade and flat-to-the-ceiling (far more affordable and doesn’t block the view of the rest of the room). Everyone had a tile backsplash, but we didn’t feel the need for that. I wanted and got the maple cabinetry, as well as a floor plan with lots of storage but a very tight work triangle.
What I also really wanted when we built the house was a big metal sink with a drain board. I started by looking at restaurant supply stores online, but that wouldn’t work with our cabinetry. No other place carried such sinks in our area, and going the special order route seemed overwhelming when we were already building a custom house with thousands of other decisions to make. So when I needed to replace the original sink, I had the time to go back to the stainless idea and look at everything I could find, from Ikea to Elkay to having one fabricated nearby. I had by then discovered your site, and read the articles about sinks there. For many reasons, the pre-made choices were not going to work right for us, and the metal fabricator I contacted could do counters but not the sink.
Then I found specialtystainless.com. They are located in Buffalo, New York, and completely custom make whatever you need. They have a calculator on their site that shows the costs right up front. I think they are very competitively priced too. I bugged them for months asking them to bid the project in many different ways, and they were always patient and helpful. We ended up replacing the entire 12-foot-long counter, complete with integrated backsplash and large drainboard sink, for right at $4,000 including shipping halfway across the country in a very impressive crate. And 16-gauge steel too!
My husband hired a local handyman to help him install it, which only cost another $85. I know $4,000 is a lot of money, but for what we got it is a great deal if you compare it to other stainless options especially. All our other counters are inexpensive Formica, so this is the only high-cost item in our kitchen (besides the cabinets themselves, I guess) and just adds a layer of luxury and utility and sparkle to our kitchen. We are super pleased with the result.
I probably would have ended up in a retro house since my husband and I have collected mid-century furniture and household stuff ever since we started dating nearly 25 years ago. But we wanted to live in the country and had some acreage we bought a few years ago and decided to build. The result is a farmhouse with mid-century sensibilities. I kept asking the carpenter who did the trim, “Can you make it more plain?” We wanted clean lines, lots of light, and quality over quantity. I’ve always felt like a bit of a lurker on Retro Renovation since I don’t have an old house, but so much of the site is valuable even if you are not renovating. It is a fantastic resource. Thanks for the inspiration!
Stacia — your counter/sink combo is fabulous. Pam says that she is sure that if she shows her husband your sink and counter top, he will want one, too — these are so darn utilitarian and will last forever.
Kudos to you and your husband for building your dream house — working to see beyond what is “trendy” today — and rather, to create a style that you will love an enjoy for many years to come. In my opinion — it is always worth splurging a little for high quality elements that will stand the test of time and also make you smile. This is especially true for high use areas like counter tops and sinks that take daily abuse — and which you use a lot, every day. Many thanks for giving us the details about your custom stainless steel counter top and drainboard sink — and for inviting us into your lovely home.
Stacia says
Hi Katie– I took all the measurements and rechecked several times. But then I went ahead and had the guy who had helped us purchase the cabinets when we built the house come out and check again before I ordered. He didn’t charge us anything because we had ordered all those cabinets from him, but I think it would have been worth it to pay him something if I had to. The site we ordered from made it easy and was very patient with my questions too. Good luck and let me know how it works out!
katie says
Stacia, We are about to embark on an almost identical project for all of the same reasons. We know what we want and are not going to be swayed by designers. Question … who took the measurements to be submitted to the manufacturer? Thank you!
Tyler says
Hi Stacia,
We love your sink, we are in the process of having one made that seems to be almost identical!
We were wondering if you could maybe help us with the dimensions that your chose for your sink, and what the total dimensions are of your counter (l x w))?
We are struggling to decide on the correct proportions. This is not something that is commonly done where we live and so none really has any idea as to how to help decide the size!
Stacia says
Tyler–
Our counter depth from the wall behind the backsplash to the front is 25.25 inches. If I remember correctly this is a standard size. It is almost 12 feet long, and the length was determined by the space between the wall and refrigerator.
The sink itself is 18 inches deep, front of the counter to the back, and 28 inches wide. With the drainboard added in, the total is 46 inches wide.
I don’t know where you are getting yours from, but the company I bought mine from has a number of standard choices (in addition to custom) and a price calculator on their website, and those helped immensely. You can also see if you can get a cabinet person to come to your house to confirm your measurements. I don’t know if you’re getting cabinets or not, but it would be worth paying them something to help you get your measurements right. I was definitely nervous to order something expensive and custom online that I would have to pay for whether it fit or not!
Hope this helps. Good luck and let me know how it works out!
Sally says
Hello, I love your kitchen and the faucet that you chose. We are doing something similar. Would you mind sharing the make and model of faucet? Lovely house!
Stacia says
Our faucet is a Moen. We ordered it from a kitchen place with all the other faucets and plumbing fixtures in the house. I don’t know the model but we bought it in 2010, and probably a salesperson at a kitchen design store in your area could look it up for you if you show them the picture. I do know its a bit nicer than the ones you can get at box stores like Lowes–metal interior parts instead of plastic, etc. Hope this helps!
Janice says
Formica also scratches and I have some on my recently installed kitchen. Freaked me the first time I saw one, but it’s like Stacia said, scratches happen and it just gives the countertops, furniture, house character and show that it’s used and lived in. Stacia, is that wallpaper on your lightswitch plates or did you paint the design on them? Spotted that little design element right away! Very nice kitchen!
Stacia says
Janice–I did paint the switch covers. There are almost 30 of them (including outlet ones) in the whole room and as the room became more “finished” their boring whiteness really stuck out. So I primed and painted them the same color as the walls then painted them with silver atomic stars. Now they stick out in a good way! Fun, easy project. 🙂
susan roseman says
Hi Stacia, Just want to say that the 4k for the sink was worth every penny. it will look fabulous even years from now.
We put one in our kitchen remodel and it is one of my best decision.
Who cares about scratches!
And when the dishes are washed and I wipe down that stainless steel… I feel like my kitchen is super clean.