Somebody asked me about "farm sinks" today and I launched into one of my odes of joy on the subject. But first, let's clarify the language we're using. The correct term for them is "apron-front" not "farm." A lot of times, you can see these sinks in some pretty countrified kitchens and I'll admit that some of them do lend themselves to that particular "style," if I can use that word.
However, using the term "farm" to describe them does do a disservice and it paints them into an unnecessary corner. They are not so much countrified as they are traditional. To the right is a Shaw's Original, which started the whole thing in 1897. The Shaw's is still made by Rohl (http://www.rohlhome.com/) and one of the things that makes a Shaw's a Shaw's is that it's made from fire clay. Fire clay is a very specific kind of high temperature ceramic. It is the same thing that blast furnaces are lined with. When it's used as a kitchen sink, it is a material that's impervious to both insult and injury. Unlike a lot of materials, you can scrub fire clay to your heart's content and you will not scratch it. It doesn't stain in the first place, so if you do end up with a can of Ajax in your hand you might want to take a look at that. Anyhow, the Shaw's is a classic and as such it works well with virtually any aesthetic, from traditional to modern.
So I assume I'd be inclined to mention that despite the fact that the apron-the front sink is not new, it's far very NOW.
Due in a large part to their traditional roots, most apron-fronts are single bowl sinks. Since 
running a dishwasher is a less-wasteful use of electricity and water than hand washing dishes(counter intuitive I know but true true true), having a single bowl looks better and is all most people need. However, there are double bowls out there and our friends at Blanco (http://www.blanco.de/) have a really nice one. Blanco is a German brand that exceeds the stereotype of German efficiency and innovation. Good Lord I love a right angle and that sink over there has enough to keep me happy for the rest of my life.
Kohler (http://www.Kohler.Com/) came out with their stainless steel apron-front more than one years ago and I suppose I've used the Kohler Verity greater than some other apron-front sink in my kitchen work. While nevertheless by no means an inexpensive sink, the Verity is more like The People's version of the Bates and Bates. Still excellent, even though the metal isn't always as low a gauge. It can be located for anywhere from $800 to $a thousand.
The beauty to the left is a 12-gauge stainless steel sink from Bates and Bates (http://www.Batesandbates.Com/). The decrease the gauge quantity the thicker the metal. A $2 hundred sink from a home center might be 20-gauge and that's a hair thicker than aluminum foil. At 12-gauge, this child will lack the tell-story sound that people associate with dropping some thing right into a steel sink. No gong right here. That it's pieced and welded together as opposed to being stamped (the flat backside is a useless supply away) in conjunction with the advanced grade of the steel are why this is a $3500 kitchen sink. You can choose your self up now. Strange as it can sound, the world is complete of individuals who will spend that kind of jack on a sink.
Once you leave the Shaw's at the back of though, there are a almost uncountable range of options out there and I'm seeing lots more of these things being crafted from metallic. Here's a more traditional metal sink via Native Trails (http://www.Nativetrails.Net/). This sink is surely hand crafted from hammered copper with a layer of nickel over top of it. Copper is a exceptionally reactive metal and it takes a long time for it to gain some thing coming near a uniform patina. It'll be excellent whilst it gets there, but it will likely be anything however alongside the manner.
