My client in the Brooklyn kitchen project has had an over counter stainless steel sink that they really dislike – no sweeping crumbs from the counter right in – as bits of food get stuck in the edges all around. The faucet is corner mounted, not centered, and not pretty. The “she” part of the pair is dying for the farmhouse sink/faucet look, while the “he” part wants better functionality and more sink space. Both want the easier clean-up that comes with an undermounted sink.
A pair of icons in the kitchen renovation world these days are the Shaws fireclay farmhouse sink and the Perrin & Rowe bridge mixer faucet. If you are a design enthusiast this is not news, but even if not, you are sure to have noticed them as they have become a standard feature in many new kitchens designed to have a look of the past. There is a fair amount of debate out there as to whether this look is trendy, but as I have always loved it, I vote that it has moved into the category of classic, much like subway tiles and beadboard.
The gooseneck bridge mixer faucet with lever handles is most commonly seen, like the one here. The expression “bridge mixer” refers to the fact the hot and cold water are mixed together over the counter, in the “bridge” before it comes up the faucet. The high arching gooseneck means it is easy to fill pots. It has a separate sprayer and soap dispenser in this photo, and there are numerous other accessories. The farmhouse or apron front sink is a seamless clay bowl set on top of the cabinet and under the edge of the counter on either side – not sure if this is actually a Shaws brand one or not.
A similar faucet crowns a real Shaws sink here. You can see the Shaws diamond-shaped trademark stamped in the bowl of the sink.
This bridge faucet has old-fashioned cross handles instead of levers. I adore these grey cabinets, but they are a bit too country for this renovation. Perhaps for the beach house?
The faucet in question.
Another version of the Perrin and Rowe faucet has a scrolled Provence shaped neck in lieu of the high arch. It seems to be almost as popular. It really stands out in Joni’s kitchen renovation. You can see she has a Shaws brand sink too.
I worry the high gooseneck might be very splashy and that this one may be easier to use. I also find it a bit dressier.
The Provence shaped version.
Now here is my major faucet question and I put it out there for all to answer, especially if you have experience with this issue, but even if you don’t and just want to offer an opinion. As lovely and pleasing to the eye as these faucets are, in a modern world, are we actually going to use a faucet that requires two hands or two turns to get the water to its desired temperature? This would not be hard for me to answer for myself, as I was all set to keep the original single taps on my vintage bathroom sink. But as my current client has a single lever faucet, can they ever be happy going back in time to turning two levers to mix the water temperature? Is this actually a big issue? Is it something that is easy to get used to? Or will the “he” of the project (who does most of the cooking) be annoyed with the “she” (and me) forever?
The solution perhaps, lies in this or a similar single lever version of the Perrin and Rowe faucet. While there is some visual compromise, the overall styling and functionality of the single lever might be the solution.
It looks beautiful in this kitchen by Molly Frey Design, especially with the addition of the hand sprayer, soap dispenser and filtered water dispenser (which will be much-needed if we cover the refrigerator with a cabinet panel and no longer have a door mounted water dispenser). I keep returning to this photo over and over again and find myself satisfied every time. What about you?
Perrin & Rowe faucets have a very hefty price tag and there are numerous lower priced versions of these faucets produced by other manufacturers. As we hammer out the budget over the next few days, where to skimp and where to splurge will become part of the equation. For me, the faucet is the jewelry of the room, so I want it to be just right. I’ll report back on what we decide.
As for the sink, the Shaws fireclay is the gold standard and again the price tag reflects that. Fireclay sinks are made of clay and fired at an intense heat of over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This causes the clay to become very hard, producing a durable and nonporous material that is ideally useful as sink material. The simple shape and deep rectangular bowl is visually satisfying and maximizes sink space while its placement under the edge of the counter means it is easy to do a clean sweep straight into the sink.
Moving progressively down the price scale is this Franke version…
…even less expensive options include this Barclays fireclay sink…
…and the Belle Foret fireclay sink.
These are all examples of plain styles, which is what we are shopping for, but they are also available with fluted and patterned inserts and overhanging lips. What I have yet to discover is whether there is a difference in actual quality between the brands or is it simply a matter of small differences in the styling and the name brand. The Shaws website states:
“Our ceramic kitchen sinks are manufactured with a hand applied, durable glaze and are resistant to scratches, stains and chips. We stringently test the integrity and durability of our sinks to exhaustion so there’s virtually no need to ever replace one of our sinks as a result damage sustained during normal domestic use.”
Does this hold true for them all? Have you had any experience with stains, chips or other issues? I’m going to troll the google universe later and see what the reports are, but I’d love first hand feedback. I assume a sink protector rack is a good thing to buy as I always recommend them for any porcelain type sink.
Hand in glove with the sink decision is the countertop material decision. More on that next, as well as debates on appliances and possibly (?) adding color.
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You know the way I think…in my first house I had the Shaws sink and a two handle faucet very similar to the one in your picture. When we moved into our current house, I again put in a farmhouse sink (soapstone this time), but I also put in another 2 handle bridge faucet. I was fine adjusting the water with two handles. To me , it was worth it for “the look”. I loved both sinks and faucets!!!
