Kitchen Faucet Trends

By Leah Hennen

Think you've wandered into a restaurant-supply warehouse instead of your local home center? You haven't — you've simply stumbled upon one of the biggest trends in kitchen faucets: "profi" style.

These faucets give serious home chefs (and those who pretend to be) the industrial look of a professional kitchen and the hardworking features of a commercial-style faucet. These tall faucets (most are over two feet) add "high" drama to the kitchen. "It's a very sexy look," says Susan Serra, a New York City-area certified kitchen designer. The substantial size of these faucets also helps balance the six-burner ranges and double-door fridges in our increasingly expansive kitchens.

"A profi faucet is really versatile — it's terrific for cleaning, and you can bring the nozzle wherever you need it," Serra says. That includes using it to fill a nearby coffeemaker or pots on an adjacent cooktop, to water plants on the kitchen windowsill and even to reach more than one basin in a multi-sink work area.

Downside: The sheer size of these faucets can overpower a smaller kitchen. And — let's be honest — if you're likely to use your new profi only to rinse the plates on which you ate reheated takeout, investing in one is probably overkill. Finally, since the look is so trendy, "it may date itself in a few short years," says Serra.

Photo: Arezzo by www.elkayusa.com