How to: Build your own kitchen sink base! Do it yourself, wood working
Our throw back post this month came out all the way back in October, 2015! A lot has changed in my life since then, to say the least lol. I updated this post back in 2018 when I was still a single gal and had just finished giving our kitchen a giant makeover. Since then you guys know Lodi has joined me and we got married in June of 2022. This kitchen sink base is till going strong for us and we still love our old sink!
Its pretty amazing to read back and realize how much has changed here at Grandma’s house! Here is the original post:
I knew from the minute I laid eyes on it that it would become my kitchen sink and that I would be building a custom kitchen sink base for it!
Never mind that it had been sitting in a shed for god knows how long and it had, in fact, been filled to the brim with a mouse nest and had probably raised hundreds (if not thousands) of rodents for decades and was, in fact, totally covered in the resulting excretions.
Nope, none of that bothered me! I took one look at this sink and my heart soared. It was perfect!
(8/1/2019 A lot has changed in my life since this post came out four years ago. I’m a single gal now and have completely transformed my home making it truly my own. I am still so totally thrilled with the kitchen I built, since this post the kitchen has gone through many transformations and I just finished remodeling the entire room! CHECK IT OUT HERE!)
NOTE: Minnesota has what is considered some of the harshest and toughest electrical codes in the country. No, that outlet by my sink is NOT a GFCI outlet because GFCI outlets no longer meet code here in MN. Instead, my entire kitchen is on two separate dual GFCI/ACFI 20amp breakers.
My materials all came out of the barn or were scraps from the renovation and, amazingly, the drain was in perfect condition – the only thing I had to purchase was the faucet for $70 at my local fleet store.
I knew I wanted to wrap the whole outside of the sink with something very big so I headed to my secret stash of amazing barn wood that I’ve been gathering and pulled out the biggest thing I had: a rough-sawn, ancient, 2×10!
It was a really basic piece that I had in mind. Four 4×4 legs, 2x4s laid across the top of them for support, and then the entire thing clad with barn wood. First thing I did was get the most accurate measurements of the sink that I could, which was much easier said then done – no part of this sink is flat or square on the bottom side.
From there, I knew how long each of my 2x4s needed to be cut to fit totally under the bottom of the sink. From there I also knew exactly how tall the 4×4 legs had to be so I got to cutting.
I screwed the whole thing together with my impact driver and 3″ screws (that sink is HEAVY – I needed to make this kitchen sink base very sturdy lol).
Here the kitchen sink base is complete, I will admit that I had a few doubts but I knew my 2×10 from the barn (as well as some more barn wood to be added) would completely cover the 2x4s but I was still nervous as I hauled it into the house and set it in place.
Finally got it in place and the sink and dishwasher all hooked up!
I added a barn wood shelf under the sink as well as one above the sink for extra storage. You can see how the 2×10 hugs all around the sink, I added this after I installed the sink and the base, it looks like its supporting the sink but really its just hanging out, the bottom base I is what is holding the sink up!
I hate that you can still see some of the plumbing under the sink, I know most people won’t notice but… it bugs me. I plan on adding a wicker or wire basket to that shelf down there to hold all of my onions and garlic but I have not yet found the perfect basket yet but, when I do, it will hide my plumbing.
(The left side of the kitchen sink base, you can’t see it, is totally covered by barn wood so you can only see the plumbing from the from.)
I added the towel bar after covering ALL of the kitchen sink base and ALL of the barn wood with two coats of poly acrylic. Is that an old yard light above my sink? You’re darned right! It is my grandparents’ fifty year old yard light that hung off the pole of my little farm yard for many decades! It got replaced and when this old light came down I knew exactly where I wanted it to go 🙂
Above my kitchen sink of course! I will put a prettier bulb in it someday, that one was the best one my little fleet store in town offered. The paper towel holder that I added to the bottom of the top barn wood shelf was something my grandparents’ made many years ago.
A couple of things I have to admit. The sink is taller then the counter top not because I wanted it to be, actually I planned on building the kitchen sink base so the sink would be about an inch LOWER then my counter top to make for easy wiping.
However, when I ran the drain lines in the house I had expected to have vessel sinks in my two main floor bathrooms and, for some reason, my brain read that I needed to have ALL of my drains that high.
Sighs…
So it was either rip off the drywall and redo the drain line (over my dead body…) or end up with a kitchen sink about four inches taller then my counter top. So, my kitchen sink is tall and in all actually, I like it a lot 🙂 Because it is high it is MUCH easier on the back for washing dishes etc.
