Idea Guide

Wow - great find! I love Ikea, but most of their stuff is far too sleek and swedish for our house. Lately, thouhg, it seems they've been branching out into other styles. This farm house sink is a perfect example.

I'm stopping by the Burlington, Canada Ikea in August - will be sure to bring my camera and kitchen dimensions!

We were just pricing these sinks at Lowe's and were prepared to pay over $500, which we really can't afford since I think the wiring all needs to be replaced! Thanks for showing this, you'll be seeing it "The Dirty House" soon!

I wanted this sink soooo bad, but the ikea in seattle could not get ahold of one for months. I ended up going with a different, non-farm house sink because I was impatient. Of course, a month later, they got them in but they were severely back-ordered. So if you do decide to get this sink I would check availability. They are very popular, more so than Ikea anticipated apperently. Hopefully they've steped up production to fit demand.

Not to be a spoilsport, but is is fireclay? I would ask them because of durability issues. What an incredible bargain if it is.

And very big too.

I had ordered it and it was here to be installed along with my new ikea kitchen. My partner hated it. He got together with my GC and when I walked in the door I knew that it was a battle I was going to lose. It is very large and very wide (front to back) . After having it delivered with my order I had to get the huge sink in my civic and return it. We then had to order a sink from the granite installers (a blanco that was 3 x as much) and pay for 3 more feet of granite. Grand total for my partners decision to dislike teh sink about $1000. I still love how my kitchen turned out without it and I think that my partner would have hated it had we kept the sink.

We went to Ikea in Minneapolis on Sunday and also noticed this sink. BTW, we almost bought a Poang chair for our upstairs porch! Anyways, that sink won't work for our kitchen redo -- we're designing a custom stainless island and the porcelain sink doesn't quite work with it! It's very nice though.

Long time lurker on your site...

Just wanted to mention that while I don't have a farmhouse sink, for space issues I went with a 27" single basin cast iron sink from Kohler in my kitchen redo AND LOVE IT! I thought it was going to be a big compromise to not have the double, but I find with a dishwasher, its not bad at all. In return, I can put anything in that sink.... which I never would have been able to do with a double sink!

I have been waiting for the DOMSJO double bowl sink from Ikea since April. We designed our kitchen around this sink and they have had problems with either a distributor or manufacturer. I am in Florida and will need to have it shipped to me from one of their stores. I called today to double check on availability and they are researching. Was the sink actually in stock in the Minnapolis store? Thanks,

hi pamela, We were in the Chicago store and we didn't inquire as to whether it was in stock. (We aren't working on our kitchen yet.) But it's good to know that there are problems with obtaining one...going "sinkless" for 4 months or longer is something I really don't want to ever face!

I feel copper sinks with embossed apron will be more beautiful, I would like invite you to visit Http://www.china-sinks.com to see the beautiful copper sinks made by China traditional outstanding copper crafts.

Tomfan

IKEA have severe problems with the DOMSJO double bowl sink. I have waited 3 months for this sink. Yesterday I went to the warehouse to collect it and it was smashed into 4 pieces!! I could cry. However, the sink packaging is pathetic - it it just packed in a cardboard box - no padding - no bubble wrap - and the guy at the warehouse said that he noticed that it is not even marked "fragile".

I will be writing to IKEA North America - how long do I have to wait now for a replacement?

I am so, so very close to being finished with the kitchen remodel in my 1931 Arts & Crafts home---close enough that I think I can finally offer some anecdotal comments about the process and the materials I've used:

With regard to the farmhouse sink:

After measuring, and re-measuring, and ruminating, and stressing, I finally ended up ordering a single-bowl Rohl "Shaws Original" farmhouse sink. Mine is the really big one that looks like a trough, with the offset drain---it measures 36"x 18" x 11" deep. It's undermounted to maple edge-grain butcherblock countertops, with a Rohl chrome bridge faucet, spray and soap dispenser mounted in the counter. It's truly a beautiful work of art, and it stands out in my kitchen as a central feature. I absolutely love it and have no regrets.

