Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Vintage Cast Iron Sinks

My kitchen is getting a mini-remodel.  The plan is for me to like my kitchen more~and so that involved painting cabinets white and having a marble counter top and apron front sink. However all of that expense isn't justified when we won't be staying here forever.  I do love a challenge, and the thing I find most rewarding is coming up with a solution on a budget that lights my fire. I know I am not alone in my thinking on this.  It is so exciting when you can think outside the box a little bit and come up with something that is wonderful.  This post is about vintage porcelain enamel over cast iron sinks with attached drain boards.  This style sink is my solution to the apron sink I wanted, but was not going to get.  Have you seen these sinks?  They were common in the post war era of the 40s and 50s and were found attached to metal kitchen cabinets ready, all ready to go.
This beauty, above, in mint green is a humdinger, don't you think? It is 58" wide x 21" deep with a big apron and backsplash of over 8".  The cost is $1295, which is a bit more that I would want to pay, but have you ever run across a sink like this?
This is the kind of sink I have been looking for on Craigslist.  If it comes with the metal cabinet, I will just remove the sink top and take the metal cabinet to the junk yard for cash.  
I spotted this one for sale at $150 so I was totally pumped!  When the seller returned my email he told me it had been sold. This was the perfect layout, with a single bowl on the left and the drain board on the right. This would work in my kitchen. Hoping I could find another one, I started the Craigslist search all over again.
Bam! I have always considered myself lucky, and sure enough, this sink was just listed and in the town next door to mine, and for a "best offer" price.  I waited hopefully for his return email (why don't they put their phone number in the ads??) and sure enough it was still for sale.  I offered him $100 and he said fine!  So tomorrow morning Mr. MD and I are heading over to pick it up.  The dimensions  are 42" wide x 25" deep with a sink bowl that is 22x17 and a 3" backsplash.  The image shows what appears to be a piece of duct tape holding one of the flanges to the sink.  He said it was in great condition!! Please let this be true...I will find out tomorrow.
Have you ever considered using an old sink instead of going to the big box stores and picking one out? I found a website that offers these sinks and much more.  The actual store location is in the Boston area, but they do offer shipping.  However, Craigslist pricing is soooo much better.  For example, the sink above is a 1949 Kohler sink and costs $835!  Mine is $100. Enough said, right?!  Just perusing the This Old Tub and Sink website can give you lots of ideas for a mini vintage face lift for your kitchen.  They even have vintage faucets. 
This is a 1946 cast iron American Standard double sink for $565.  It is 42" wide x 22" deep. It really is fun looking at these old sinks. I can't wait to get my old sink and have Mr. MD install it.  The vintage appeal it will bring to our kitchen is undeniable.  Keeping my fingers crosses and the vision in my head, until we meet again!

31 comments:

  1. Amy!

    The sinks with the drainboards are my very favorite. I LOVE them. My grandmother had one, and she replaced it with stainless steel and she was so happy about it. Even as i kid i remember thinking the old one was so much better. You can do so many things with the drainboard side. This will be awesome, and once again, you are so lucky that Mr. Maison Decor is so handy!

    Cindy

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  2. I love that you are using this type of sink....we rented a vacation home once that had this exact type of sink...great idea...I can't wait to see it all come together....it will be perfect!!...xo, Mariaelena

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  3. We had a house years ago that was about 180 years old. Someone had remodeling the kitchen in the 1950's and it had all white metal cabinets and that style of sink. Funny how taste change. I could wait to rip out that kitchen back then. Now I would have kept the sink and drain board for sure...Your's is going to be great!

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  4. Amy those sinks are amazing, I'm always drooling over vintage sinks but I never thought about actually using one hmmm...now you have my wheels spinning. Thanks.

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  5. You got a great deal, good job Amy! Can't wait to see it installed! :)

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  6. Hi Amy,
    The sinks are beautiful!
    I have one similiar to the top in my kitchen, and have a love hate relationship with it. I LOVE the drain boards it took me a long time to embrace the loss of space, but now wonder how I would do without them. The hate part is the shallow bowl, and it is shallow compared to what we are used to today, and I never leave the sink without being splashed (soaked), this maybe why aprons were so popular:-)
    We are remodeling our kitchen slowly and trying to hold onto as much original as possible, I have bought another sink but still waver on which one I will use.....
    I love seeing pics of your kitchen remodel, it is taking me a long time to make decisions:-)
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  7. Love the sinks! Yours is going to be great! I was adamant about getting an apron front when we gutted our kitchen (still not done). We cut back in some areas with the cabinets and my husband has done some of the stuff himself so that I could spend the extra on the sink. I'm so glad we did. I love it! You'll love your vintage one!

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  8. That sink is amazing! What a great bargain. Can't wait to see it in place.