I just have to mention, why do they even make sinks that are broken into two parts?! I know, they’re made for when people wash dishes by hand so one sink can be a dish drain rack but, quite frankly, I’ve washed a lot of dishes in this sink and I would never go back to a divided double sink because. For the first time in my life, my sink is big enough to accommodate even my biggest pots and pans and, if we ever choose to have one in the future, perhaps a water filter too!
Some updates have happened since this post! Check out the entire kitchen reveal post here AND I added a great little basket to my sink that made my life SO much easier!
And here’s just the old cast iron sink so we can all embrace the incredible ickiness that just a little soap, some hot water and elbow grease cleaned up in only a few minutes!
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I’m Tarah!
It’s been a hell of a ride since I started this blog and renovated and moved into this old farm house back in 2015. I got married, divorced, lost my doggo soul mate, spent two years as a single gal, remodeled everything, threw my back out countless times and was even found by an amazing guy in my own backyard! (The story behind Storyhardt Farm.)
Around here we’re totally fearless when it comes to bettering our home. We love to refinish old furniture, re-purpose old pieces, build it from scratch and totally renovate anything that needs it! If we can do it – so can you. We’ve got some serious plans for this old farm and, for first time ever, I have a real partner!
This is gonna be so much fun!
You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!
PLEASE. tell us what you used to clean that sink and exactly how you did it! I’ve scrubbed tiny spots and can’t get my sink to look even close to this one! Thanks…. and your idea was wonderful.
Barbara thank you for commenting! Actually I didn’t mention how I cleaned it because it came clean with just dish soap and hot water and a little elbow grease! I couldn’t believe it, I just used a little soft scrubby sponge.
I am so impressed with how creative and clever you are! I would never have thought to rescue that sink by building the base. Bravo! Thanks for joining us for Thursday Favorite things blog hop.
Cheers,
Jennifer
http://awellstyledlife.com
Jennifer, thank you for stopping by and for the comment! I was SO relieved when it turned out ok!
WOW! I love this project! You have mad skills! It looks authentically farmhouse! Well done! Sharing on FB!
Have a great day!
Smiles!
Terry
The Curator’s Collection & Making Broken Beautiful
Terry thank you so much!!
Hello Tarah! Loved your sink so much I’m featuring it this week on Making Broken Beautiful! Have a great day!
Smiles!
Terry
Thank you SO much Terry!
Wow! Love the sink. Such a good idea to put the towel bar on front.
Thank you! Yup, and in the case with normal cabinets too a towel bar would be great on the “dummy” drawer face on the front of most sink base cabinets 🙂
Girl, we’ve got a lot in common I think! I always drag wood out of my barn for projects too! And I think we have the same backsplash. 🙂 Not sure I have your handy skills, though! Great job building the base!
Hey girl! Thank you for commenting! Isn’t it neat to have a barn and such a amazing materials to work with!?
WOW WOW WOW!!! I just LOVE this – such a great use of an old solid sink! You did a fab job building the base and I actually love that it’s a bit taller than your counters, my hubby and I like things a bit taller – way to work it on this DIY! I’ll be featuring your sink base at this week’s Friday Favorites – swing by and say hi!!
Dawn, thank you so so much!!! I’ll definitely swing by!
I LOVE this! This is just the kind of sink I want for outdoors for arranging flowers and doing other gardening chores. Sadly I don’t have one of these sitting in a barn out back! Your sink and the base are fantastic, and I am so impressed it was all out of “found” pieces!
Chloe thank you! What a wonderful idea for one of these old sinks! I’ve seen some pinterest images of potting benches incorporating old cast iron sinks and have literally drooled lol Great idea and hope you find one!
WOW!! What a beautiful sink! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
I’d like to feature this post today at Tuesdays with a Twist!
Oh awesome!! Thank you!
This is gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing at Meet Up Mondays!
Thank you Angela!
Good Morning!! Your post has been selected as a Featured Post for the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party! Stop by and see your post linked-up and don’t forget to grab your Featured Button too!! ~Lisa~
Oh my gosh, thank you so much Lisa!!
Wow! That looks so great! I’d love to find a sink like that :o)
Tania
Thank you Tania!
This is incredible! Just whatever you did to clean the sink totally transformed it before you even create the base, which was amazing it it’s own right. I just love the care and time you are taking to make these things new and usable again. I so love to see the progression of these items. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!! Honestly all I used was vinegar and dish soap and a lot of elbow grease! I was shocked when it came clean so easily!
