Laundry Room – Utility Sink Remake and Design Ideas!

I have always wanted an antique utility sink. Don’t ask me why, I just think they are cool! When our addition renovation plan for my mother-in-law required a new laundry room on the first floor, I realized there would be room for a utility sink. I jumped for joy. As soon as it was a done deal that we were moving ahead, I started the hunt. I scoured Craigslist and Facebook Market Place to no avail. New utility sinks were a thousand dollars or more (not happening). I had just about given up when I found the perfect cast iron sink at Rehouse Architectural Salvage in Rochester, NY. It was priced at $165 and it was in great shape. I snapped it up and took it home. I really did not know what refinishing the sink would entail. I called a few places that did refinishing and all of them were around the same price of $500. I did not want to pay that much, so I researched doing it myself. I found a refinishing kit made by Rustoleum for $27 on Amazon. The reviews I read were great, so I ordered it!

                           This is the utility sink, just waiting to get pretty again!

The refinishing kit arrived in this box. The only directions were also on this box. I definitely needed more information. Enter YouTube there were many videos showing how to prepare the sink and the refinishing process. It gave me the confidence I needed to try it!

The first step: I cleaned the sink with a mild abrasive cleaner and rinsed it thoroughly. The second step: I sanded out any rough spots and rust. Again rinsing thoroughly. When it dried, I used a tack cloth to get any remaining residue. As you can see, there is discoloration in the bottom. I looked on the box for more direction and there was no mention in the videos. Since I did what they said thus far, I decided to move forward.

After finishing the prep, the next step was to mix the epoxy. Can (A) is the activator and can (B) is the base. I stirred each one at the same time for a minute per directions. After stirring, I added the activator to the base and mixed thoroughly. Once mixed, I used a 1/4 inch nap paint roller and sponge applicator to apply the epoxy. They also said to wear a respirator mask and use gloves strong enough to resist chemicals.

    The directions and videos said the first coat would be watery and they weren’t kidding.

I have to say I was nervous after the first coat. It was streaky and uneven. I had to wait one hour for the next coat.

Second coat was a little thicker, but still streaky. When I was applying epoxy, it became tacky and pulled the roller. I decided to let it dry for two hours and use a new roller for the next coat.

                                                       This is the third and final coat.

         I am very pleased with this product and the results I got! What a transformation!

Now that the inside of the sink is done. I have to decide what to do on the outside.

My design plan for the laundry room will have this fun wallpaper as an accent wall and the floor will be a dark gray tile in a herringbone pattern. I also want to paint the base of the sink. I found these two pictures of sinks online. The yellow will pick up the yellow in the wallpaper and the black would ground the space and draw your eye in. I just don’t know? Let me know what you think. I would really appreciate the input!

Addition updates: Insulation was put into the addition. The crew that came were like a well oiled machine. They did all the insulation in one day. Fantastic!

It is amazing how quiet the room is now with the insulation.