Kitchen Faucet Trends

By Leah Hennen

Soft, matte finishes like stainless steel and brushed or satin chrome are the gold standard in today's kitchens — they look great in just about every style, coordinate easily with au courant stainless appliances and stone countertops, and have the added bonus of camouflaging fingerprints and water spots. But highly reflective finishes like chrome and polished nickel are making a comeback thanks to the rise of both modern and retro-style faucets, and Richard predicts that they'll continue to gain ground as touchless technology becomes more widespread (thus no worries about fingerprints on that pristine metal). "As forms in the kitchen become more varied, colors and finishes become more varied as well."

Bronze is another finish in strong demand right now: "It's the standard for a warm look in the kitchen," says Susan. In addition to the popular oil-rubbed bronze, newer variations include antique bronze, brazen bronze, olive bronze, mahogany bronze, Venetian bronze and antiqued copper. Distressed, dark gray finishes like pewter, antique nickel and gunmetal are emerging as well, and look elegantly antiquated on vintage and Old World fixtures.

And as it is across the home-decor landscape, "Black is very hot in kitchens right now," Susan says. "There's a simplicity and elegance to it." Noirish faucet finishes include optik black, black nickel and black satin. On the glitzier end of the spectrum, subdued gold-toned finishes like brushed bronze, satin gold and antique brushed brass are carving out a niche, bringing a bit of subtle bling to the kitchen and serving as updated alternatives to the shiny brass fixtures of yesteryear.

Photo: Faucet Finishes by www.kohler.com