Thursday, June 20, 2013

Kitchen Update: The Sink Area


 About a month ago we refinished our vintage cast iron sink that is original to our house and installed a new faucet. 


 We've had refinishing our kitchen sink on our to-do list for a good while now, but getting a new faucet was the perfect motivation to get it done!

BEFORE:


Surprisingly, our sink was in great condition, but there were a couple chips and some scratches in the porcelain.  We used a Rust-Oleum Specialty Tub & Tile Refinishing Kit in white, which I have to admit I was very nervous about because we had never done anything like this.  UPDATE: I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.  IT HAS NOT STOOD UP TO THE WATER USAGE AND WILL CHIP AND FLAKE OFF.   The product needs to cure for three days, so we refinished the sink before a weekend trip out of town.  We followed the directions on the box and it actually went pretty smoothly, although it did take a couple hours.  I was glad we did it when the girls were in bed because the smell was very strong and although not impossible to do alone, the two of us worked together on it the entire time.  Believe it or not, the prep work actually took longer than the actual painting. 

AFTER:


 This is what it looked like the next day... shiny and like brand new!  It was pretty exciting.  Although dry, it was slightly tacky... three days later when we arrived home, it had completely cured. 

I have to admit that I was so, so nervous to put anything in the sink.  I purposely waited this long to tell you about the product, because I wanted to see how it would stand up.  So now I'll give you my honest opinion... although it's not perfect, I would use this product again in a heartbeat.  I love the fact that I can refinish my sink affordably and easily.  But I will also tell you I am a lot more cautious than if I had a stainless steel sink... I never place cast iron skillets in the sink and I am careful with hot saucepans.  However, so far there has not been anything that I cannot buff out.  I also don't think there are any guarantees that the coating will not chip if hit hard enough, but that was the case for me beforehand anyway.


While we were at it, Justus also replaced all the sink drain parts with new.  That turned out to be the most difficult part about the entire job!

Okay, too funny.. I just noticed that although I cleaned the sink really good before taking pictures, there's a piece of lettuce in the sink drain.  I thought about removing the picture, but then realized you would understand.  So just in case you were ever wondering, I'm just a real person that has lettuce stuck in her drain more often than not (smile)!  


 More exciting than anything was installing the new faucet that Pfister so kindly sent me.  This faucet is called the Ashfield and I fell in love with it the second I saw it.  This is a three-hole faucet, but I purchased separately a hand soap dispenser from the same line to fill our fourth hole in the sink.  When I received the faucet, I was once again shocked by how durable and well-made it looked and felt. 


I knew its vintage design would be the perfect compliment to our sink and the brushed nickel finish keeps it from looking too fancy in our simple kitchen.  I love that the handles match the antique hand pump on our old well outside.  (By the way, it looks like the handles go up and down, but they actually turn.) 


 The one thing I was worried about turned out to be my favorite part.  Never having had a pull-down faucet, I had no idea what to expect.  It toggles between spray and stream modes and the spout swivels even when it's not completely pulled down.  It is awesome... I use it constantly while washing dishes.  The spout looked a little bulky to me at first, but now I like its industrial look. 


In other kitchen news, we have a huge slab of butcher block countertop sitting in our living room to be installed next to the refrigerator cabinet.  It's exciting, but I do admit to already missing my farmhouse table where I sit and each breakfast each morning (smile).

(Update: To see the finished kitchen, click here.)


I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  

51 comments:

  1. Your sink looks wonderful! I've wondered about those refinishing kits. Love your faucet also.

    Judy

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  2. So beautiful! Love your vintage sink and it looks so pretty all refinished!

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  3. Your house always makes me happy! :)

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  4. If you had not mentioned the lettuce we would not have seen it. I had to go back and look for it when you mentioned it. Love your vintage kitchen and sink. ;)

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  5. We just put in a new sink and faucet, but I would give my right arm to have an vintage sink like yours in our kitchen! Glad to know about the product you used because I could use it on our outdoor sink in the garden (which is old!) Your faucet style suits your home perfectly!

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  6. Your sink looks wonderful! I'm dreaming of a farmhouse sink (or a whole farmhouse) one day : )

    Jeanette @ Creating a Life

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  7. Andrea I'm coveting your sink and faucet. So white and new and shiny. Love it.
    Lisa
    Leeshideaway

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  8. Beautiful sink! Perfect for your kitchen and you did a lovely job refinishing it. Each of your projects is so personal and you really keep with your vision of the farmhouse look and feel.

    Blessings ~ Brenda

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    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Brenda.

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  9. Your sink and faucet are wonderful. I like that you left the lettuce. Such is a well used kitchen sink.

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  10. so lovely! we have looked at refinishing a sink similar but I have always been a bit nervous, yours looks great!

    Tori

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  11. Your kitchen sink looks so pretty!! I'm sure enjoying it. Never saw the lettuce until you mentioned it, but I'm sure that's where Your eye went every time you looked at the picture.
    Mary Alice

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  12. The sink looks awesome! We too have a cast-iron enamel sink and it has quite a few scratches as well. Good to know there is an easy refinishing product for it! Your hydrangeas are gorgeous.

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  13. Thanks for the info on refinishing your sink! Our 1921 bathtub needs a sprucing up, and I've thought about doing it ourselves, but didn't know how it would hold up. After reading your post, I think it would work out nicely. It only gets used when our grandchildren visit, so it would have plenty of time to cure. Your old sink looks fabulous with its new finish and faucet!

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    Replies
    1. I plan to use this product on our cast iron tub too... I think it would be perfect!

