If you’ve been reading my blog for a little while, you know that we renovated our kitchen earlier this year. When I wrote the first post about the makeover, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to paint the cabinets gray or white. I was throwing around the idea of a bead board back splash and I wasn’t sure if I would do butcher block counter tops or some kind of stone.
A lot about that original design plan changed, but one thing I knew I wanted from the very beginning, was a farmhouse sink.
Rewind back a few years ago, when I started thinking about redoing the whole kitchen. I wasn’t sure if the money was in the budget, but I justified that maybe it would add value to the house. I started looking at all the farmhouse sink options. I quickly found that my beloved apron front sink wasn’t going to be cheap. It seemed the average price for a nice, heavy ceramic sink was around $700! That just seemed like a little too much for a sink.
That is until I found out about the IKEA farmhouse sink. It looked beautiful and was less than $300. I heard that a new IKEA was coming to St. Louis, so I was determined that as soon as it opened I would be there to buy my new sink.
In the meantime, I started researching how to install it and other specifics. The whole process wasn’t too reassuring. I found out we would definitely have to do some cabinet and countertop modifications to house the new sink. I knew it was a little beyond our DIY capabilities, so when the store finally opened and I bought my new farmhouse sink, in late 2015, I called an experienced carpenter (my cousin) to help us do the job.
We ordered our quartz counter tops, which I wrote a review about, from IKEA. The purchase included free installation, so that part was all taken care of.
Before they came to install the IKEA quartz countertops, my cousin measured the area where the farmhouse sink would sit, and cut the front of the cabinets to size. The doors were too tall, so he had to remove the top trim on them, cut them to size and then add the trim back on. If you live in a house where the cabinets are relatively new, I imagine you could find shorter doors that are a similar style. Rebuilding the doors was the only option in our 1920s farmhouse. I’m pretty sure the cabinets are original to the house.
He also built supports for the farmhouse sink to sit on. He basically just built a little table out of 2 by 4’s. Maybe some modern houses would have the structural support necessary to hold the sink, but ours wasn’t sturdy enough, especially after cutting the front. Plus, the IKEA Domsjo double bowl sink is super heavy!
Everything was definitely pretty wonky for a while. We had to move the hardware on the doors, because they no longer lined up. We also had to add trim to the front of the cabinets in several places, because the counter tops had to be shimmed to be level. Old house charm, friends.
After a little trim, paint and a whole lot of fananglin, we had our new sink lookin pretty.
So now for some of the details of how we actually like our IKEA farmhouse sink!
Some common questions I get are:
Is the sink hard to keep clean?
In short, no, not really. I just wipe it out with a Norwex cloth every day after I do dishes. About once a month, I break out the big guns to get off any tougher stains. I use Soft Scrub cleaner with Bleach, which I wrote about in our IKEA quartz counter top review post. It works perfectly to get it back to its original bright white.
I will say the only thing that makes it slightly more difficult to clean, than our old sink, is the grooves in the drain board. I go through them with my Norwex cloth, one by one, fairly regularly. It isn’t a huge task at all, just something I do on the regular.
Is it difficult to clean the counters now that you can’t wipe everything into the sink?
This question is in regard to the sink being overmount, instead of an undermount sink. You can’t wipe things straight from the counter into the sink. Honestly, I don’t notice it at all. I never had an undermount sink, so this isn’t an issue for me.
Do you miss having a sprayer?
I really really thought I would. I was worried about it. But, no, I don’t.
If I have something that needs some water pressure, I usually just add soapy water and a lid and give it a good shake.
Which faucet did you choose?
We went with the chrome plated Glittran kitchen faucet. It wasn’t the cheapest faucet on the market, but what’s an extra 50 bucks when you’re going to have something for the next 20 years? I think it is beautiful. Just sayin.
Some questions I don’t get, but I think people should be asking:
Do you break things a lot because the sink is so hard?
So glad you asked! Why, yes I do! Being a previous owner of laminate counters and an aluminum sink, this is not something I anticipated. Ceramic is very hard. If you buy this sink, don’t task your kids with putting dishes in it. Also, be very careful with your glass blender. The hidden cost of owning this sink and my new quartz counter tops is several shattered mason jars. I can definitely say it happens way less now that we are all aware of it.
