When designing your kitchen, you might think about the style of the cabinets, floors, and appliances when creating the look and feel. What many don’t realize is that a kitchen sink can play a big role in your design. Although only used for washing dishes, rinsing food, and washing hands, kitchen sinks come in many varieties.
There are many old styles that people commonly use, but over the years kitchen faucet designs have evolved in appearance and function. Whether you’re renovating, your old faucet is leaking, or you’re ready for an update faucet trend, here are items to consider when choosing your kitchen faucet.
Your Current Faucet and Sink
Take a look at your sink to decide if you want to save it when purchasing a new kitchen faucet. If you want to store a sink, then you can use the holes in the existing sink deck. From there you can decide if you want to add a spray hose or a sink dispenser.
You may decide to buy a new sink, especially if you are switching from a deck-mounted faucet to a wall-mounted faucet. The new faucets will have a variation of up to four holes. You can always buy a faucet that has a deck plate at the base to cover the hole in the old sink.
If you choose a deck-mounted faucet, which mounts directly to the countertop and not the sink, you’ll get a seamless look but it will take up countertop space. If you choose a wall-mounted faucet, make sure the water project spacing fits your sink. This can make table cleaning easy but in cooler weather, you’ll need to protect against freezing.
For those who care for the sink, make sure you choose a design that matches the style of the sink. If you have a stainless steel sink, it might seem inappropriate to add an antique-style brass faucet.
Where to Start
When you start your search about Faucet Home Inspiration, you’ll have to decide between spout type, height, and the number of handles. Many people choose a drop-down spray connection for the spout type, but you can always get a side-mounted spray hose. Finally, you can always get a hot and cold handle but most pull-down taps have only one handle.
From there you can make decisions about how high tech you want to be. Consider whether you want or need to pay extra for any of the following:
- Hands-free operation
- Built-in water filter
- Touch-sensitive controls
- Spray volume control
- Water break button
Your spout style is something to consider. The “gooseneck” or high bow faucet is in trend because it allows more room to clean large pans and pants. If you have a large sink, you may want something with a wider spray.
Materials and Finishes
Everyone will find that they have their style to incorporate into their decisions. Chrome-plated brass is a popular finish to choose from. A solid brass faucet with a ceramic disc valve used to control water flow will offer long life. Many choose stainless steel hoses because they are not as wrinkled as other models.
Keep in mind, make sure your kitchen design matches the style of the faucets you want. Modern kitchens may not look great with a farmhouse themed kitchen faucet. The taps can also vary in angles, curves, and details.
When you are choosing materials and finishes, whether it is nickel, chrome, bronze, black, stainless steel, etc., make sure to buy accessories such as a soap dispenser from the same collection as the finish of many manufacturers may vary slightly.
Price and Quality
For a more durable faucet, choose stainless steel, solid brass, or faucets with ceramic disc valves. It is more expensive than plastic components. A heavier faucet indicates better quality. A solid brass body will last the longest. Taps with plastic parts are less durable and cheaper. Eventually, you may have to replace it which is an additional cost to you.
There are several factors that you need to take into account when choosing the look and functionality of your kitchen faucet. Be sure to consider your needs and what is best suited for your kitchen before making a purchase.