No issues with stains or chipping? Did you use a dish rack in the bottom?
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I have bought and am about to redo an old house in France. I have an original farmhouse sink like that and a draining board of the same material. Te sink was used by the family for making wine for years and the draining board was in the garden, so goodness knows what other uses they had. I think that I am going t go with the local version of your two handled tap.
I have been canvassing people and it seems as though most people don’t mind the two handed option (perhaps a generational thing? We all started out that way) and my green thinking friends point out that the hot- cold option means that you don’t trigger a run on the hot water without meaning to, and that you don’t have to run the cold for a while to get non heated drinking water…so ecologically a better deal to go with two.
A note, though….I reefer the cleaner lines of your first option and wonder whether those handles might not be easier to manipulate than the second lot?
Your sink and drainboard sound amazing as they are the real deal and I love hearing that they have held up so well, even with heavy use. And I agree, if we go with the two handled tap version, I think the lever handles are much easier to nudge on than the cross handles.
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Ah….and this sink is at least 50 years old and although the ceramic surface is worn, it is impressive in that there are no cracks or chips, especially since someone was bottling wine in it for at least 20 of those years….
Didn’t know you were a plumbing expert as well. So many hats you have! I am still waiting for your show to air on HGTV so I can watch you do all this stuff someday!
I went through a similar questioning process when I remodeled. Decided I had to splurge on the Shaw sink. Loved the look of the Rohl 2 handled fixture but prefer the convenience of the single lever. I decided to go with a version similar to the one you pictured with the single lever. I have no regrets. So much easier to use and to adjust the temp of the water with the single lever. The style can be just as charming in my opinion. Now I want to redo my laundry room with the same sink. I think it is worth the price for the Shaw.
Best of luck–whatever you decide will be right for you.
Is your sink holding up well, in terms of scratches or chips? Do you find it at all hard to care for?
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The Shaw sink has been wonderful so far–no problems at all. I use Bar Keeper Friend to clean it and that seems to be all it needs.
Our kitchen faucet is a single handle, but we went with a double-handle for the bathroom downstairs. I think it’s just as intuitive to use a two-handled faucet; my question for a kitchen application would be if there are times when you only have one hand free – I’m thinking of grabbing a handful of strawberries out of the fridge to wash, but then you would really only need cold water anyway. Perhaps the hubs should decide?
I am almost sure he will say no to the two handles, but you never know! We’ll see after I present the choices…
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We put a Brizo version of the bridge mixer faucet in our master bath when we did our renovation last year. It’s perfect – I love the look and have no issues with using two hands. We have an incredibly similar single handle faucet in our kitchen that was put in approximately 5 years ago. Personally I would not go to a two-handle faucet in the kitchen, there are just too many times I’m turning the faucet off or on with my wrist while finagling a pot in the other to mess with two handles. That said, maybe your client is much more adept in the kitchen than I am!!!
That is the key difference between the bathroom and kitchen – the pot juggling, hands full scenario. I would never install a single lever in a bathroom situation – I really don’t like it for both form and function reasons!
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I vote for the one handle faucet – I rarely have two clean hands free to turn on the tap in the kitchen. Two handles would be routinely challenging for me!
My husband insisted on a two handled kitchen sink faucet and I have hated it since we put it in. I never have two hands free in the kitchen, so I inevitably use the hot lever only. I can’t count the number of times I’ve come close to burning my hands. In this case, I would choose function over style.
I opted for the single handled Brizo! I even sprung for a foot pedal so I don’t even have to use my hands to turn the water on! It is awesome in my bustling kitchen! I LOVE IT (and you too!!)
Interesting point you bring up with the 2 handle versus 1 debate – I never really thought about it but we have a one handle right now that I love and it is very easy. I don’t think I’d have trouble going back to a 2 handle version but it would take some getting used to. Glad to have found your blog.
Single handle in the kitchen, unless one has staff and footmen and what have you. How did that faucet end up in the corner like that? So odd! And why the current sink is not an undermount is perplexing to me as well. 😉 Anyway, yes, undermounts are a must. I had a massive farmhouse sink in my previous kitchen – I can’t say I loved it. Are you sure a farmhouse sink isn’t going to occupy too much visual space? Should the sink become a focal point, situated where it is with a straight view from the front door? The faucet choices are lovely, but I srongly encourage single handles. And I’m partial to pull out sprayers having had both versions in recent kitchens. Happy to be back to the pullout in my current kitchen, but I like less visual clutter. Don’t forget a soap dispenser! Can’t wait to see how this all turns out.
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Since no one has brought this up, I feel that a fireclay sink is more prone to breaking glassware and pottery. A stainless farmhouse or single bowl under-mount is much ‘softer.’ If you use crystal or delicate items frequently, you will break some in a clay sink. That is also why I prefer hardwoods in the kitchen as opposed to tile. As for the bridge faucet, I definitely think it should be the choice for those of us desiring a classic look for our kitchen. But I am going to put in foot pedals when I install it in the house we are building. After doing some research, they are only like $300ish to install directly tapping into your water lines in the back of your sink. The extra expense is worth it as it’s our way of ‘going green’ so we don’t just leave water running while we wash hands, dishes, etc.
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