Form + function: the latest kitchen faucets offer high style, a multitude of finishes, and easy installation

Building Products, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Debra Gordon

Once considered a strictly utilitarian product with just a handful of mainstream models from which to choose, kitchen faucets have morphed into works of art and functionality at all price points.

"The kitchen has turned into the living room of the 21st century" says John Schiegg, corporate purchasing director for national home builder Choice Homes. About half of new-home buyers upgrade their kitchen faucets, says Schiegg. "It's an easy, yet emotional purchase," he notes. "They can move up to a higher product for about $100."

Not only are there a surfeit of styles and finishes to accommodate every taste and budget, installation is simpler and faster for the professional. Often a faucet can be hooked up in less than a half hour.

FASHION SHOW

Homeowners and builders want to match the faucet to the rest of the open room. "We see an awful lot of need to make sure we've got faucet finishes that go with the different designs of the home," says Kaye Powell, residential division manager at Chown Hardware in Portland, Ore.

In the Pacific Northwest, which Chown serves, that means satin nickel finishes that blend nicely with the warm woods predominant n many homes there, as well as contemporary, sleek looks for renovated downtown lofts. The return to bridge faucets, she says, fits nicely with many country decors. "They get the convenience of today with the look of yesterday."

That's why Delta's Victorian collection is one of the company's most popular, says Danette Goen, product development manager. "It's well suited for a diverse range of kitchen designs," Goen says. "For example, the turn-of-the-century styling on the Victorian faucet allows for a more traditional look. But if you select the stainless finish, it creates a more transitional or even contemporary style for the room."

As for finishes, "satin rules," says Powell. "People don't want their faucet to scream, 'I've got a fingerprint on me.'"

But satin is just one popular choice in an exploding medley of finishes. "It used to be everything was chrome, then stainless was really popular, even selling better than chrome in some areas," says Kathy Yates, product manager for Moen. "Now people are saying, 'What else is there?'"

Well, how about wrought iron and oil-rubbed bronze for the Old World Mediterranean look? There's also satin and brushed metals, copper, and black. Several manufacturers even offer a matte chrome finish, anticipating kitchen appliance trends toward the muted look.

"White is out," says Danze vice president of sales Jeffrey C. Pratt. "I cannot give away a white faucet anymore, especially in the kitchen. Same with polished brass."

But try natural brass--finished so it doesn't change color as it ages--and demand is hot, says Yates. Many manufacturers offer a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process or similar process so that their brass faucets won't corrode or change color.

With the growing popularity of granite countertops comes an increasing demand for black faucets. "A lot of granites have black in them, and a lot of people like that in the granite because the lighter colors could stain," says Yates. "So we're seeing our black sink sales increasing as well as black, or dark, faucets."

In addition to the plethora of finishes, faucet designs are more ambitious. "In the past, most were transitional, maybe leaning toward contemporary, but neutral in style," says Yates. "Now we're seeing the elaborate styles of the bathroom, like the Victorian or Tuscan look, coming into the kitchen."

The demand for a high-end look is driven, in part, by the explosion in home decorating TV shows, says Pratt. "They bring you through the kitchen on tours of these magnificent homes."

However, the sheer volume of choices--most manufacturers offer dozens of designs in five or more finishes and various configurations-can be overwhelming to the homeowner, says Schiegg. "There used to be three or four choices. Now there are 10 different finishes on 20 different faucets. It actually creates a bit of confusion"

FUNCTIONALITY FIRST

For all the focus on how the faucet looks, however, homeowners are becoming more interested in its functionality and durability, say manufacturers and contractors. "People are more task-oriented in the kitchen," says Carol Houlik, American Standard's product director for kitchen faucets.

That's translated into single-lever faucets with pull-down or pull-out sprayers built into the faucet head, high arcing faucets that accommodate oversized pots, and even wall-mounted products that mimic those seen in commercial restaurants.

The movement toward single-lever faucets and built-in sprayers also fits nicely with the increased use of granite counters. "We like when we do an undermount sink to have just one or two holes on the granite. That provides a nice clean sweep on presentation," says Tracy Eisnaugle, design consultant at Sarasota, Fla.-based Lee Wetherington Homes. "And that's why we like the hand-held sprayer in the faucet. It's less maintenance, easier to clean, and more functional."