You make it look so easy! Most people would not have the imagination to turn this into a beautiful piece of kitchen furniture. Thanks for sharing with us at #OvertheMoon.
Thank you Sue!
Hi Tarahlynn…fantastic job on the sink! Thanks for sharing at Wonderful Wednesday! I have an ugly plastic tub sink in my laundry room and was thinking of replacing it by making a stand for an old sink. You have saved me the trouble of designing one because I am copying what you did!! Thanks!! BTW,I am choosing your project to be featured at the next Wonderful Wednesday Party!! Hugs- Christine
Oh my gosh Christine! Thank you SO much! If you do build that sink base let me know, I would love to see it!!!
I love the rustic look to this – and the instructions are great! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW DIY party!
Helen thank you so much!
Amazing. Simply amazing. Like a brand new model. The work you did. So impressed. Pinning for sure.
Thank you Michelle!
Wow…this turned out amazing ! 🙂
I’d love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J
Thank you Jess!!
LOVE this!!
Thanks for sharing at our Simple Homestead Hop 🙂
Thank you Sandra!
Thanks for stopping by Peace, Love. Linkup! Hope to see you tomorrow at 6 for more sharing goodness : )
Thanks Ashleigh!
That looks great!
Thank you for sharing this at Thoughts of Home. We are so glad you are here.
Thanks Laura!
Thanks for sharing with SYC.
Thanks Carol for hosting!
I love the towel rack! Great job!
Michelle
Thank you!!
I love this sink! I actually have thought many times that the sink needs to be higher so you can keep the dishes from splashing water on the floor without hunching over (and I’m not tall!). I love how you use reclaimed materials with a story. I can’t wait to look around the rest of your blog to see what else you’re doing! I’m glad I found you 🙂
Jessica, because the sink ended up higher our counter tops ended up higher too and I have to say WE LOVE IT. Its so great for working and not getting water and food on the floor! So, it definitely turned out for the better! Thank you so much for coming by I’m glad you found me too! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this at Celebrate Your Story and you should have a Home Improvement Show!
lol thank you! I’d be WAY too camera shy 😉
This turned out absolutely amazing!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Pinned!
Thank you Elaine!!
Wow!! This turned out beautiful!! I’m a novice DIYer, who hasn’t tackled anything like this…but you’ve just inspired me! Stopping by from “Kimberly’s Weekend Traffic Jam” linkup. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you Michell!
Love the rustic look of this. You made this look so easy but I know how hard DIY really is. Thanks for sharing at #TrafficJamWeekend Linky Party
Thank you so much!
Hi Taralynn, what a gorgeous idea. I have some reclaimed barn wood that I picked up in a neighboring town. I want to use it for a vanity in our bathroom remodel. What a great idea! Thank you for sharing with us at #SimplifyWednesdays. I look forward to seeing what you share next week! Pinned, Tweeted, Shared
Oh barn wood in bathrooms can be SO pretty! Thanks for coming by!!
Wow, this is really impressive.
Thank you!
I love this! Thanks so much for sharing this DIY! Super inspiring to look beyond the cosmetics!!
Thank you!
Great job with recycling and set up! I have that exact same back splash, looks great too! I think another reason for 2 part sinks is to have things like raw meat dishes/utensils separated from fruits/veggies, etc. No cross contamination.
Nancy that makes a lot of sense, thanks for coming by!
I learned from my Grandma to “waste not, want not.” I have an old cast iron sink a neighbor threw out after her kitchen remodel. I’m going to use your great idea as a basis for my “new” vanity! Beautiful use of what you had to repurpose your grandparents house. I can feel the love!!
Thank you so much Nancy! Yes, my grandma was the same type of gal 🙂 She definitely taught me that if we could build it or make it ourselves it would be silly to buy it new!
How awesome. I’ve always wanted to re do a really old house or farm house.
Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight Party. Pinned & shared. See you again soon.
Thanks for coming by!
Amazing!!! Great job!
Thank you Ann!!
This looks wonderful! How great that you were able to use the old sink. I love the look. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle! Pinning.
Thank you so much Beverly!
Thanks for sharing on Let’s Get Real Link Up. That is amazing sink – I would love that in my house!
Thanks Karen!
Wow…this turned out so great!
Would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, and tips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you so much Jess!
Great job.
I love those old sinks.
I found you on a link up.
Thanks Meena!!
