The kitchen will always be the heart of the home. Whether entertaining guests or spending time with family, people seek to create a welcoming space that fuses function with great design and reflects their own sensibilities. The faucet in particular has evolved into a focal point for the kitchen, and homeowners have become more open to experimenting with colors as well as nontraditional finishes.
In fact, the kitchen faucet might be the most-used appliance in the house; therefore, achieving the ideal combination of purpose and aesthetic is paramount. But that should not preclude customers from trying a different approach to attain the desired look for their kitchen. Qualified Remodeler reached out to several manufacturers to learn about their new products and the trends they are seeing in the marketplace.
Quality Product
Blanco recently launched Empressa, a wide-ranging collection of four versatile models that were inspired by the manufacturer’s German heritage. Each faucet in the collection boasts a silhouette fashioned after the shape of vintage wine presses found across Europe. Empressa offers features such as a pull-down spray on a bridge faucet, which eliminates the need for a side spray element.
“Consumers and specifiers are combining modern and traditional elements in the home,” says Tim Maicher, director of marketing. “So we are offering a wide range of products and finishes that have traditional elements but are served in a modern or contemporary fashion that matches with today’s kitchens. Pull-down spray faucets are really popular, as are [our] semi-pro models.”
In addition to the Pull-Down and Semi-Professional models, Empressa also includes Bridge and Bar faucets. Blanco debuts two new finishes for the collection, Polished Nickel and Oil-Rubbed Bronze, to supplement its Stainless Finish and Polished Chrome. A matching soap dispenser can be paired with any Empressa faucet, embodying classic elements as well as modern refinements.
“They must work in a living kitchen setting, meaning that they have organic elements that work within the context of a whole home versus a backroom kitchen,” Maicher explains. “Kitchens today are open to the rest of the living area, and the faucet must blend in—as well as offer the functionality and power [that] homeowners need and want.
“Faucets are an investment,” he adds. “Cheap faucets can create their own set of issues within a year or two, [so] a remodeler is better off recommending a quality product from the start to avoid bad reviews, complaints or callbacks. [Quality faucets] are far easier to maintain and to update.” Blanco faucets have an easy-to-replace ceramic disk cartridge that extends the life of the product, he notes.
Connected Home
Global architecture helped inspire the newest kitchen faucet by Delta Faucet, the Pivotal Kitchen Collection, which offers a clean, simple and sleek look with angular cues. The confident slant of the Pivotal Kitchen Collection makes the faucet a striking addition to the contemporary geometry of a kitchen and makes a statement to all those who enter, says Adriana Miller, product manager.
“Homeowners remodel the kitchen because they have decided to stay in their house and remodel for their personal use, or they remodel to get a better resale value,” she explains. “Delta [Faucet] helps [homeowners] by providing relevant, trending style options and technology advancements in different price points and accessories to complement their kitchen space.”
The manufacturer observes many customers in the market opting for black stainless, matte black and gold finishes, Miller says. As a result, Delta Faucet has expanded production to include these popular finishes—as well as the Champagne Bronze finish—in its top-selling collections such as the In2ition Shower Head and the Trinsic Kitchen Faucet, she adds.
“We’re constantly talking to showroom associates, influencer partners and designers, monitoring what happens in the industry to identify gaps in our portfolio and ongoing market needs,” Miller notes. “We have a robust team of industrial designers who are also consistently traveling, pulling inspiration from locations to inform collections.”
With the growth of the “connected home,” voice-enabled assistance presents a huge opportunity for the company, she says. Delta Faucet launched VoiceIQ Technology, which allows consumers to turn their faucet on and off, warm the water, dispense a metered amount, and even fill custom containers like a coffee pot without lifting a finger. VoiceIQ Technology is available on Trinsic faucets and will be available on any faucet with Touch2O Technology this summer, Miller adds.
Purposeful Technology
The Beale MeasureFill Touch Kitchen Faucet from American Standard became the first product to market that delivers an adjustable set volume of water on demand—up to 5 cups—achieving the precise measurement faster than using a conventional measuring cup, says Katty Pien, chief marketing officer. The high-arch faucet streamlines cooking and baking tasks, reducing clutter.
“Consumers are attracted to the automatic and crave convenience. Anything that will help save them time (and money) is a win,” she notes. “Our MeasureFill technology makes a tedious task like measuring water [more] efficient and less time-consuming, so consumers can get back to what matters most.”
The manufacturer knows many consumers today spend a lot of time researching different products and looking for inspiration, Pien explains. American Standard focuses on making the renovation process easier by assisting homeowners in finding and digesting information about products and helping them envision what those would look like in their own homes, she says.
“From cooking holiday meals to everyday life, in most American houses, the kitchen is the heart of the home,” Pien adds. “Investing in the kitchen is the best way to see a return on your home improvement project, increasing the overall value of the house. We are constantly working on concepts that combine innovative designs with purposeful technology to provide consumers with products that improve daily life.”
Range of Tasks
With the ability to respond to voice commands, the Sensate Touchless Kitchen Faucet becomes a kitchen assistant for consumers, says Eric Moore, interior designer for Kohler. Not only does the faucet respond to simple commands to turn water on and off, but it also responds to commands to dispense measured amounts of water, and it uses the Kohler Konnect app to monitor water usage. “Consumers are looking for intuitive spaces that work with them to make the cooking experience easy and seamless,” he notes.
“The Sensate [faucet] with Kohler Konnect allows users to fill pots using voice commands, leaving their hands free to complete other tasks within the kitchen. These preferred settings let consumers multitask, making [this faucet] a great addition to a busy home.”