Did you have to modify your cabinets to fit the sink?
I answered this question above. It took a lot more modifying than I expected, which is typical for me to think things will be easier than they actually are. It was outside the scope of our DIY abilities, but a skilled carpenter was able to handle the job lickety split. It was totally worth a couple hundred bucks to have it done right.
Would I buy the IKEA Farmhouse sink again?
Yes, I definitely would! I love our sink. It is so white and bright. I also love that it is HUGE. It definitely gives our kitchen the farmhouse feel I was going for. If I could do the whole remodel all over again I would still choose the double bowl Domsjo IKEA farmhouse sink.
If you want to know about our kitchen renovation check out the rest HERE.
Read a review of our IKEA quartz countertops here.
Thanks for stopping by friends!
Mary Ann Schaper says
What made you choose the double bowl vs the single?
Lisa Bass says
Space, mostly. I was afraid the single bowl wouldn’t hold all my dishes. Also, I hand wash everything, so I like to have one side dedicated to drying.
Annie says
Hi Lisa! I noticed you guys have a berkey — and we do too, so I’m keeping in mind that I’m going to need a sprayer to fill it with water next to the sink (we’ll be doing a renovation on our home soon). Since you don’t have one, how do you guys fill it up? Is it a hassle not having the sprayer there? Also, I couldn’t tell how deep the ikea sinks are compared to other farmhouse sinks. Is the depth comparable, or is there a difference? The ikea one, for some reason, looks shorter than the others to me… Just my eyes? 🙂
Lisa Bass says
I think it is pretty comparable in depth to other farmhouse sinks but it is definitely bigger than our previous sink and comes out about 4 inches from the counter. Also, I don’t miss the sprayer. Mine was never long enough to reach the top of the Berkey, so we have always just used half gallon mason jars to fill ours up. We do keep the Berkey right next to the sink always, unless I am taking pics. 😉
Dan says
Hi, thanks for your blog. I was wondering if your facet is titled due to the slope of the back area of the sink? I understand the location for dish soap and sponge is slanted so water flows back into the sink but so is the area around the hole for the faucet causing the facet to be tilted forward. Just curious if others have noticed this. Thanks again!
– Dan in NJ
CM says
I definitely DO NOT recommend the DMOSJO apron front double bowl sink, or the VIMMERN kitchen faucet with sprayer. Customer service is terrible, and local stores are aware of the defects.
After having my counter custom cut, I drove 3 1/2 hours to pick up the sink. I was really excited and liked how the sink looked. When I went to install the sink and opened the box, it was cracked. I drove another 3 1/2 hours to the store and they had none in stock and would not reserve one. They did say that half of the sinks usually arrive cracked. After checking back, the sink was finally in stock and I drove to the store a third time. I went without a sink for six weeks waiting for IKEA to replenish their stock.
The second sink was installed, and cracked after less than a year. The sink is porcelain, but not reinforced with fiberglass or cast iron on the underside.
The faucet began leaking, but there are no o-rings or parts that are replaceable. Teflon tape wouldn’t help either.
I called customer service hoping they would ship me a new sink and faucet after providing photos and video of the defects. The representative kept me on the phone for 38 minutes. Although she was very polite, and offered a $25 gift card at the conclusion of the call for my trouble, she suggested I contact the store manager to see if having replacements shipped was possible. I googled the number and lo and behold, the store number is routed to the call center.
I asked the second customer representative to transfer me to the store manager. He said the store could not be contacted directly, and he doesn’t know why the previous customer service rep would tell me to do that. I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. He said he would, but the supervisor would tell me the same thing. As pictured, I have been on hold now 21 minutes and no one has returned to the line.
So I will have driven to ikea 4 times, at 7 hours for each round trip because my counter is custom cut to fit the IKEA apron front sink, and replacing the counter would be very expensive, so I am stuck with a poorly designed sink that will likely crack again. The sink and faucet are poorly manufactured. Do not waste your money.
Lesson learned: IKEA has many nice looking products, but these are poor quality.
Lisa Bass says
Aww man. That is a bummer you had such a bad experience with yours. 🙁
Anonymous says
Wow! Sorry you had such a bad experience. I’ve had mine for almost 13 years with no problems. I hope I never have any problems ’cause IKEA discontinued this sink. They have another double-bowl, but it’s shallower.