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  14. Wow! You guys did a great job and I think it very brave to do! Doing it yourself is always cheaper...and it turned out so great. The whole look is sleek and modern and yet honest to the house....
    Great job!
    Nancy
    http://wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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  15. That beauty of a sink was so well worth refinishing..it is gorgeous..and you two did a fantastic job...Love the new faucet and I think the pop of "color" in the sink drain is perfect!!! Have a great weekend with your beautiful family!

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  16. You and your husband are fearless! Great job.
    Lucy

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  17. You and Justus are the dynamic duo! Great job on the sink and I agree...even if it doesn't last forever it's a great fix for right now. I've done "temporary" updates and they have ended up lasting for years! What I love the most is that you are keeping original elements of your house and at the same time staying true to your style. That faucet is a beauty!

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  18. It turned out beautifully. We did a bathtub in our old house and I was surprised at how well it held up.

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    1. Thanks, Betty... that is good to hear! I'd like to do the same thing to our own tub.

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  19. I love it. It looks so great!

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  20. The makeover looks fantastic - so glad you're loving the Ashfield. Can't wait to see the butcher block countertops next. Thanks for sharing your photos with us!

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    1. Thank you, Pfister, for the gorgeous faucet! I absolutely love it!

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  21. Gosh! That is a stunning sink. We're at the planning stages of our kitchen reno, after doubling the size of the house two years ago I am looking forward to the end product and not necessarily the process C:

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    1. Thanks, we were fortunate that it came with the house! I completely understand what you are saying! Can't wait to see what it looks like. :-)

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  22. Wow it looks really great! And I love that new faucet. You guys did a great job! Too funny about the lettuce - that's what my sink looks like most of the time right now since we're harvesting all our lettuce from the garden and eating a ton of salads!

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  23. Your sink looks fabulous, and I love your new faucet. I agree with what you said about having a porcelain sink, that you have to use a little precaution. I also do not put my cast iron skillets in the sink, or anything that will scratch it. I have gotten used to this method and it's really no problem for me because I LOVE my sink! We also had our cast iron bathtub refinished by a professional when we moved in 9 years ago and it still looks great. Also, I use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to remove any gray or black marks from my sink and it works. Your kitchen looks amazing, and I can't wait to see the new section of countertops under the shelves :)

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    1. Thanks for the tip about the Bar Keepers Friend... I'm going to get some! :-)

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  24. Wonderful result! That's the kind of kitchen I like! Great!

    Marina

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    1. Thanks, Melanie... that's how I feel about your kitchen!

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  26. Love the faucet and that sink, wow!! Now I would not have noticed the lettuce,if you hadn't told me!! It looks fantastic!! I have had a porcelain sink for over 20 years without any problems. But I think before we move, I'll have a convo with my daughter about not putting things directly on the sink. Maybe a sink liner is in order!! BTW, there was a huge antique sink at the ranch farmhouse and I ended up just giving it away because it was so darn heavy it took an army to move.

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  27. It turned out beautiful! And the faucet goes perfectly, so pretty! I'm glad you were able to keep the original sink. It adds such character. When I found out my Granny's old home was going to be torn down, the one thing I wished I could go get was her old porcelain sink. I just love your kitchen.

    Kimberlee

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    1. Thank you so much, Kimberlee. I wish you could have gotten the sink - what a special piece it would have been!

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  28. Another home project well done. That Rustoleum finish turned out beautiful.

    Debra

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  29. it looks great, and i love that cute faucet, andrea! happy weekend!

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  30. Hello Andrea,
    My name is Janet and I'm a newbie blogger. I saw your blog award in Country Living...congratulations! I just had to pop over for a visit. I LOVE your clean, simple look with SO much charm! I enjoyed your "new" sink blog...it has been on our To Do list as well. Thanks for the gentle push!

    I would be so LUCKY if you would check my blog out at luckyjunkshop.blogspot.com and share your comments. It's a work in progress & lots of love!

    Warm regards,
    Janet

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  31. so simple and clean looking....love it....that sink is just awesome

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  32. Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you but things have been very hectic, via my blog, I am just starting to get caught up. Your sink came out fantastic and I love your new faucet. Your guys did a great job!

    Cynthia

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  33. We have the same sink, but a single bowl. I love it. "Barkeepers Friend" is a brand of cleanser that will take off those black marks. It does NOT scratch. I use if for everything. Don't use the liquid, make sure it's the powder. Good Luck. Wonderful job of refinishing, now I know what I can do when/if I need to.

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  34. Did you struggle with the decision to allow the sink to end mid-dishwasher? I want to reuse mine but when I could not make it work without getting that half sink/half counter over dishwasher i almost abandoned the idea until i saw yours. does it bother you now that youre living with it? Would you do it again?

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  35. Really late question, but do you know the model # of your faucet. We're really wanting pretty much the identical one. Can't seem to find it anywhere these days :(

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    1. Here is the link for the faucet, which includes the model #, but it looks like it is discontinued. :-( However, I wonder if with this info you could still find it online somewhere...

      http://www.pfisterfaucets.com/kitchen/product/ashfield-2-handle-pull-down-kitchen-faucet-t531-ypk

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  36. Please tell me what was hard about replacing the drain hardware...I have a double bowl, double drainboard sink from the 1950's outside waiting to be up in now. If replacement is too hard, I'll just keep the existing hardware...maybe even the faucet.

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  37. Gorgeous! We're planning on refinishing our cast iron bathroom sink. How's this one holding up? :)

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    1. Thank you, Mandy! Unfortunately, I do not recommend this product... the sink is not holding up at all. :-( I'm glad you asked - I'm going to update this post right now to mention that I do not recommend using this product!

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    2. I should mention that I think it is worth it to have it professionally refinished. :-)

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