You should bottle that elbow grease it did an awesome job cleaning the sink. I so enjoyed reading this post. I just think that is because you are so practical, I have no interest in doing anything like this, years ago I would have, but not now. Keep up the good work, your grandparents would be so proud of you.
Kathleen
Bloggers Pit Stop
Thank you Kathleen 🙂
What an awesome job! I’m sure your grandparents would be so proud of your accomplishment. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thank you Sandi!
Oh wow!! Gorgeous and just my style!!!! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! 🙂
Thank you so much Jes!!!
Love your sink, but please change your outlet to a GFI
Hey Marsha, thank you!! In MN we have some of the strictest electrical codes in the county and GFCI outlets no longer cut it for us! So, instead of a GFCI outlet instead I installed a dual GFCI/AFCI breaker on the whole circuit 🙂 I didn’t mind so much, though the breaker was VERY expensive, I’ve always found the GFCI outlets to be kind of annoying and have had several quit working on me in the past, so it worked out!
Its looking so stylish and really a lovable kitchen sink ever. Its a another part that adding a bar with this. White color is beautiful but I’ve a little confusion about it. Does a white sink dirt quickly? Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Sheila, because this sink is so old it does have scratches in the bottom of it and those are the only places it gets dirty and needs scrubbing otherwise these cast iron sinks don’t stain at all and are as tough as nails!
Love your sink and your ideas! Have not talent of my own but enjoy seeing others. Please tell me that you have replaced the outlet on the right hand side of the new sink with a ground fault outlet. A regular outlet is not safe that close to a water source. We learned this the hard way and now have the ground fault at all kitchen and bath sink areas. Good Luck with your remodel. It’s lovely!
Thanks Sue and don’t worry about that outlet. We live in one of the strictest electrical code states in the country and GFCI outlets are no longer considered compliant, now we have to install dual GFCI/ACFI breakers at the panel instead which I did on all of our bathrooms and kitchen 🙂
I love your sink and your base. This wasn’t a kitchen sink, right? Were you able to add a garbage disposal?
Hi Michele, we did not add a garbage disposal as we’ve never had one lol and didn’t think we needed one but I think it would have been just as simple to install here as on any other sink. I honestly don’t know what this sink was “built” for – it was so old I really don’t know if it was literally once made to be a kitchen sink or otherwise. Regardless, its SO deep and big I just love it!
Hi Tarahlynn! I love, love, love it! Do you happen to o have the dimensions of the base that you made? I assume the sink is really heavy and needed extra support? it is perfect for the sink!
Hey Jen, yup this sink weighed a TON – I could barely move it on my own lol With most sinks they sit into the counter top and just hang there by their lip that runs across the outside top of the sink but because of its weight I just didn’t dare try that. Instead I built the base to the size of the bottom of the sink so it would sit directly on those 4x4s. Sorry I don’t have the dimensions!
You really are creating the loveliest of homes one project at a time. Everything about your decor is one of a kind vintage. Its beautiful.
Thank you so much Leanna!
I would not have believed you made this out of reclaimed parts Tarahlynn – it is honestly so gorgeous. I am delighted you shared it with us on I am Pinnable and I hope you won’t mind if I feature it 🙂
Thank you so much Amber!!
What a great transformation. It’s amazing the things thst can be salvaged with just a little but of effort. Beautiful!
Thank you Julie!!
i’ve been struggling for a year trying to figure out how to build a base for my vintage cast iron sink with drainboard. i haven’t been able to find anything suitable or to my taste until now. your base is so simple to make and exactly what i was looking for. a million thanks for sharing this.
Oh Lyn that’s so great to hear! I was so excited when this turned out because it’s impossible to find cabinets that work with these old beauties and custom sink bases are incredibly expensive!
That came out BEAUTIFULLY! Seriously, I love it. Thanks so much for linking up on Thoughtful Thursday! <3
Thank you Emily!
Love your work. I’m trying to design something similar for my house in Australia so this is very helpful. My question is, where do you drain your pots etc?
Cheers
Diana
Hi Diana, we have hooked up to a regular sink drain and it goes into our septic tank – thanks!
Giggle. I noticed the outlet and did think about it not looking GFCI.
I love the barnwood pieces. The rustic weathered look is perfect. Thanks for sharing on Friday Frivolity.
Thanks Audrey!!
This wonderful post is a HOME feature on the July You’re the STAR blog hop: http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/2017/07/youre-star-week4-home-july-2017.html
Thanks
Angie
Thank you so much Angie!!
