I'm sorry, tartan--I should have explained "deck mounted" better. I meant that we cut holes in the countertop like one does in the kitchen to mount the faucets on either side of the sink. There's a hole in the middle and we're either going to just cover it over or put a vase in it, a la the Volkswagen bug :). Mounting the faucet we got in the hole in the sink would make at least our version (11") way too high for the sink.

My sink is 10" deep, and I can pull the faucet half way down. I don't know how this compares to other faucets this style. It has excellent water flow, so not a problem for me. Some may find this a bit restrictive. I have the chrome faucet. I wasn't sure how I would like this style, so I just went cheap. But so far it's help up very well, and quick to wipe down with a microfiber cloth.

I haven't really needed any more of a backsplash for a couple of reasons: 1. Most of the time, I'm using the pot filler. The stream is more like a standard faucet and is fine for filling pots and pitchers, handwashing, rinsing veggies, etc. I use the sprayer for rinsing plates/cookware and spraying down the sink. 2. I try to be careful with the sprayer. While I mentioned that I wish the water pressure was a bit stronger, it's actually already much more powerful than a "normal" residential pull-out sprayer. So when I do use it, I make sure the dishes are slanted toward the sink, the sprayer head is pointed to prevent overspray, etc. If it sounds like a huge effort, it's really not; just being mindful of the power of the tool. 3. If you get a pre-rinse faucet, I'd highly recommend considering one with a single-lever mixer. Being able to control temp and pressure simultaneously and one-handed makes a huge difference, and it makes it effortless to lower the pressure to the sprayer to completely eliminate overspray. Honestly, I still end up toweling off the countertop a bit more than before, but it's so worth it.

marthastoo, I always thought I'd do a non-commercial style look for the faucet but it turns out I got the Blanco Culina semi-pro faucet. I've looked at the Blanco Meridian and really like it's form and function. As with the Culina, it has the pull down hand spray from an outreached "arm". I find this steady arm to allow a no-hands use (other than turning on) when filling pots or washing veggies or rinsing). My sink drain is just a little behind the head/arm unit so water doesn't travel far to the drain (another feature I like). Also, you can swivel back and forth with stream/spray with it engaged. That's all without "pulling down" to reach farther or do clean up. When I was reviewing faucets I read about Danze products. Many like them, some reported quality issues. My husband was a little taken back when his wife brought this professional style into a traditional kitchen, but Blanco made a work horse of a faucet with great features. Definitely gives you the feel of getting tasks done on time and in-budget. Hope this helps a little.