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  9. Oh good luck! I am sure you are anxious to get it. I love the old sinks. I want to add a laundry room and put in an old sink..the green one is a gem.


    Ann A Sentimental life

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  10. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I got when I saw the sink you found!! Isn't that pathetic?!! I don't even KNOW you!!! lol The sink is completely cool and it will look awesome it that kitchen you are fixing up. I am in the middle of a litle decorative update of my kitchen, although I already had a few great things already, freshin' up is always nice.

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  11. Amy your imagination blows me away...this kitchen is coming out fabulously and I love the idea of the vintage sink, such a great idea!! Love that sink, its fabulous and is much like the NEW sinks being made now....eventually the old becomes the new "new" and I love the direction you are going in, keep it up, cannot wait to see all the elements come together!

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  12. I grew up in a house with a porcelain double sink and metal cabinet exactly like the one in the second picture. Learned to wash dishes standing on a chair at that sink. I remember it being pretty deep, a little yellowed and worn, and hard as a rock. The drainboards are super practical though if you handwash dishes (I always do). Just don't drop a dish on that porcelain, or it's history. (The dish, not the sink!)

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  13. I'm so excited for you! I really hope that the sink you're buying turns out to be just what you're looking for. If it is, you can pat yourself on the back for finding such a great deal. That's really a good idea to get one used like that. It just shows how well made it is if it has lasted this long already.

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  14. Hey Amy, I use to have a sink like the one you are picking up. I absolutley loved it, and wanted to take it when I moved but alas could not. You will enjoy it!
    Kristy @ 4 the love of WOOD

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  15. Amy good luck! Love that sink. I'm looking foward to see your beautiful kitchen with that vintage sink.
    Blessings, Wendy

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  16. YOur kitchen sounds spectacular! I love the idea of using a porcelain apron sink. You will have a one of a kind look! I can't wait to see what you do!
    Yvonne

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  17. I have never, ever found anything on Craigs List. I think I need a lesson. Every time I look I strike out. But I am happy for you!
    Stacy
    PS -- thanks for the help on the email thing on my blog - I think it is better now :)

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  18. I had one in my old house. Sink on left, 'drain' thingy on right but it also continued to the right a bit as flat.

    It was very cool and useful.

    Wont the new counters need to be cut up tho?

    Oh and I'm anxious to see how the counter edges came out with a dusting of some paint.

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  19. I love it- and it will be perfect for your kitchen. I don't suppose you want to know I junk picked one and it is in my potting "shed" at the back of our garage. I kept the metal cabinet though for the storage out there. Hope yours is in good condition! xo Diana

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  20. Hi Amy,
    My house was built in 1927 and when we were renovating our kitchen, what did I see, but the outline of a sink exactly like the first image here! I wanted one like that so badly, but we were positioning our sink where all of the plumbing was moved to and it wasn't there. So, it would not have worked.
    So I went with a new cast iron white sink, I don't particularly care for it, I still love the original one. Then one of our neighbors, who had a house almost identical to ours, passed away and her kids had a garage sale and I saw what my kitchen possibly looked like originally and sure enough that very sink was there!
    I really hope your sink is everything that you want it to be, your kitchen is going to be beautiful and unique.
    Hugs, Cindy

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  21. Yes! I've seen many of these types of old sinks. The old farmhouse I grew up in had one. In fact a friend is completely gutting/remodeling a 1906 house that was converted into apartments AND there are several of these. They just want to get rid of them...I think they still have them. And vintage gas burner stoves too. :-)

    Contact me if you're still looking for one.
    Connie

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  22. I love old sinks. I have a new apron-front Fireclay Belfast sink, but it is a very old design. I can't wait to see your sink installed in your kitchen!

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  23. Oh my goodness, Amy! What a find! I can't wait to see how it looks installed!

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  24. Great find at an awesome price - good for you. Looking forward to seeing it in your kitchen!

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  25. I'm so excited for you! That is going to be perfect! Love it.

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  26. What an awesome sink! It is just fabulous and perfect!

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  27. We had cast iron baths in our old house which we had sprayed instead of ripping them out because you just don't get quality products anymore. I would much rather a sink like yours that I know will stand the test of time for another 50 years.

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  28. I really love those sinks,I can't wait to see your's installed. I would like to have one too but because of rheumatoid arthritis my hands are weak and very often I have to drop pots in the sink when it's too heavy and I fear I would scratch the bottom and sides.
    But it's okay, I can live with my stainless steel sink.
    Have a nice week Amy

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  29. We're redoing our kitchen too and found a cast iron drainboard sink for ours. In fact since we found another sink since then so now I don't know which I want to use. Now I'm always on the lookout for these vintage finds. My hubby calls me the sink lady and can just picture our backyard one day covered in old cast iron sinks I've come across! lol

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