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.

PET PEEVE: INDOOR BAREFOOTERS NEWSFLASH: It is a plainly observable though controversial fact, to me at least, that very few people keep their indoor floors pristine enough for barefoot traffic. However, that does not seem to stop the oh-so-carefree, INDOOR BAREFOOTERS from taking their grubby, 'floor-feet' on little excursions upon coffee tables, chairs, couches and beds, etc. YUCK! Imagine seating yourself upon someone's couch and making the mistake of placing your hand beside you ON the couch, or forward upon the coffee table, only to feel an icky graininess...or stickiness? So, then you're stuck with continuous hand-washing throughout your visit because THEY could not be bothered to keep their 'floor-feet' off anything....their home being their slovenly castle and all. The YUCK factor and the politics which invariably follow my well-meaning interventions, (I'm an idealist), makes me an irritable, reluctant guest. Which ironically, never seems to stave off the invitations (sigh)! But, it also makes me a tyrannical host: "feet off my settee, Jerri! Not on my mid-century coffee table! No! Your white socks are no longer white, Jade! Aaargh!" WORSE YET, these oblivious INDOOR BAREFOOTERS tend to then touch and scratch their grubby 'floor-feet' while chatting, and touching their faces, fixing a meal or eating something...OR, shaking my hand. Oh, the humani-...'hygienity!' I feel ill!!! Yes, yes, I know that I'm whining AND yes, I know that there are worse things in the world: children suffering in Africa etc., but now that you mention it, even THEY tend to wash their feet BEFORE placing them on furniture! Maybe because they value the little they have. I know this from firsthand experience!! SIMPLE SOLUTION: Indoor shoes! Outdoor Shoes! And, when you place your feet upon anything slip OFF your shoes to reveal your lovely clean feet, which will appreciate the pristine lack of graininess from your last considerate visit. Anklet and pedicure but...floor-feet!!

Hi Sam, I've got a few ideas: Don't make changes once your plan is set - they cost. Spend the time before you commit to things educating yourself as each change brings costs and time. Make carrying a tape measure in your handbag a habit and carry the measurements for everything that you're shopping for - saves back and forth and allows you to know that what you're looking at fits (which means that you can be haggle on the price). Don't be afraid to haggle (be nice, but haggle) on materials and appliances and don't be shy about pointing out you're buying multiple items with electrical goods as most of the sales people work on commission so Joe Blogg wants you to by all your appliances from him in one go. Also go shopping with comparable prices and don't be put off by them saying "oh that's an online price" - if they want the sale they'll meet the price. Avoid custom made - go for doors, windows, cabinetry that are standard sizes where you can. Anything custom costs more. The beer economy works especially well particularly with junior tradies or tradies that are small businesses. Don't get painters in, paint it yourself. If you've got concrete floors live with them for a while until you can afford carpeting etc - ideally in areas where you can use their thermal mass to help you heat and cool your home. Tap into friends and family skill sets - the artist (abstract art for your walls), the sewer (custom cushions), the gardener (plant advice and cuttings/seedlings), the shop-a-holic who knows the out of the way shops (bargains), the design guru with impeccable taste (comfort blanket when you're picking wall colours). For your landscaping get family, friends and neighbours to strike cuttings for you where you can - you cant get cheaper then free. You can also have a "working bee" for good friends who are happy to get dirty - they come and give you a hand doing the hard labour - you feed and water them. For your outdoor furniture look for second hand. If you can - do the clean up on site each day yourself - that way your tradies are working not cleaning which will save you money on their bills and can check for what has been done each day and catch any mistakes early. Buy the ends of roll carpet and have them hemmed for bigger rugs that are cheaper than rugs from mainstream shops if you shop at carpet warehouse outlets Invest time into doing your lighting plan and go with LED's - they're a bit more expensive now but will save you in the long run (and save you having to deal with ladders more then once every 10 years or so) - and use a specialist LED lighting company - I can recommend SUPERLIGHT in Sydney. we've used them and the ladies there were so helpful. If you've been tempted to do intergrated technology into your house put the wiring etc in for it just don't install it until you can afford it. Good rectified porcelain tiles can replicate natural stone tiles and you avoid having to seal the tiles every 12-18 months. Good luck!

In the general care section of the Bettastone site it says "All Betta stone products/slabs should be stored under cover away from harsh weather" It also carries a lot of care warnings so if you go that direction I would suggest asking them direct if their product is first Fit-For-Purpose. Caesarstone say their range is UV resistant now, so this is now an option. Natural Granite has always been an option, as too is Stainless Steel, as well as Corian Solid Surface and as already said above Sheet Porcelain (i.e. man made Sintered Stone materials such as Neolith and Dekton) can be used. Hope this helps, Malcolm.