Like works of art, new faucets can add a bit of whimsy, set a tone, or even act as a central design focus. The range of styles and material choices have transformed these once strictly utilitarian details into architectural centerpieces. And many of the choices offer surprising functionality.

Form And Fashion

For purely dressing up the kitchen sink or adding finishing touches to the bath without exorbitant cost, nothing compares with some of the newest designs in faucets. But the many features included with bath and kitchen faucets also make them as marvelous to use as they are to behold.

Marrying function with appearance is the directive followed by kitchen faucet manufacturers. Innovations include kitchen faucets with pull-out sprayers incorporated right into the spout and others with highly arched spouts to allow for easy filling of pots or vases. All come in a stunning array of styles from classic to quirky. For the resident gourmet, some lines of kitchen faucets are available for home use that duplicate those found in fine restaurants.

Embellish the charm of a turn-of-the-century bath with Victorian faucets, which include scrolled knobs and a pewter finish to complement a claw foot tub and pedestal sink. Or for more contemporary tastes, use faucet sets in free-flowing shapes and colored ceramic finishes. You'll find dozens of options with simple, yet strong lines and sensual detailing. Of course, the standards are still available-cross handle knobs, lever, and ball handles, and simple straight spouts. What you'll discover, though, is that most of these time-honored designs have been given updated details, for a fresher, more unique look.

Shower heads are a category unto themselves. Satisfying the demand for more luxurious baths, manufacturers have heeded the call with showers that offer multiple nozzles and massaging sprayers with differing spray options. To accommodate both short and tall users, consider a showerhead that slides on a pole to different heights. A new option on some shower heads allows the head itself to be pivoted a full 360 degrees for the ultimate in positioning.

Many faucets for baths and kitchens have sensors that detect changes in pressure and temperature when water is being turned on at another faucet in the house. These marvels automatically adjust pressure and temperature to keep them more constant. Some even have anti-scald features.

Terrific finish

Typically, faucets are formed of either metal or plastic as their base. The best quality and longest-lasting are made from solid brass, but these are also the most expensive. Zinc-alloy bodies are durable and less costly than brass. Plastic varieties, while inexpensive, do not perform as well as the metal types.

Faucet finishes vary-from the standard chrome and brass to pewter and nickel. There are also combinations of finishes, such as chrome and brass. Higher-end versions include bisque and ceramic finishes, and fine metal overlays of gold or sterling silver for detailing.

You won't be limited in color choices-even if you decide on one of the metallic finishes. You'll find everything from classic polished or satin chrome and brass to brushed copper and nickel with deep bronze and warm silvery tones. The painted or enameled finishes allows you to coordinate with kitchen and bath design schemes.

Fittings

Different types of faucets for the kitchen, bath or wet bar are distinguished by the way the handles and spouts are arranged. Two-handled faucets are most commonly used in the bath and wet bars and feature a single base unit that holds the spout and both hot and cold valves. Single-handle faucets are handy in the kitchen. They include a center-set knob or lever above a spout, providing ease of use. Widespread faucets have hot and cold valves and spouts that are all mounted separately. They work well for wall mounted applications or for hard-to-fit high-design sinks and tubs.

You'll need to know about "centers"-the distance between the center of one handle and the center of the other. Kitchen sinks usually have 8-inch centers, but can be found in 6 inches. Lavatory faucets mounted on the basin usually have 4-inch centers, but can come in 6 or 8 inches. Wall mounted lavatory faucets can come in 4 1/2-inch centers as well as 6 inch. If you are replacing an old faucet, the easiest thing to do is take it with you to purchase a new one.