A good way to think about the faucets in your home is that they are the crown jewels of any room with a sink. Essentially, your faucet hardware is what ties an entire room together, translating the look and feel of that particular space.
But with so many faucet styles, finishes, and spout heights to consider, choosing the right type of faucets can seem overwhelming at first.
In order to make the right choice, here are the fundamentals of how to choose a faucet.
Faucet Finish
For most homeowners, this is probably the key consideration that tends to trip them up. Why? Simply because there are so many different finishes to choose from today!
But rewind a couple of decades ago and homeowners did not have this type of ”dilemma”. With this in mind, faucet installation is the perfect opportunity to introduce a new element of design and style to your bathrooms or kitchen and tie in with your home decor.
Today, you can choose from finishes such as chrome, nickel, copper, brass, oil-rubbed metal, and even gold-plated faucets. Then there’s also your standard shiny, matte, or smooth satin sheen finish.
Each finish comes with its own price point, of course. Most of the time, this will be your determining factor when choosing your finish. If you really want to up the aesthetic feel, you could also opt for a customized finish.
This includes finishes such as brushed nickel or rubbed bronze. But be prepared to fork out at least $100-$300 per faucet.
Faucet Styles
Before you choose your faucet finish, you actually need to consider the style and function of your faucets, first. There are three types of faucets to choose from:
- The single-hole faucet — combines the spout and mixing handles into a single lever and requires only one drilled hole in your sink
- The center-set faucet — ideal for three-hole sinks and offers a single lever or two handles. This style is perfect for bathrooms
- The widespread mount — this sink comes in three separate pieces with two handles and the spout. The widespread mount is ideal for baths and large kitchen sinks
Then there are the more customized, modern faucet styles, such as the wall mount faucet. These are ideal for freestanding sinks and baths but require longer spouts.
If you’re looking for specialized wall mounts in the kitchen, there’s also the deck mount pot filler.
Spout Height and Reach
While you can opt for almost any spout height and reach when choosing faucets, you want to keep your sink or bath size and location in mind.
For example, if you have a shelf or mirror above your sink, an extra tall spout may not look right. If you have a large, three-bowl kitchen sink, a shorter spout may not extend to all the bowls.
If you install a free-standing bath, you’ll need a faucet with an extra-long spout to ensure it has enough reach.
Always Opt for Ceramic Valves
No homeowner wants to deal with an incessant drip coming from a newly installed faucet. So, if you want to avoid this down the line, make sure you choose ceramic valves for your faucets.
While other valve materials offer drip-free functionality, they just don’t offer the same longevity as ceramic. And they cost almost the same as any other valve material!
Consider Convenience
Finally, you don’t want to overlook the functionality and convenience of your faucets. While it’s important that they look good and make a style statement, convenience always wins.
Yes, two-handle faucets offer a perfect sense of symmetry, especially in bathrooms. But single-handle faucets are far more user-friendly. They allow you to accurately adjust water flow and temperature — and it also means less cleaning!
Brush Up On Your Interior Design Knowledge
Choosing faucet styles and finishes doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Remember that aesthetics and convenience should go hand-in-hand and this will make your decision easier!
Are you on the hunt for interior design know-how? Be sure to explore the rest of this site for your fix of all things home renovation, DIY, and more.
