Style on Tap

by Amy West

With kitchen décor, just as with fashion,

accessories are key. Sleek stainless steel

appliances, granite countertops, and natural

wood cabinetry are all hot choices this season. But what about the sink? As a station in the work triangle, the sink area-

particularly the kitchen faucet-is starting to command attention.

The approach to kitchen faucet design today is to make it the centrepiece of the kitchen-the water appliance that rises

above it all.

Kitchen faucet finishes are inspired by trends in appliances, sinks, and hardware. Softer, muted finishes such as brushed nickel or stainless steel and organic looks such as oil-rubbed or antique bronze are the most popular.

"High-arc spout designs in both traditional and contemporary designs are selling very well," says Victor Garcia, director of sales and marketing for

Price Pfister. "Condo builders are generally moving toward all things sleek and contemporary, even slightly

modern, as these designs have also gained acceptance and have come down in price a bit."

According to Garcia, the vast majority of

kitchen faucets are chrome and stainless steel.

"Functionality is more important with

kitchen faucets. There is more demand for

pull-out kitchen faucets and sleek designs that make for easy cleaning. Single-hole mounted kitchen faucets are preferable so that there is no need for a deck plate that has to be cleaned constantly."

While style catches the eye, features capture the fancy. Some of the most popular features include flexible sprayheads with one-touch spray-to-stream operation,

hands-free sprayhead operation, unique handle-turns that maximize product performance, and swivel bases on

single-lever kitchen faucets that allow rotation to accommodate right- or left-handed users.

Garcia credits an increase in household wealth combined with do-it-yourself shows and better advertising on the part of manufacturers for the new popularity of kitchen faucets as kitchen décor elements.

"People can see that to make a radical change to a kitchen, it is not necessary to break the bank," he says.

"Small changes like faucets and bathroom

accessories can really make a

big impact. More builders and

retailers selling and installing

more alternative designs and

finishes also helps faucet trends

to really take off and become

part of the established product

range, like stainless steel finish

is now in kitchens."