the kitchen sink post

in researching different items for my remodeled-kitchen-to-be, i have found that while i may be able to make quick big decisions for my clients {with their help of course}, i seem to tarry over ones for myself.

on of the biggest items {so far!} has been the kitchen sink.
ill start this out by saying i prefer, well....insist, that sinks be undermount.  no question. 
and my favorites, without a doubt, are by shaw

they are simple, classic, and fine quality.  they are also beautiful and seem to "fit" a wide array of looks

rustic kitchen via cote de texas

via cote de texas, blog author joni's own personal kitchen sink

50's vibe creamy kitchen via gardenweb

classic white with black granite via housebeautiful

haskell harris' kichen cottage kitchen via southernliving

crisp, white and airy via emily jenkins followill photgraphy

double sinks in a peacock-esque white kitchen with soapstone and marble via ashley goforth designs. I LOVE WINDOWS

ashley goforth designs via decorpad

love all the different finishes...holy subway tile! white, black, oil rubbed bronze, thick white marble, stained window trim via kitchenlab

feminine double sinks via housebeautiful

mark badgley and james mishka's chic kitchen with unlaquered brass, marble, crazy amounts of subway tile via elle decor

i used the double bowl shaw sink in one of my recent client's kitchens

see? they are everywhere, and look so good.  they are also expensive. 
one thing that makes them so expensive is the material they are constructed from:

1.  Fireclay: a type of clay that can withstand extremely high heat - its forged at extremely high heats that actually works to unite the clay and glaze, therefore making it more resistant to hot pots and pans.  it also is more consistent in color throughout the material, vs cast iron which, when chipped, reveals... cast iron.  personally i think fireclay also has such a great feel to it {kinda like a good large slab of honed marble...you just want to keep running your hands over it}.

• PROS: resistant to high temps and heavy use, good feel, thorough color, can be cleaned with high abrasive pads and powders, GORGEOUS, will not rust {under body like cast iron might if chipped and exposed}
• CONS: expensive, softer than cast iron {some argue}, white {may show dings and scratches, however thanks to handy dandy magic eraser these problems seem to be a thing of the past according to forums discussing white kitchen sinks}

the "expensive" CON is what is preventing me from putting one of these in my kitchen.
hmph

so, the next best thing would be
2.  Cast Iron:  heavy, durable, but possibly brittle {i.e. chips easily} iron alloy.  coated with a porcelain enamel, thickness varies by brand and you definitely get what you pay for: more $$=thicker enamel {usually}.  in kitchen forums some people swear by cast iron and claim they like them better than fireclay.  specifically, Kohler warranties their cast iron against cracking, chipping and burning. definitely something to consider, but their cast iron sinks are still expensive

• PROS: durable, withstands high heat, cheaper than fireclay {in most cases} but has same great WHITE look i love, been around a long time and obviously withstood the test, however todays cast iron sinks are not as solid and durable as those back-in-the-day {as is the way with most things these days}, surface less prone to water spots unlike stainless steel, does not dent like stainless steel
• CONS: can stain, scuff, porcelain enamel is brittle and can chip {however Kohler guarantees against this}, cannot clean with abrasive cleaners, might rust if chipped and iron is exposed

and now this brings us to the next big "look" when it comes to sinks:
3.  Stainless Steel:  people who have stainless also swear by it {i.e. my mom and MIL}.  obviously, stainless steel sinks dont chip or stain, which is a BIG pro.  however they CAN ding/dent.  and i just love WHITE against black granite, or concrete, or marble, etc etc.  that said, i do love the industrial look of zero radius and/or farmhouse stainless steel sinks:

via decorpad

this one even has a place to hang your dishtowel, via westchestermagazine

ive probably posted this pic five times but i love it.  and it has a stainless steel sink :) via southernaccents

i may be all about white, but man this is black done RIGHT. yes that is a tiny glimpse of stainless steel over there..haha.  via cookinglight

via southernliving

not the look i would be going for in my house but still nicely done.  via coastalliving

via housebeautiful

im also toying between a bridge faucet and a more commercial inspired design...seems like they got the best of both worlds in this one {$$$}! design by judith barrett via housebeautiful

in this clients house we did both a single bowl, zero radius sink

and a double bowl, via natalie roe interior design

 
and then there are the less common types of sinks:
4.  Composite:  a highly dense composition of rock particles or at least two different materials, usually quartz or granite.  claims high resistance to heat, chipping, scratching, etc.  i really dont know much about these or if they are any good...but every time i look up "white double bowl sinks" these come up {companies like blanco and elkay}.  anyone out there have anything to say about/experience with these??

5. Copper: lovely but not within the budget :) comes in different finishes...basic copper as you would imagine, but also nickel and other hammered lovelies.  soooo while there are plenty of beautiful pictures out there, this is not something i have spent much time on {since i will not have this luxury in my house!}.
OK what the hey here you go:

via velvet and linen

same house as previous picture, via velvet and linen.  cant tell if this is copper or just stone, but its gorgeous

gorgeous copper farmhouse sink via urbangrace

via housebeautiful

SO, wonderful resourceful readers...what is YOUR sink of preference? and why? i am very interested in your opinions!  also, as much as i love the look of one big bowl, i just cant seem to understand how that would work...with two bowls, at least i can still use one side when the other is full of dirty dishes...but those who have one bowl swear by it as well.  my clients always have a strong opinion on this so we start with that and then i find the sink for their space.  but when it comes to a sink for myself....im a little torn...

i would love to hear your feedback on this!
thanks :)