We have four farmhouse style sinks in two different houses, and all present the same problem. It doesn't have anything to do with the material as two sinks are concrete, one stainless steel, and one composite stone. With the two kitchen sinks it's very frustrating spraying out the food particles from corner to corner. Food particles go from one side to the other, and it's very difficult to corral them to the drain. The two concrete bathroom sinks don't have enough slope, so when shaving and brushing teeth, the water and material flow to the opposite side of the sink. It's annoying to wash a 3' wide sink every time it's used. And gross if the sink isn't cleaned from side to side after every use. As a compromise, we're installing a farmhouse concrete bathroom sink with two drains and more slope. As I evaluate many things in life, a, farmhouse sink is a solutions looking for problem.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating volume build in ANY way....there's actually little positive I can say about it except they are a more affordable option, and for some people that's the priority.....,whether or not it's in fact good value for money is a whole other discussion ;).......people have to work out where they sit within the quality to quantity spectrum for a particular project..................It's certainly a challenge here for you in that how can you accurately assess and distill/filter the "advice" offered by various parties?.......Seriously, unless a builder actually absorbs your design brief and comes back with a considered solution, any suggestion/comment such as " you could raise the ceiling" or "put in a window" or "use trusses" of whatever is neither here nor there, and are just floating ideas to consider in the mix...........but isolated "suggestions", whilst may be ideas to consider, don't effectively dealing with the overall solution/big picture to your challenge..................there are different areas of expertise in this game.....builders are builders, (and they seem to have a knack of getting called in and influencing too early in the process) they build stuff and certainly they have an idea about this and that from experience, and they can provide sound quotation/opinion on how much it will cost to do something... BUT really only properly/accurately once there is hard documentation in place (read: documented&specified, not basic concept/design sketches/verbal ideas) .......I have great respect for builders (it's a seriously hard rugged gig) and I know some fantastic ones, but builders are (in general) not "designers" unless they have come form a design background......and the conversations if held too early can be (unintentionally blurred, confusing and actually detrimental to the client and what they really need to be focusing on...........design advice from a builder can be offered with good intentions, however I have found it generally comes from more a singular benefit angle (usually motivated by business/profit) whereas (good/seasoned design) advice from a design professional comes from more complex, balanced and creative position and process in which various aspects are simultaneously managed/considered to achieve results for a client on multiple levels, ie, cost, function, aesthetic, experience etc.............the different and various professional skills all have their place, but need to be utilised in the right order relevant to the process......................yep I wish you all the luck.....these are always big investments, and big decisions, both emotionally and financially :)

Go with your gut Tracy..... it is a big investment but I have found that if it makes you smile every time you walk into your kitchen you'll never regret it!!!! I've recently moved into a smaller downsized home with my 3rd black kitchen, with drawers, no cupboards, except for the pantry which we use as the crockery and wine glasses stash. Mine is matt but no handles = no hip bangers! I chose to use snow white stone bench tops, the walls are painted natural white while the floors are pale oak hybrid vinyl.

You can buy the caboodle bamboo kitchen bench top from Bunnings wood section and cut it to any size you want. If you just wax it, it is quite rustic and would save you the cost of getting a benchtop made. It comes in two thicknesses and is 600mm deep. The piece that I bought was 2.4m long. Have a look at it, at least. Then if you have some other rustic pieces or even units with steel tops, it can tie the rest together. My vote is to keep the stove and get some rustic or industrial cup'd handles. A real farmhouse kitchen is a mix and match thing. My vote is for trying to keep the bench you bought as an island if you can. I would go for open shelves along the wall where the stove and fridge are and put the microwave on one of them. Maybe you could find some different tiles for behind the sink. I would rip those shiny ones off the wall and choose something that will fit in with your mix'n match rustic style, or just something quirky - even old wood. It all depends on how much money you want to spend and kitchens add up very quickly. If it functional and pleases your eye, then you are a winner. If the carcasses are still usable, it is much cheaper to just get new doors for them, when you can afford it. I wouldn't bother with window covering in the kitchen. I would just leave it for the light. Maybe a glass shelf across it with some herbs on it. It already sounds good to me.