I love my IKEA Domsjo farmhouse double-bowl sink, but hate IKEA’s kitchen cabinets. Mainly because they are made from wood particles and won’t last long. They are also quite expensive, when compared to many other (plywood) kitchen cabinets.
So what I did for my kitchen – I bought the Domsjo Sink and ARCADIA WHITE SHAKER solid wood kitchen cabinets from Bargain Outlet (randomly on a last day of 20% sale!). I then took the 36″ sink cabinet, reinforced it with 1x3s and adjusted it to fit the Domsjo sink.
I reinforced the cabinet because double bowl Domsjo weights 67 lbs. without any dishes in it. Add to that the weight of granite countertops, and you can have a serious issue if something goes wrong :).
Also read – Best Stainless Still grids / liners for Domsjo Sink
Protect your Domsjo against scratches, dings, cracks and other damages!
NO STINK, NO RUST stainless steel or Bronze grids! These grids cost about under $15 each on Amazon – I did not find anything better!
But enough with the general info – lets jump into details:
Adjusting the NON-IKEA sink cabinet to fit the Domsjo sink
Before you begin cutting things, consider this. Basically DOMSJO can fit pretty much any other brand cabinet, but you need to make certain adjustments to the front drawer section. This won’t take you more than 1-2 hours, if you have all the tools and parts, so you will not really be wasting any time.
Additional reinforcements that I made are OPTIONAL, and I did those because it’s MY kitchen and I want it to last. The 1/2″ plywood side-walls of my cabinet are actually more than adequate to support this sink. Especially that most of it’s weight sits on the countertops that are inserted under the sink.
At the end of this guide, I will have 2 videos (over 15 minutes total) to show you everything that I did.
All in all, it took me extra 4 hours to adjust my cabinet to fit the Domsjo sink, so don’t be afraid – it’s a fairly simple project!
Assembly and making the adjustments: First I assembled the cabinet the way one would normally do it. Then I installed 1×3 wood strap reinforcements on the sides (vertically, outside), in the back and front of the cabinet (double 1×3 or 2×3 inside), and placed temporary 2×4 supports on the sides, inside the cabinet.
All the inside supports are there to hold the sink in place. I chose not to use aluminum 90 degree supports that came with the sink, because they are too flimsy. Also the weight of the sink can easily rip them out for cabinet walls.
I then removed the front drawer doors, and measured / cut out the top front section to fit the Domsjo’s farmhouse front section.
Side reinforcements: I put four side supports vertically – two on each side. I used 1×3 trapping because they are about 5/8″ actual thickness, and fit perfectly between cabinets.
At the same time they are very strong, and provide great support for the sink and granite counters – especially on the right side, where there is no adjacent cabinet (I have my dishwasher there, which provides no support for the granite.
The exact placement of side supports is not essential, but you can go 3 inches from front and back. I screwed these supports in with 1″ drywall screws from INSIDE the cabinet, for better hold. I used 4 screws for each. I then used 2.5″ screws to attach horizontal sink supports from inside the cabinet, and screwed them into outside 1×3 wood.
Front Cutout to fit DOMSJO’s front bump-out: I don’t remember exact dimensions, but basically, you need to trim front side planks to about 1″ wide, about 6 inches from the top. Measure the inside of Domsjo’s front to get exact measurement.
Once you make these cutouts, and adjust the clearance, you can just place the sink in the cabinet! I also recommend using 2 pieces of wood as spacers for granite. It will be easier for you to later insert your countertop pieces that way.
IKEA DOMSJO Sink Installation in non-Ikea Kitchen Cabinet [VIDEOS]
And here are the promised videos that walk you through this project – especially making the adjustments. I will be making a 3rd video, to show you the final products, and all the small nuances that you should keep in mind, as well as give you exact dimensions for front cut-out (I will measure my sink).
Video PART 1
Video PART 2
How do I like the DOMSJO after using it for the last 7 months
Just to close this out – I’ve had this sink since Aug 2016, and I absolutely love it! First, I actually saved about $700 by going with DOMSJO instead of standard stainless steel kitchen sink.
