I have been on a quest for an old porcelain sink for over 5 years.

For real.

Yes, they’re out there, but the prices range anywhere from $100 to $1100.  Some are even higher, and the condition of the sink doesn’t always warrant the price.

I’m more in the $100-$300 price range, hence my 5 year quest.  I’d go on Craigslist every other week or so to see if any listings appealed to me.  I would visit salvage shops, and ask the owners to keep an eye out for me.  Heck, I’ve even been known to tip toe up to an abandoned home or building to see if my ideal sink had been left behind, only to leave empty-handed and creeped out.

Such was the case up until a month ago when I finally found the exact old porcelain farmhouse sink that I wanted on Craigslist, and in my price range.  There she was in a few photos, sitting on the ground in all her glory, waiting for me to find her.   When I saw the sink, it was like when Carrie found the perfect shoes to wear on a date with Big.

Helloooo Lover!

Sean went with me to pick her up, and right away, I noticed that the previous owners had painted a coat of white latex paint over the sink to make it look more presentable.  Disheartened, but not deterred, we loaded that sink up and brought her home.

I got to work right away, stripping and scraping the paint off the surface.  Shook my head a few hundred times when I found that they had painted over dirt, and thought to myself “why didn’t they just give her a good scrub?”  Then I realized, that’s hard work.

So far, I have about 6 hours of labor in to this sink, and I’m not done.  I scraped off paint for 4 hours, and scoured with serious elbow grease for 2.  I’ve been through a dozen razor blades, a can of Bar Keeper’s Friend, and a box of SOS pads.  And still, I have a few more areas of paint to scrape, and another round or two of cleaning.  But truth be told, I like the effort.  I like the work.  It’s weirdly rewarding to me.

When my labor is complete, this old farmhouse sink will be fitted in her new home.  She’ll be surrounded by beautiful custom concrete countertops,  and I cannot wait!!

But for now, I need to get back to scraping off the last little bits of paint, and refinishing this sink into her former glory.  And, I’ll be comforted knowing that I paid less for this sink, than Carrie paid for her shoes.  Wink.

Helloooooo Lover.