But, there has been a down side to my choice. The sink itself cost a small fortune, and took a couple of months to arrive---a result of its being hand-crafted in England. Further, once it was delivered (in a fabulously well-insulated foam container inside a heavy-duty corrugated box) it took another couple of months to fabricate and install the cabinet which cradles it. The thing weighs an unwieldy 152 pounds, and since it's hand-made, has a +/- 2% variance to the specs, which means the cabinet guy can't even begin to make the base cabinet until he's got the sink in his possession. Rohl strongly suggests this, in dark, bold type, in all of their literature. And they should know...

My installation was even more problematic since the cabinet had to be made for, and installed above, a working radiator. Getting the cabinet low enough to hold the sink, but high enough to clear the radiator and allow for plumbing for the sink and dishwasher---even with the best specs---proved difficult.

Once the cabinet was constructed and painted, we discovered that, incredibly, the bottom of the sink was not really level, and that in order for it to sit level in its flat "cradle"---thus allowing for the edges of the countertop to lay flat atop its left and right edges---we would need to grind down the fireclay. My cabinet maker spent one morning with the sink upside down on wooden supports in the driveway, gently grinding away...

And, as a final test of my humor, while installing the sink and plumbing underneath it, my plumber discovered that the additional depth that the drain assembly added to the already deep dimensions of the sink created a scenario where the sink assembly was (gulp!) actually lower than trap, and since the surrounding cabinets and countertop had already been installed, there was no way to gain enough access to lower the drain pipe and tie it into the existing plumbing vent. For about 15 minutes we all sat there on the floor and stared blankly at the plumbing, completely dumbfounded, me imaging the untenable choice of the demolition of my as yet unused brand new kitchen, or a sink plumbed ventless, out-of-code. Suddenly, with great authority, my contractor broke the silence and announced, "we'll just take off the back of the house" and that was that. We filed out of the house and into the yard, stared at the outside wall for a bit, and within about a half-an-hour he had removed several pieces of clapboard and cut through the diagonal boards which hold the clapboard in place thus exposing both the drain pipe and the vent. My plumber then began work on a new drain line which he eventually tied into the existing vent. It took two days to finish the installation, but in the end, I got my sink. And it works too.

There are other farmhouse sinks as well, some of which have been mentioned in this forum---Kohler makes a couple of good looking ones, American Standard has a great-looking one with a big back. and Michael Smith does a handsome one with a built-in drain board, and apparently IKEA has one to offer too---but regardless of the one you choose, I think it's probably wise to be aware that there are a host of collateral issues associated with its purchase and installation, many of which are not applicable to conventional drop-in, or undermounted models.

Still, I am thrilled to have the Rohl star 'center stage' on my countertop. It's warm and tactile, and looks like it's been in my kitchen since the house was built, and that is the look and feel I'm always moving toward.

Oh yes, the single bowl is no problem at all, and in fact, in my 36" wide model, I've got enough room to place a dishrack on one side and actually wash dishes on the other. And when the rack is removed, there's enough space to submerge a dinner partys' worth of plates and glasses. At least I think there is---I can't wait to actually have a dinner party now. :-)

I sympathize with everyone's stories. This kitchen remodeling isn't for the squimish, is it? Hope my own stories help...

I was researching IKEA and found this site. Can any one comment on the quality of the IKEA kitchen cabinets and appliances. I'm just starting to configure a kitchen and am not that familiar with the brand and the quality.

Thanks,
Ann

Went to Ikea - White Marsh, MD last night and in midst of our full kitchen order ($$) we happened to hear the salesperson on the phone talking about a sale.....seems there is a birthday celebration this coming weekend (28 - 30 Oct) where everything is on sale for 15% off (except counters). So we cancelled our order to return tomorrow to take advantage of this sale which includes the DOMSJO apron sink. Our rep told us the demand far exceeded their expectation and they are searching for a new supplier - at the same price and quality he assured me. He told me they were backordered and possibly could have something by January - tentatively. We have some concern about the ability of the accompanying cabinet to hold it. Experience, anyone? Anyway, the cabinets are actually fun to put together - the thinking behind the packaging and the manufacture and assembly are impressive. Our only negative is the fact that the cabinets do not have a 'face plate' - that is, the part that typically goes between the cupboard and the doors. The light color of either the white or birch innards is a stark contrast to any of the darker cabinet doors. Also be advised that somehow the price creeps up another third due to tax, of course, (expected) and the unexpected feet, sides, toe kicks and - well - we have not fully deciphered the order form, half of which was take home and half ordered. Our daughter has an Ikea kitchen and is very pleased with it.

