regfman, I agree with the goals you and your wife have set. I already drink cold tap water and I just want it to be one small step cleaner. To replace a Brita, I think you have a lot of options (you haven't said you needed R.O. for your water). In this GW Kitchen forum, I haven't seen a concise and clear survey explanation of the various kinds of filtering. In other places I've read about filtering water and it usually gets too complicated. I want some filtering, but not R.O. The kitchen I'm building to be "visually clean" has an undermount sink with an overhang so I don't even see the sink edge, and there is no other object in visual field (not even a faucet). It will all be wall-mounted, and also mostly hidden by a shelving structure. I'm taking my time investigating options, and building it slowly. I've spent hours looking at parts, and I've bought some parts too. My kitchen cooktop exhaust is also invisible; there is no "hood". The fridge and the dishwasher are built-in or integrated, covered with the same front panels as the drawer fronts. Keeping the countertop visually clean is important to the result I am hoping for. Intact and un-holed. No flanges, no escutcheons, no faucet bases, no gunk, no crud. And make that surface be available for other purposes -I have more than 7" between the backsplash and the sink. I want filtered tap water and instant scalding hot water also. I have found it difficult to find taps and parts. Anything more than the average taps. Parts to make these taps.

i have no experience with chicago faucets but was looking at their line a while back as they have an excellent reputation; and can be found mostly in medical facilities. indeed, i've seen them in every hospital i've ever been in. i prefer a more traditional style design, otherwise i most certainly would have saved myself a lot of money and gone with what looks to be a very reasonably priced, reputable chicago. search the forums, i've seen them mentioned before. good luck!

Chicago faucets are perfect ('cuz I put one in MY 1929 remodel!). You can switch out the handles for nice porcelain H and C ones. They don't seem to do as many residential ones as they did a few years ago--I didn't have to order special porcelain handles when I put mine in 5ish years ago, but Bayareafrancy had to get hers separately (she might be in the FKB now, or at least be searchable here for some pictures. I'm not stalking her--I just remember her faucet because it was like the one I had left behind and asked her about because I didn't think they were still available...)

We installed a wall mounted articulated Chicago faucet in 2005 in our kitchen. It's still working. Chrome looks good as new! Here's a post from Remodelista. My faucet showed up in their Architect's 10 Go To Modern Faucets post and I think there's another forum member who has it. Jayne Michaels of 2Michaels design in New York loves Chicago Faucets, a longstanding Remodelista favorite for both kitchens and baths. “The simple, timeless design can be used in both a traditional and modern setting,” says Michaels, pointing to this Wall-Mounted Sink Faucet as an example. Michaels also reminded us that Emerick Architects used a budget-friendly Chicago Faucet (shown here) stripped of its chrome in a Seaside, Oregon, project that was a finalist in the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards. “Unable to find a budget-friendly, unlacquered brass faucet (who wants to spend $1,500 for a cabin?),” they said, “we instead used a trusty Chicago Faucet design in chrome and had the plating removed. The whole thing cost a tenth of the alternative.” Link to the Remodelista post