Marvelousmarvin, the new kitchen looks so light and lovely! I couldn't get to the faucets with your links but the faucet you have now is the kind I had growing up . . . we always had one handle which I prefer but DH's family always had the 2 handles which, of course, he prefers. We both like the separate sprayer and will probably end up with a 2 handle bridge style faucet for our cottage kitchen. Good luck in your search.

I agree, the white really brightens things up in there! Looks like a kitchen you can change seasonally....add some bright colors for summer and change up for the holidays. How fun :)

When we re did our kitchen, we went with a pull down faucet. We previously had a pull out. I liked the pull out, thought it was handy, but seemed that was "old school" now a days, so we went to the pull down. I like the look of it, it is handy too, just sprays / splatters water more than what the pull down did because it is higher up. I haven't looked at your links to say, but get what you like. Its your kitchen! I did get ours from Lowes I believe, or atleast saw it there then ordered from another site maybe. I can't remember now !

To help with hard water, look for a PVD (physical vapor deposition) finish such as Delta Brilliance or Kohler Vibrant to minimize spotting and deposits. I think that some kitchen faucets have rubber tips where the water comes out (like many shower heads do) so that the hard water deposits can be easily rubbed off.

I think to appeal to most people, a single handle would be preferred for ease of use but I've never had a rental and you know your target tenants, I would think. Check that the faucet comes with a deck plate/ escutcheon to cover the three sink holes, if needed.

I have a GC friend who (in part) runs maintenance for a housing community with really hard water. (He didn't build it.) There are Moen faucets throughout (hundreds of homes/condos) and the local Moen mfg rep gives him a big box of cartridges (I think that's what Moen calls them??) every year to keep up with failures due to leaks and hard water deposits blockages. YMMV.

I selected a Delta Kate in stainless steel (Kate is a Home depot only model) because I liked its lines and it was a pulldown. I originally got the chrome (easiest to keep clean IMHO) but it was waaaay too bright with my south facing windows and it looks like your kitchen might have the same brightness issue. So I exchanged it for SS which was almost twice as much, gack, but still under $200. Lots of people here don't like big box store products but I've had good luck with this faucet for the two years I've had it (not long in terms of expected faucet life, though). If you have access to Costco, sometimes the stores or the website has some good faucets. I got a Grohe K4 for *far* less there for my previous kitchen.

Also, check to see if you can flip the panel on your trash compactor to white. Your white cabs and range look so nice and I think the almond compactor is prolly easy to fix. I had a very similar compactor in a previous house and, like many appliances from 20yrs ago, it had multiple panels so you could change the face color easily. Nowadays, they figured out that they make more money by making you buy a new appliance to get a different color or buy the really high end panel-ready appliance. But I digress... :)

Prolly way more info than what you're interested in, but you get what you pay for :) .

Hope this helps

If this is to be a rental, it might be better to have a separate sprayer, rather than a pull-down/out. If you ever had to replace the sprayer part you could get a universal one; the pull-down type would have to specific to the faucet, and, I would assume, more expensive. Also, I'm guessing a single handle may last longer than separate hot and cold handles; the hot one is always the one to go.

I have a Kohler Forte with a brushed chrome finish (and a side sprayer). I got it because we had the same faucet (although with an escutcheon) in our before kitchen in polished chrome, and really liked it. The brushed finish doesn't show water spots like the polished.

HD and Lowe's sell some of this line in stores, but there are many more models online. I bought mine from Wayfair.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler Forte at HD

I'll second the Kohler Forte. A friend purchased it for his kitchen and it is a nice looking faucet at a very reasonable price. He has very hard water and has had no issues with the faucet.

Thanks everybody for the help.

Yes, this kitchen is for a rental albeit a nicer rental in terms of location and view so I feel I need to get a good faucet, or at least, one that looks expensive.

For the faucet, is there any difference in performance derived from the shape of the faucet? The Delta Kate is more gooseneck shaped vs the Kohler Forte which is like an stretched out version of my current faucet.

Or, is the main difference just in how they look? And, what style is more popular?

I don't if this is true, but I read somewhere that after a certain price point, you're really paying for how the faucet looks.