Thanks for the information about kitchen sinks and counter tops. I have been wanting to get new counter tops in my kitchen for a while now, but I don’t know what would look good with my sink and appliances which is why I am really glad I came across this article.
Great, thanks for coming by!
Oh wow – this is seriously impressive stuff 🙂 I love upcycling things, but since having children I struggle to find the time!
Thank you Helen!
Wow…just wow! This is absolutely incredible – it looks gorgeous. You are so talented! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Thank you so much Lisa!
This looks amazing! Incredible what you can create yourself at home. #dreamteam
Thank you!!
I’m so impressed by your DIY skills! #DreamTeam
Thank you Heather!
This is so stylish as well as much cheaper than shop bought #DreamTeam
Oh thank you so much!
Wow, what a transformation. It turned out great! Thank you for joining The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
Thank you Terese, have a great weekend!
WOW! I mean, WOW! That is not only a great upcycle project but dang is it BEAUTIFUL!! You are SO talented!
Thank you SO much Mrs. K! Have a great weekend!
Absolutely fantastic job looks amazing great tutorial Thank you for linking to #ThatFridayLinky Please come back next week
Thank you!!
This is such a remarkable transformation and you have created a brilliant feature piece for your kitchen! I love it! Thanks for sharing with #DreamTeam x
Thank you so much!
What a beautiful piece! I just pinned your amazing soup, it looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Whisk It Wednesday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon! ~Carrie
Thank you for coming by Carrie! Have a great week!
Thanks for the sink idea! we have been looking for something similar to place our metal kitchen sink.
Best regards,
Mj
Thanks for coming by!
I found this exact same sink in my parents old barn you have inspired me to look past the dirt I can not wait to get started on it thank you btw how tall did you cut the 4×4
Hi Ronda, I ended up cutting them taller than average sink height because I put in my drain a few inches too tall. I would say check where your drain is before making a height decision on your supports. So excited for you – I just LOVE this sink of my mine!
That looks great. I have 2 very old barns . that are beyond repair but thanks to you I have some fresh ideas. I would love your thoughts on uses for old barn wood.
Thanks for coming by Sharon!
Hi, there! We inherited a similar condition, 1912 Crane sink with original hardware. Hardware was set up with new washers (works PERFECTLY!). Sink took to a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser like nobody’s business!! Even now, with bumps and scuffs from metal pans, etc., a weekly rub-down with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser keeps her from needing a re-enamaling… I cannot believe it. Your project was WOW-worthy – in our case, we were fortunate to utilize the previous rear wall mounting bracket, brace out from the wall (the depth of the sink was not the current 25″ counter depth!), and mount to that, so we didn’t need to build a base. I strung a tension rod across the face and sewed a skirt to hide the plumbing! lol
Anyway, WAY TO GO with preserving the past! We purchased an old, worn, tired, and seriously tear-down-worthy “farmhouse,” only to discover that she’s a historic 1909 Bungalow (think: Arts & Crafts movements of the early 1900s!), with a “shop” that is actually a historic 1906 former Creamery! So, we’re putting the 1909 back into the bungalow, with reclaimed EVERYTHING (hence, the 1912 Crane sink! And the 1930s Roper stove we’re restoring!), in order to get her on the Historic Registry. Every reclaimed piece of history tells a story…
Imagine, for a moment, how many mothers bathed their infants in your kitchen sink… Imagine their chortles as the water splashed down, and they slapped the water with their baby palms… And smile… 🙂
OMG Chrissie how exciting! I wish all the best of luck with your historic home – that just makes me giddy at the thought of it lol. Yeah the sink was pretty impressive with its level of nasty but they really don’t make things like they used to. This wasn’t the only sink I found in this old home that looked so rough but they cleaned up beautifully! Again, good luck on your adventure, happy holidays!
OMGSH, Tarahlynn!! I love this idea and want a sink like this in my powder room remodel! Thanks for the inspiration! Creatively, Beth
Thanks Beth, I think it turned out pretty cool!
I don’t know if you will see this or if you are still looking at these comments but I have a question. Did you seal the wood around the sink with anything to keep the wood from getting wet? Or is that needed? I’m trying to get my nerve up to build a base for a sink for my new house/shop.
Hi Tara! Yep I did a big bead of clear silicone caulk around the edge before setting the sink on it / into the caulk. Then I used a damp rag to remove any excess and smooth it out. Good luck on your project, thanks!