March Focus: Kitchens {Week 2: Plumbing}

This week's post is all about some of our favorite plumbing options. From farmhouse sinks to bridge faucets we break down what you should consider when building or renovating your dreamy new kitchen! 

Sinks:

 

Your kitchen sink is something use more than anything else in your house. Everyone has their "dish washing style" so you need to find a size and shape to fit your needs. 

A farmhouse sink (picture 1) is a great way to add some old school flair to any kitchen whether it be modern, traditional, or cottage-style. Rohl white fireclay is the gold standard (http://www.rohlhome.com/Kitchen/Products.aspx?CollectionName='Sinks') and one of our favorites to use. White fireclay is the most common finish/material, however more modern stainless farmhouse sinks are available as well. 

The most common type of kitchen sink is an undermount sink (picture 2). These are available in a variety of materials but our favorite is a heavy gauge stainless steel. 

Whether farmhouse or undermount, single bowl sinks are more commonly used now than double bowl sinks. One large bowl suits both large and small dishes and have proved to be very functional. Also very popular and easy to use are double bowl sinks with a lower "smart divide" between bowls. This gives you the functionality of two bowls with the added ability to fill both bowls up totally. This essentially turns your two bowls into a single bowl that will fit a cookie sheet or long-handled pan. 

No matter the finish, we recommend a grid strainer for the bottom (picture 3) for more efficient rinsing and added protection from big heavy pots. 

Faucets: 

 

Again, your kitchen faucet is something you use more than any other faucet in your house. You need to not only love the way it looks but how it functions as well. Often the kitchen sink and faucet are major focal points of your Kitchen; for example, they always look pretty centered on your island or under a window. In this case we prefer a more decorative faucet such as a bridge faucet (picture 1). This Rohl faucet is our all time favorite and suits almost any style kitchen. The hot and cold levers are separate and you need a separate hole for a pull out spray. An alternative is a single hole faucet with a pull down spray (picture 2). These tend to be more common, less expensive, and very functional. It has everything you need all in a streamlined look. There are many faucets on the market now that have "touch" technology, which is great if you always find your hands are covered in something!

Prep Sink:

 

For larger kitchens, we like to add a small prep sink in a location that suits the chef and/or entertaining needs. Typically this is across the kitchen from the main sink and provides a place for tasks such as rinsing fresh vegetables or fixing a drink.

Pot Filler:

 

A pot filler is a nice feature for filling your pots directly on the cooktop. Mounted on the wall, potfillers typically have a bendable arm and should reach all of the burners on your stove. Gone are the days when you fill up a big pot in the sink and have to carefully walk across the kitchen without sloshing water on the floor! We recommend this luxury for large kitchens where the main sink is not in close proximity to the cooktop or for the crab, lobster or Low Country boil (or Frogmore Stew as we call it in Charleston) enthusiast!