That DEA link had me vigorously nodding my head and when I got to the "beware" section, I identified completely. When I first started with "revival" attempts on my 1909 house, I was determined to restore and not renovate. I got completely turned around, however, when I began to deal with what true restoration means financially. As such, I am no longer a restoration purist. But I still dream! That sink is totally gorgeous, Ideagirl. If you are willing to put out for the costs of replacement/reproduction plumbing, IMHO there is no contemporary set-up that can beat it.

ORB---those will look great! What is behind your sink--wall/window? And what style faucet do you like--low and sleek, high gooseneck, etc? The reason I ask is that when I look at the faucet, it needs to have some contrast to what's behind it for it to show. So if your main view of the sink is with a stainless steel fridge as a backdrop, your faucet will kind of blend in a bit. If, however your main view is with a wall or window as a backdrop, then stainless or nickel--brushed or polished depending on which you like (matte/shiny) would look great too. Also, you can check out some of the white kitchens in FKB--there are a lot of white kitchens with soapstone or dark granite countertops and you might find the perfect faucet there!

We have two of these bridge faucets(both main sink and prep sink) and love them. They are SUPER heavy and beautiful... and.... far cheaper than others I've seen. b Here is a link that might be useful: great bridge faucet

It looks like a bathroom sink if you only show the small area around it like the first photo. Once you see it in the kitchen, it looks perfectly barry (barish? like a bar sink!). The faucets you have picked out both look bathroomy to me, but neither will when installed in a kitchen. Don't worry!