New Fireclay Sink Changes Up The Vibe
Our friend Ellen, @littlebarefurniture on Instagram, recently updated her kitchen with the Bradstreet ll farmhouse fireclay kitchen sink. She was kind enough to share how the renovation went.
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This kitchen has seen many changes in the four years we have lived in this house. The painting of the honey oak cabinets, followed shortly by the removal of the freshly painted upper cabinets. The stripping of laminate from the counters and painting them white, then changing it to black. Painting the cabinets, again. Removing the old stick on tile floor. Painting the floor. Extending the peninsula. I put a lot of bandaids on our kitchen. Granted they were stylish bandaids but still the true challenges remained. I have a small kitchen, with one window and the sink. Y’all, the sink was bad. There was no bandaid for the sink, it had to be replaced and no renovation would be complete without it. So when I planned my kitchen overhaul for this fall, I knew a sink was a top priority.
We are a creative family, in the kitchen and out. We cook together all the time, and we make a lot of dishes. We also paint, and build, and make clay sculptures and tie dye. Our old sink could tell you all about the crazy things that stained its worn white(ish) basin. So when it was time to choose a sink to replace the old, tired one, I knew it had to be able to handle our creative chaos.
This beautiful sink does just that. This Sinkology VIBE fireclay sink handles are messy life and does it with style.
Installation was straight forward. After removing the old sink and the majority of the base cabinet I built a frame from 2x4s to support the weight of the sink. Once the base was level and ready I slid the sink into place. This part definitely required an extra set of hands, this sink is sturdy, and heavy.
Once in place I had to get creative. I installed the kitchen sink under the existing countertop, but because of its amazing apron front I had to build up the area behind the sink where the snazzy Pfister Faucet would be installed. Once this area was level with the counter edge, I skinned it in walnut as I had done on the other counters and sealed it with epoxy. I also cut and fit individual strips along the top edge of the sink to provide a barrier.
I wrapped every inch of my beautiful sink in paper and tape to protect it from the epoxy pour and then I waited.
This was the hardest part, I could not wait to see the way the gray finish of the fireclay was complemented by the warm walnut counters. During this time I built the undercabinet, well actually drawer under the sink.
When your sink looks this good, the under sink storage has to keep up. I knew the plumbing shift required one drain and the centered garbage disposal would take up a large amount of space, as would the 2×4 base. The drawer face is the width of the sink and the soft close drawer slides perfectly under the garbage disposal and plumbing lines.
Once the epoxy was cured, I removed the paper and tape and dove into the plumbing. I installed the Matte Black Pfister Faucet first. The faucet kit included adapters for my existing lines so installation was a breeze. I secured the plate with plumbers putty and then clear silicone caulk both of which I purchased at The Home Depot. Next step, drain flange and garbage disposal. Again using plumbers putty I placed the Sinkology drain flange and obsessively centered the logo. Once again able to use my existing garbage disposal and attachment kit installation was a breeze. I did replace the j tube and pipes running to the wall which was simple using the universal sink plumbing kit I also picked up while at The Home Depot. I installed the undersink drawer, ran silicone along the sink edge and my project was complete.
I can’t put into words my love for this sink. Maybe the fact that I enjoy doing dishes is one way to describe it. Or that even my biggest cast iron pans are easy to wash. The stainless steel grate at the bottom of the basin protects not only the finish of the sink but my dishes when my four year old drops her cereal bowl in each morning. Before, our kitchen sink and faucet were a functional eyesore that showed wear. Now they are so much more.They suit the style and function of our home. Our sink is a collector for our creative chaos, soaker for baked on kitchen experiments, and a bathtub for our puppy.
From filling pasta pots, watering plants, washing paint brushes, the Pfister Faucet and Sinkology fireclay sink are the perfect team to handle whatever our wild and busy life needs.
It may be silly to love an inanimate object but when the kitchen is the heart of the home, and no kitchen is complete without a sink, is it really that silly after all?
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