Your kitchen is the heart of the home, and its design deserves careful consideration. When renovating our kitchen, functionality was obviously key, but I was after a certain level of charm so our new kitchen didn’t feel too sterile. Carefully selected plumbing fixtures can really add a lot of charm to your kitchen.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Vintage Tub & Bath. As always, all opinions are my own.
Our home was built in 2002, so it really lacks any original architectural charm. But growing up in a home built in the early 1900s, I crave classic touches you can only find in an older home. I wouldn’t say a cottage kitchen is necessarily my style, because I’m definitely more on the transitional end of things, but stealing some cottage core details was certainly a goal.
Our entire kitchen is only about 144 square feet. Given its small size we had to be smart about maximizing storage space when making our kitchen updates and didn’t have much wiggle room for superfluous features.
The challenge – I didn’t want this expensive home improvement project to end up looking like just an updated version of the builder grade kitchen we started with. An easy way to avoid this is to be thoughtful with small details. Kitchen plumbing fixtures can really set your kitchen apart from the builder grade bore and good news, they don’t take up any extra room.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how specific plumbing fixtures, such as the bridge faucet, apron sink, and pot filler, can really up the cozy factor of your kitchen. Let’s talk about how to get your dream kitchen with some unique kitchen design elements.
Bridge Faucet: A Timeless Elegance
With so many styles of kitchen faucets to choose from it can be overwhelming and lead to decision fatigue. The bridge faucet is a classic choice that seamlessly combines functionality with timeless design. Its unique arched spout and two handles connected by a bridge create a little extra interest around your kitchen sink. Our sink is located in the peninsula of our U-shaped kitchen layout making the faucet a focal point when you look into the space. The blend of vintage inspiration and sophistication of a bridge faucet was a perfect choice to add charm to the overall look of the kitchen.
Apron Sinks Don’t have to Scream Farmhouse
I’m not sure why apron sinks got such a farmhouse reputation, because they truly are classic! Also known as a farmhouse sink, this fixture features a large, exposed front that extends beyond the edge of your countertop.
For our new sink, we went with a fluted front apron style which adds to the vintage-inspired look of our new kitchen. I absolutely love how deep and wide it is (30 inches wide). It was well worth the extra room it takes up even in our small kitchen. The practical benefits made an apron sink the right choice for us. The increased basin depth and easier accessibility makes doing dishes less fussy than in the shallow, stainless steel split sink we had before.
I love how the white porcelain looks against our taupe kitchen cabinets. The fluted detail adds so much charm!
Pot Filler: Practical Luxury
Let’s talk about one of my favorite features in the kitchen. The pot filler! Also known as a kettle faucet, a pot filler is literally the definition of when function meets luxury.
Mounted on the wall near your stove or cooktop, this fixture eliminates the need to carry heavy pots filled with water from the sink. For our kitchen, we went with a beautiful quartz backsplash (as opposed to a tile backsplash) which is simply an extension of our quartz countertops. The addition of the pot filler here really added some vintage charm and made the blank white slate feel a lot warmer.
How to choose a finish for kitchen plumbing fixtures…
For our kitchen plumbing fixture we went with polished nickel. When compared to chrome, polished nickel gives off the same shiny appearance but with a slightly warmer finish.
Because we were mixing metals in the kitchen to give it a nice, lived-in look, I wanted a finish that would reflect the colors around it (as would anything polished). The warmer hue of nickel compliments the antique brass finishes throughout the rest of the kitchen really beautifully.
Elevating the charm of your kitchen involves careful consideration of plumbing fixtures that not only serve their functional purpose but also contribute to the overall design. I am so pleased with the bridge faucet, apron sink, and pot filler from Vintage Tub & Bath which add so much personality to what could have been a pretty basic kitchen renovation. New plumbing fixtures can add a lot of character and just may be what your kitchen needs to give you that old kitchen feel.
Girl Behind the Blog
I’m Jess, the creator of Oak & Grain. A mid-west girl at heart who now resides in Raleigh, NC. I love finding old things and giving them new purpose by way of refinishing or incorporating unexpected, overlooked thrift store finds in the modern home. I work full-time in medicine and I love dipping into my creative side and in the process, keeping my sanity. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube to see more behind the scenes action.
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