There are many kitchen sinks in all types on the market today, but when looking for the perfect antique kitchen sink to complete your farmhouse decor or vintage design, your choices are a little more limited. Some sink manufacturers do have replicas made to look like an antique sink, but the chances are that you will need to look at designer stores or an antique dealer in order to find what you are looking for.

Most authentic antique sinks are up to 1/2" thick cast iron and covered with porcelain. These are extremely heavy in weight and also heavy duty. Some of the earliest designs were made with one wash basin with a drain in it. These were small and generally had a pedestal to support it. In later years, the sink was made with 2 sides; 1 for washing and 1 for rinsing, which was much more convenient. They are generally very deep and will accommodate large pots and pans with great ease. Many of them were designed with drain boards on either one side or both. The washed and rinsed dishes were placed on these side boards, which have ribs on them and are slightly tilted into the sink, in order for them to drain into it and air dry.

Double kitchen units were designed to be freestanding and supported by legs. The legs can be either wooden and turned in a pretty design, or of the claw foot design, which is very popular. Most were painted white because antique kitchen sinks only came in white, though some are still available with stained legs. Most of the original sinks had a very large apron on the back that mounted to the wall. This has the same function as modern day backsplashes, which will keep water from damaging walls or leaking down the back of the sink onto the counter top. The front of antique kitchen sinks usually has a large apron also. Since the original usage did not incorporate the sinks into cabinets as we do today, the large front apron would protect the dishwasher's clothes from getting wet from splashes of water.

Antique kitchen sinks may still be found and most all of them have a standard 8 inch spread for the faucet installation. These size faucets are still manufactured by many companies and are readily available in many styles. You can also find the sink curtains which attach to them and pull open and close to store materials out of sight underneath the sink as when these sinks were originally used. These will complete your antique kitchen appearance.