If there's a real difference in durability, then I'd certainly consider paying more for the kitchen faucet and look at faucets beyond the big box superstores. In the long run, it might be cheaper to get a more expensive, more durable faucet if it means that I won't need to call in a plumber.

the below thread from earlier this year discusses your performance of faucet shape question. I far prefer a pulldown but that's my opinion and how I use my kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: recent pullout vs pulldown thread

At Lowe's I like the Delta Savile.

I recommend the Delta faucets. As mtnfever noted above, they have the touch clean technology at the spigot. It makes it so very easy to clean mineral deposits--you literally just touch them (even with just a finger) and the deposits come right off with no elbow grease required. Based on our experience with water spotting on our various Delta faucet finishes (chrome, stainless & antique pewter), I would select any finish other than chrome or stainless first--ant. pewter is discontinued. We have virtually no spotting/mineral deposits on the ant. pewter finishes. The stainless gets water spots, but they come right off with a microfiber cloth--stainless cleaner is optional. We are having the toughest time with our chrome--it shows everything and it shows it quickly! I always thought of chrome as being relatively low maintenance, but not this time!

Hope this helps!

I would also suggest a faucet with enough height (goose neck) to fit a big pot underneath. For pasta, for example. Low faucets just don't allow that.

I'm impressed with the change in your kitchen. A huge difference in light and feel. Great job!

Christine

Per mtnfever's suggestion, I also tried looking at what was available at Costco.

Costco is selling a Grohe Ladylux Pull-Out, but I'm not interested in it because its chrome and the cost. (From the Home Decorating Forum, it seems like you can mix hardware finishes but I'm so clueless about this stuff that I figure that it'll be safer if I try to stick to brushed nickel which I've been using for everything else.)

But, they're also selling this Hansgrohe Metro� HighArc Kitchen Faucet with 2-Function Pull-Out Sprayhead for only $150.

Since it's on sale for this price, is there something wrong with it or the style? Is Costco selling the same quality hansgrohe faucets that you get elsewhere, or are these faucets lower quality like what you'd see at outlet malls?

I saw a hansgrohe faucet on sale at a store specializing in faucet fixtures for a really good price, but still more than what I initially wanted to pay. And, I could have talked myself into buying it if hansgrohe was better and more durable than the kohlers, deltas, moens at home depot and lowe's.

But, then you also had to pay something like another $80 for that estucheon, the base plate to cover up the other two holes. The total cost of the kitchen faucet and the estucheon ended up being more than what I wanted to pay.

To be honest, it was the price of the estucheon that was the deal breaker for me. I wouldn't have had an issue paying more for the kitchen faucet if it was better. But, for me, it was a different matter to pay that much more for the estucheon which wasn't going to make the faucet any better or more durable especially when other manufactures included that for free in their set.

And, for $150, Costco is including the kitchen faucet, the base plate, and shipping and handling.

The hansgrohe faucet certainly looks striking, but would it look right in my kitchen and would it appeal to too few applicants?

Before, I'd always get a couple of male room mates who'd live in the place for a year or two before moving out. I never realized the the kitchen didn't appeal to women with its glossy black cabinets, black blinds, black trash compactor(when you flip the panel, the other side is black),and black and white tiles. To me, I thought it looked okay since it all matched.

I'm trying to update the kitchen to appeal to a wider pool of applicants, ie women. Do you think this style of faucet will turn off most applicants like the black kitchen used to do?

Thanks you everybody for your kind words and I now know the kitchen needs a lot of work, but I know I'll keep those cabinets. I don't know what style the cabinets are, but I'm afraid the faucet style might clash with the kitchen style. Eventually, I want this kitchen to have a more coastal, casually elegant vibe to it.

Sometimes, I think my updates have been too piecemeal that were okay in of themselves, but with no bigger picture behind them. Like, changing the floors were necessary but then I didn't think ahead about if the floors will clash if I get new countertop. And, when the dishwasher broke down and I replaced it with a stainless steel version, I didn't think it would start a domino affect where I'd also need to get stainless versions of the range and vent even though my current range will outlast whatever new stainless range I get to replace it.

I don't want to get a new faucet that might look great on its own, but then clash with the overall kitchen.

I think that Costco faucet would look fine in your kitchen (and I'm a woman)!