My husband and I are very interested in the Ikea Domsjo double sink and we're hoping that we can get our hands on one before our cabinets arrive in mid December. It is on backorder here in Canada and they have been telling us that they don't expect to get any in until the end of December. We are presently on the hunt for the Specification sheet for it as we must order the cabinet to accommodate it on Thursday. If there is anyone out there that could email me the spec. sheet, I would really appreciate it. If worse comes to worse, I know that there are units available in Belgium that I can order on line and have delivered. I figure that it will still be a better bargain than paying for the more expensive units. I would buy a more expensive unit but none of them have the fetures that I really like about the Domsjo Ikea double sink. There is a hole to accommodate the faucets, a lip so I can mount it on the countertop and not under or butt up to the countertop and the size of the bowls is just what I want. Has anyone heard if Ikea is discontinuing the model. They do not have it listed in their 2006 catalogue that just came out even though they have plenty of photos of it in there.

Thanks,
Happy renos
Patti

I have an IKEA domsjo farm sink. I picked it up yesterday after waiting six months. It does not fit and I am returning it this weekend. I live in the Toronto area if anybody s interested. Please e-mail me dmatta@aci.on.ca. I will not deliver.
You can have it for the same price as ikea would sell it to you.

My wife just visted the Ikea showroom in Atlanta today. The famhouse sink is a great price, if it was actually available. The reps told her that it wasn't available until the spring of 2006.

DON'T BUY THIS SINK.

The first one arrived at my home cracked. I dropped a wine bottle into my second one from about 1-1/2' above it. I expected a chip in the finish. Instead, the entire bottom of the sink cracked out. I now have a useless sink and am waiting for a third, for which IKEA will make me pay. Their position is that it is normal for a sink to explode upon contact with a bottle. If you cook frequently and spend a lot of time in your kitchen, THIS IS NOT THE SINK FOR YOU. It is unexpectedly fragile and will not withstand normal kitchen use. Looks good, though.

Which is one of the problems IKEA has had with them. The other problem is that IKEA often has problem with NEW catalog items as some items tend to slip by, especially things like sinks and such that are not the core products of the line (that role is taken by the cabinets, drawers and fronts) which are tested to a MUCH higher degree.

UPDATE on the CRACKED SINK above:
In fairness to Ikea, they gave me my replacement (third!) sink at cost. However, I still had to pick it up and have it installed (third installation!) at my own expense. In any case, my recommendation remains: DON'T BUY THIS SINK IF YOU USE YOUR KITCHEN HEAVILY AND REGULARLY.

After a looonng wait, my sink is just about ready to be used. One more minor detail of some tubing and hopefully I'll be washing dished (gasp!) in it tonight.

We purchased an Elkay Stainless Steel apron sink and I love it. But in order to install it, we needed a specialty sink base (my cabinets and this base are an entirely different board...if I feel the strength to be able to do I'll post it later) and instead of laminate we would need to go with a solid surface type material.

So...we went with Silestone (which was finally installed Monday...another super long wait...and more headaches than I was ready for). The Silestone people were a little sloppy...but other than following up with the owner, there isn't much we can do...unless we want to go another 11 mos. without our kitchen.

One more note, this is just one minor part of our almost complete rebuilding of our home due to Katrina, so I am so happy to have my kitchen (almost) back to full swing.

Hi, I'm considering buying the IKEA double bowl farm sink but I see that it is just a ceramic sink--no metal except the front bar and not fireclay...So how has the sink weathered for those who bought it more than a year ago? It is exactly what I need except for the durability issues. I wonder if a sink mat or grid would protect the sink and dishes from impact damage?

GD

We've had ours since October 2006 and haven't had any problems at all. It's size and looks make it a centerpiece of the kitchen.

Hey I just saw this sink at Ikea today and i really liked the look but i was wondering is there anyway to get it in bisque??? All the other similar farm sinks are wicked expensive so this would be a great deal if i can find it in bisque!!! Thanks!