When homeowners pursue an improvement project, they invest in the kitchen to increase ease of use and improve their experience, Moore adds. “Dispensing measured amounts of water means the user gets just the right amount for a recipe, virtually eliminating the need for measuring cups. While their hands are busy preparing food or cleaning up, voice commands can control the faucet on the other side of the kitchen to ‘fill the pasta pot,’ giving homeowners the ability to multitask like never before.”
The manufacturer has also noticed a rising popularity in the professional kitchen style, which can be satisfied with the Kohler Semi-Professional Faucet Collection in Simplice, Bellera, Purist and Tourant. “The three-function pull-down spray head lets you cycle through a range of tasks at the touch of a button: an aerated stream for rinsing, Sweep spray for cleaning, and Boost function for fast filling of pots and pitchers,” Moore says.
Design Vision
The new Descanso Series Pull-Down Kitchen faucet from California Faucets captures a growing popularity of the industrial look. Featuring a knurled handle reminiscent of an industrial tool, the faucet comes in 28 artisan finishes handcrafted at the company’s factory in Huntington Beach. A carbon fiber handle is also available, notes Noah Taft, senior vice president, marketing and sales.
“We offer the unique ability to customize our faucets to meet specific desires of each customer, so our kitchen faucets can meet virtually any design vision,” he adds. “We also offer a complete range of matching kitchen accessories for each of our kitchen faucet styles—everything from soap dispensers to air switches for garbage disposers, and both hot- and cold-water dispensers.”
The manufacturer has introduced a streamlined dual hot/cold water dispenser with a single sleek handle that pushes backward to dispense instant hot water and forward for cold, filtered water. California Faucets constructs each faucet from solid brass, including the spray head and button, instead of plastic or other composite material, to enhance the quality, fit and finish, Taft explains.
“The kitchen sink area has evolved into a real focal point for the kitchen,” he continues. “Getting that design vision ‘just right’ is important for designers and homeowners. The trend today is to coordinate all of the accessories needed at the sink with the faucet itself. Every element—including soap dispensers, air switches for garbage disposers, and both hot- and cold-water dispensers—[should] perfectly coordinate. Since we offer the unique ability to customize faucets to meet the specific desires of each customer, we can bring virtually any design vision to life.”
Dual-tone Styling
The Nio kitchen collection by Moen offers a soft modern style that pays homage to Scandinavian design with a tall stature that makes a statement at the sink. These pull-down faucets can provide personalization, as each faucet comes assembled with a handle in a respective finish and includes a secondary handle in a different finish, so users can simply replace and enjoy an elevated design.
The Chrome and Spot Resist Stainless faucets feature an extra Matte Black handle, while Matte Black faucets are paired with a beautiful Brushed Gold finish and Black Stainless faucets include a complementary handle in a Spot Resist Stainless finish, notes Danielle Radic, product manager.
Paterson kitchen faucets combine everyday industrial elements—including metal wands, bolt- inspired accents and a secondary, optional spoke-and-wheel handle—into one distinctive style. The shape of this fixture draws elements from natural materials and repurposed objects; when combined with the on-trend Matte Black finish, it makes a one-of-a-kind statement, Radic says.
Moen has also expanded its popular Weymouth suite to include pull-down kitchen faucets that offer additional convenience without sacrificing beauty. Inspired by the modern farmhouse trend, the fixture displays a refined shepherd’s hook spout, and its handle includes porcelain inlays with antiqued decorative script—in both English and French—to bestow an element of customization.
“Consumers are looking for products to suit their individual tastes [and offer them] an element of personalization to make their kitchen design feel unique,” Radic explains. “Each of these faucets provides that ability—whether it’s mixing metals, incorporating decorative features or [utilizing] unique finish options—there is truly an option out there to meet any décor style.”
In addition to finish options such as Black Stainless and Brushed Gold, Moen has introduced a new Fusion finish series that offers dual-tone styling. Available on the STō pull-down kitchen faucet, the dual-tone finish has a Matte Black base and spout with a sleek contrasting Chrome panel on the side for a striking design statement, Radic says.
Modern Simplicity
This year, House of Rohl is offering several new faucet collections and additions from across its brands, which include Perrin & Rowe, Rohl and Riobel. The products further enhance the ability to curate individual desires and deliver a unique design story, and they present a more expansive design range that can integrate seamlessly with any home aesthetic, from traditional to modern.
“We’ve seen more people taking risks and breaking free from the box,” explains Greg Rohl, vice president and design leader, House of Rohl. “The non-descript wide-spread or anonymous single-lever faucet simply won’t do. [Our] faucet offering is diverse in both style and finish. Designers are more empowered than ever to employ distinctive products and tell their clients’ own story.”
Skilled artisans handcraft Perrin & Rowe faucets using a combination of age-old processes and the latest technologies, he notes. The Holborn Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, a new addition to the Holborn Collection, expands the current line through a fresh, modern look with its slim, tapered lever and curved spout.
Crafted with the legacy of architectural periods and influences in mind, Rohl kitchen faucets use genuine materials sourced regionally, Greg says. The new Campo Pull-Down Faucet is inspired by the valve/stem combination used in the building of industrial conduit systems. The Lux Pull-Down Faucet is tall, sleek and sophisticated, replicating the look of a professional kitchen. The Graceline Pull-Down Faucet expands the Michael Berman Series and receives its influence from the glamorous ocean liners of a century ago, lauding the details of early 21st century ship design.
Riobel takes an industry-leading and progressive approach to design, marrying function with a modern simplicity and elegance, which is perfect for a contemporary feel. The new Ludik faucet collection has a sleek yet simple design; the Solstice faucet collection combines a contemporary design with simple lines, highlighting both elegance and function; and the new Trattoria faucet collection has defined lines and distinctive features, bringing a modern statement to the kitchen. QR