Well, I am a woman and I find your kitchen very appealing. :) I am a lot older than your applicant pool so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but the Hansgrohe pictured just above wouldn't turn me off at all. It is more modern than the vibe of your kitchen, though, you're right. I think if you get a high-arc faucet, either pull-down or side sprayer, you will already be ahead of the game. I vastly prefer one handle for its greater usefulness when one is Actually Cooking (i.e. has at least one hand full or messy most of the time). My plumber warns me against big box store faucets that might have plastic insides; he says if they feel heavy, they're OK. Most of our faucets came from Ferguson but I caved and ordered the most recent one (a Moen, like almost all our others) from Faucet Direct because it was so much less expensive there, and it is the same model as at Ferguson and of the same quality. (Ferguson might be able to price match if you want to check.)

One last note. I don't see any problem with a white stove and a stainless DW, but the third tone (the almond trash compactor) is sort of one too many in my opinion. I know exactly what you mean about piecemeal updates, been there and still doing that to some extent. It's OK, it means you replaced things as needed instead of just for looks. The trash compactor color would definitely not make me turn walk out and rent something else -- I might not even notice, if I were a prospective renter -- but if you are going to change an appliance, that would be my vote instead of the stove. (This might be the place to remember that I am middle-aged and not swayed by stainless like younger HGTV-watching folks might be...)

One last last note. I like chrome faucets fine. They are less expensive too. Just my opinion.

The Costco description of the Hansgrohe says solid brass, so I guess no plastic parts? If you have a Costco warehouse nearby, it's easy to order online (since the warehouses usually carry different items) and then return to the warehouse if you don't like when you receive it or if there's a problem with it. The $150 is also $50 dollars off, which from a brief Google price search, is a good price for that faucet.

I'm sorry that I can't really help you with the faucet design question. The faucet is definitely a contemporary design but I don't know how "contemporary" fits into a "coastal, casually elegant" design aethestic that you want to move to.

Bummer that your trash compactor panel flip side is black! Since you do have a SS dishwasher, maybe get a SS panel for the compactor? At least that way the DW and compactor are SS, and the range and hood are white. Two colors instead of three. Here's a cheap suggestion, if you're open to it: get a Fastbo Wall Panel from Ikea and cut it down to fit the compactor. $19 might be worth a try. It's laminate so easy to trim. Or they prolly make a SS finish panel for your compactor, if you Google it.

cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea Fastbo Wall Panel

So, I went to a Home Depot and Lowe's to check out their faucets in person.

And, I'm a bit concerned after seeing their samples- most of their pull out/pull down faucets were not hanging properly in the head. I know they get abused more because they're samples, but I know my tenants will probably be rough too.

When people say to stay away from big box stores' faucets because they have plastic insides, what if Home Depot is selling the exact same faucet as a plumbing store?

HD sells many Kohler models, including the Kohler Forte. And, it seems like Pacific Sales specializes in the higher-end models but they also carried a Kohler Forte. They both looked the same, but HD's was cheaper than Pacific Sales so does that mean there's a catch? (I'm not going to get the Forte because when I googled it up, the phrase "Kohler Forte repairs" and "Kohler Forte leaking" were common phrases that showed up.)

So, Costco's Hansgrohe should be better because than what I can get from HD or Lowe's because it's all brass?

And, if I return the Hansgrohe in person to one of Costco's store, do I have to pay for shipping and handling then? This is a pretty obvious question, but I never buy anything from the internet because I'm so paranoid. (My email and computer have been previously hit with nasty stuff from internet).

Finally, for the trash compactor, I had previously ruled out getting a SS panel because it seemed a lot for a stopgap for something that wasn't even used.

That was before I found out about Ikea's Fastbo Wall Panel, but I still think I'm just going to trash the compactor because it takes up too much valuable kitchen space and nobody will use it because the kitchen is on the second floor.

At first, I was thinking about putting a non-electric wine rack in that space but the heat from the oven next to it will ruin the wines. And, then, I was thinking about pull-out trash cabinet but I'm concerned that it might attract rodents and pest. (It was a problem before, but I think its been taken care of.)

Now, I realize I should use that space for storage because this kitchen doesn't have enough cabinets. In the white kitchen picture, you're basically seeing all the cabinets in there. To the right, there's no upper cabinets because that was converted to a breakfast bar to connect the kitchen and the dining room. And, in the back, there's really no kitchen because they removed the cabinets to open a window for the view.

But, I'm not sure what's the best way to maximize storage if I take out the trash compactor. And, how hard or expensive it will be to match the cabinet door and hardware?