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Posted on: March 1, 2006

Flow and the Modern Faucet

Picking the right hardware is a matter of taste, style and going with the flow.

By Deborah Douglas
CTW Features

Makers of bathroom and kitchen fixtures are heeding homeowner’s wishes to have more style without breaking the bank. If you can’t invest in a Jacuzzi tub, then how about installing a couple of spray jets that achieve the same effect? If you can’t have a celebrity chef’s kitchen, how about adapting at least some of that functionality?

Updating your fixtures is not as hard as it used to be. And after flooring, experts say, kitchen and bath fixtures are the most popular method of attaining the look homeowners seek in pulling their entire design strategy together.

Some trends, such as hands-free faucets, are rising to meet consumer concerns.

“For consumers, the enthusiasm for automatic fixtures in the home was one of trust,” says Steve Kleber, president of the Hackettstown, New Jersey-based Center for Kitchen & Bath Education and Research.says. “Trust that cross-contamination of germs was being minimized, and the incidence of water left running, eliminated. Designers saw a freedom of designing without handles, and the creation of new forms of water delivery. Manufacturers saw a competitive advantage.”

Americans are refocusing on homefront because that’s where the heart is. But first things first. For most of us, creating a home oasis calls for a certain amount of redecorating. Begin by analyzing your lifestyle and needs.

Without getting caught up in the “jewelry” aspect of replacing fixtures, ask yourself how new products will help you live your lifestyle. Is yours an active household? Do you need a prep sink or a pullout area to help with kids’ crafts, so they stay away from the kitchen sink? Are you looking for a design that reminds you of the past, a more retro antique look, or something fresh? How does that fit into your lifestyle theme?”

“Once the message gets out to the consumer that this technology is available for today’s performance kitchens and high-tech baths, life may never be the same,” says Kleber.

Here are examples of common design and function dilemmas homeowners face, and affordable solutions.

Problem:

Your showerhead water stream lacks variety or that special “spa” feeling.

Solution:

Don’t just change the shower head, change the whole thing. Cheaper than a whirlpool tub, fixture manufacturers now offer coordinated “suites” of fancy water-spraying devices. Custom shower lets you arrange a combination of sprays, jets and showerheads in custom configurations with individual volume controls. They also come with a temperature control system that compensates for temperature and pressure fluctuations.

Problem:

Your child turns forgets to turn off the water after washing his hands the the umpteenth time a day.

Solution:

Fix it so the faucets automatically turns off.

Bring airport bathroom technology into your home with a hands-free electronic faucet. It runs on AA batteries installed underneath the since. It comes with a single, color-coordinated handle to encourage children to wash their hands without wasting water.

Problem:

You visit the spa twice a year, but you want that type of luxury feeling all time time.

Solution:

Complement your senses with enhance sounds and feeling. Hi-tech modles allows users to see water as it flows up and falls, like a mini waterfall. It’s considered a mid-range product, so you can have high class at a reasonable price.

Problem:

You’re working on one of those meals-in-a-minute recipes, but your kitchen layout conspires against you. You can’t whip those pans around as fast as you’d like.

Solution:

Make your kitchen work for you, replacing your standard faucet with a high, gooseneck one that allows you to fill pots and pans with ease. In addition to the gooseneck style faucet, Kohler offers similar super-hot water dispenser that helps the cook who needs to multitask fast.

Problem:

Hooray! Your kitchen sink comes with a pullout spray device, but it keeps getting stuck on something underneath the sink and it doesn’t stretch far enough.

Solution:

Install a pulldown vegetable sprayer, one that swivels like you do.

Problem:

Your dilemma isn’t function, it’s design. Can you do something about that ubiquitous chrome?

Solution:

Consider other finishes such as bronze or brass (brushed or shiny). They’re generally easy to clean and the tones can complement your home’s design scheme. For example, porcelain fixtures enhance a retro look.