Chickchat says
I too got this sink, but single, and the faucet. I’ve had them over a year and love them! We had our plumber install the faucet with the handle in the front, which looked cool in my opinion. My husband talked me out of the double because of the grooves, but I’ve wondered a few times if it would have made more of a statement to have the bigger sink. Having my first grandchild in a few months and think it will be the perfect sink for baths. (:
Lisa Bass says
Oooh yes it is the best for sink baths! I think the single basin is beautiful. Enjoy!
Allan Montgomery says
We are undergoing a kitchen renovation and live 7 hours from the closest IKEA and they are delivering to the door. My wife is now concerned the sink will scratch easy as she has been reading this online. Have you had a problem with the sink scratching.
thank you
Allan Montgomery (Melfort, Saskatchewan)
Sue says
We had the Domsjo single bowl inset sink since 2007 and switched to the double onset mofel last year. I regularly wash out paint brushes in both (the single is soldiering on in our outdoor kitchen) – neither has cracked, nor scratched. How on earth could porcelain scratch?
Valerie says
Are you using a garbage disposal with your sink? If so, do you mind sharing which one? Thanks!
Lisa says
No, we are not. 🙂
Beth says
I found your blog when I google-searched the IKEA double farmhouse sink, hoping to find someone with one for sale… Perhaps someone who bought one and never installed it. Because after several years of wishing to have one, I finally decided to go for it and went to the store, only to find they have discontinued the sink! I’m surprised at how distraught I am, but really, I’ve been dreaming of getting one of these for quite a while. This is one of the downsides of IKEA, periodically they just disappear things no matter how popular or groovy they are! I’m sure my broken heart will mend and I’ll find a suitable sink, but was really hoping to just pay $300 and (as you pointed out) not $700-1200!
By the way, your kitchen looks fabulous 🙂
Lisa says
What?! I didn’t know they discontinued it! What a bummer!
Kristine says
Hi there!
I’ve been eyeing this sink as well, and actually, my parents just went to IKEA yesterday to see it in person. They were told that the double with the grooves was no longer available, but there should be a similar version released next year (April-May) without the grooves. I’m holding out hope that it’s true. It looks perfect!
Emily says
Don’t give up hope! I was crushed when I finally decided to take the plunge only to find out it was being discontinued. Miraculously, my husband found one for sale on a local Facebook yardsale site new in box for $200 last weekend! Check everywhere often- you never know where one will pop up 🙂
Bee says
I also found this blog in hopes of finding one for sale.mwe have had this sink for a year and a half, but today the side cracked.. I am concerned we are going to have to redo countertops now and the sink, because sink is discontinued.. don’t buy a sink you can’t replace, as no sink will fit the hole we have in our counter now that this sink is discontinued.
Sue says
Still available in Australia so NOT discontinued world.wide. Maybe misinformation?
Dale says
Can confirm, have just had mine installed today in Tasmania.
It’s not exactly flat at the back though, which is an issue since we’re installing ours on an island, not butted up against a wall. There is a noticeable gap between it and the benchtop that we will need to use a fair bit of silicone to fix. Luckily the Caesarstone benchtop is an off white colour that will make is less apparent.
Susan says
I bought this sink for my kitchen remodel 9 years ago. We did a complete IKEA kitchen. I knew I wanted this sink before we even decided what we were going to do with the kitchen. It’s big, shiny and beautiful. It’s still as beautiful now as it was when we got it. I use the left sink to hold my dish drainer and I have a mat in the other side to protect from breaking dishes. I thought the grooves would be an issue, but I bought a small brush and I wet it and run it through the grooves every few days, and that has worked well. The sink is easy to clean; I use Dawn dish soap and baking soda, and it works great. Too bad they discontinued it. The one think I hate about IKEA…
Lisa says
Yes I just heard that!! I was so bummed. I love my IKEA sink. 🙂
Jackie says
we are in the trenches of a kitchen update our selves, and I have been looking for a double, apron front kitchen sink. This particular one, which is listed with an excellent price, is not available in St. Louis anymore and can’t be ordered online. I am so bummed.
Lisa says
I have been hearing that lately. 🙁 What a bummer!