But more than that – I love the look, utility and the the fact that nobody that I know has anything like it, and all my friends are jealous. I also love that it cost me only $300 vs typical $700-1400 that farmhouse sinks sell for.
Usage & Durability: The sink holds up very well. So far there are no major staining (barley noticeable discoloration if you clean it and practically look through microscope. I don’t think you’ll be able to see it on my camera.
There are no scratches or dings anywhere, although we are not very careful with it. I did however immediately buy stainless still grids / liners for this sink (at that time, they were about $11 each). These are also available in Bronze color (I would go for Bronze, had I known). Check out the latest pricing on Amazon
These grids offer great protection for the bottom of the sink bowls, against scratches / cracks – especially if someone drops a frying pan. Also they don’t stink or rust.
See my review here.
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Hi there!
We had this sink for 4 years and LOVED it! We have since moved and are remodeling the kitchen quite a bit. The base cabinets we are using are the existing ones, so I won’t be able to reinforce the outside of the cabinet. I was wondering what the best way to reinforce it from the INSIDE would be. Would you still do the 3 horizontal boards on the inside the same way?
Thanks for the tips and videos! So helpful!!
Anna,
My first question is: where did you get the Domsjo sink? Ikea doesn’t sell it anymore. They now have a similar sync with a different name that doesn’t spend all the way for the backsplash.
As far as reinforcing your cabinet – what type of wood is your cabinet made of? Is it plywood or particle board?
you should definitely install horizontal support boards. What I would do is also add vertical support perhaps you can cut two pieces of plywood place them inside the cabinet on the walls. If it was my cabinet I would probably also remove the bottom plywood shelf so my side plywood panels would extend all the way to the floor giving the vertical boards as much support as possible, and then reinstall the bottom shelf.
This however may require you to take off the front frame of the cabinet which may not be easy to do.
Good luck with your project. When you’re done with it please upload some pictures to imgur.com and post links here – I can pick them up load them so others can see how you did it.
Cheers, Leo
Where is video of part 2? WHen I click to play videos they both play the first part where you cut the cabinet- very interested to see part 2 (and 3 if it was ever made!).
Hi!
Is it possible to install this sink at the end of a kitchen counter?
Thanks
Hollie
Hollie – It’s not intended to be installed at the end of your counters – it’s designed to have to plates of countertop material on each side.
However, if you put a 1.25″ thick spacer under outer edge of the sink, reinforce the outer wall of the sink cabinet, and make sure sink doesn’t drop in, you should be “ok” structurally. I am not sure about aesthetics.
No if this is going in the corner – you should be fine… just make sure that cabinet is reinforced, and you caulk the edge connection.
Good luck
Hey there! I cannot commit to a full blown kitchen remodel at this time, but my countertops are driving me nuts, and I am considering replaceing the 30 year old laminate with Ikea butcher block until I am ready to gut & redo. While looking at the counters, I thought I could replace the sink, too, and get the double-bowl Domsjo, too. I have a typical frame cabinet that is 36 inches wide. The Domsjo dimentions on Ikea website say the product is 37 inches wide. It looks like it is extending a bit over the countertops, so maybe there is hope!
Anyway – do you happen to have the dimentions (width) of the cutout you made for the sink? Did you have a 36″ cabinet or was it wider?
Thank you for your help!
Marty,
ALL mass produced kitchen cabinets have standard dimensions – 24″ deep, and various widths. ALL sink cabinets are either 24″ or 36″ wide, including IKEA, and the one I have, and show in this guide. So DOMSJO sink will work for your cabinet (with modification).
Now Domsjo as a front bump-out, which on the inside is angled. This sink sits on top of counters (not on top of cabinet). If you go with butcher block counters, they are about 2″ tall, so your cutout on the front of cabinet will differ from mine (I have granite counters, which are about 1.25″ tall/thick.
I will have to go measure, but i did my cabinet modification in steps, until I got it just right. I believe I had to cut 6″ down, leaving 1.75 inches on the sides. Don’t use this dimension. I will measure it for you, take pictures, and post here.
Here is the front cut-out that i’m referring to: