Bathroom Update: Kohler Purist Faucets + Crisis Averted

The bathroom is done!

Kidding (sorry, that was cruel).

But when you can use the toilet, bathe, AND brush your teeth in the same room (the same room!), you start to wonder what else could possibly be done to make this bathroom feel more complete...

Oh right, a few things - the dangling wires, for one, aren't an art installation.

But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!  The shower curtain rod was a special order and it just came in.  We're planning a shower curtain hack, so I'll be doing some late night sewing I'm sure.  The custom mirror was measured and ordered - the standard, in stock length is 72" and ours needs to be 72 3/4" so we were 3/4 of an inch away from having it immediately.  I had to laugh, but it's getting installed Friday (yay!) so I didn't have to wait long at all.  I picked up the replacement cabinet drawer fronts but I'm too nervous to unwrap them, so I stashed them under the vanity - which is ridiculous, I know.  Meanwhile, Hubby and I skipped ahead a few steps and even hung up some artwork.  Accessorizing this space - finally - makes me feels triumphant!

Kitchen Progress: That Sinking Feeling

The kitchen sink and faucet have been installed!  So have the counters.  And the drywall.  You know, when you live with naked insulation for awhile, bare drywall starts to look really fancy.  But don't let that fancy drywall and elegant window frame(lessness) detract your attention from the real showstopper: the faucet.

Do you remember how many moons ago I asked for your help choosing a new faucet for the kitchen, because Pfister had kindly offered to send me one for review?  The one we ultimately chose - the Lita - was not available right away and when it arrived we had already listed the townhouse for sale.  I think there were more votes for black, but Hubby really pushed for silver (as did some of you).  I'm thankful that I was convinced of the merits of the stainless finish - and not the black finish I loved - because we ended up sandbagging the faucet for the lakehouse kitchen, where the black wouldn't have worked with my plans.

The lovely Lita was straightforward to install.  You might remember that it's a pull down model, which is a feature we've become overly dependent upon.  Both the townhouse and lakehouse boasted older faucets with that feature, and it's handy for filling a pot of water on the counter, or winning a kitchen water fight.  We didn't even look at any models that weren't a pull down, we're that committed.  This one feels different, though: it's sturdy and slides smoothly, and then clicks back tightly into place.

It has two settings for spray, which is also a feature we prefer.  The old lakehouse faucet had this feature too, but it was broken, and I really missed it!  Stuff that works properly feels like a real novelty around here.

I'll keep you posted on durability and how the finish wears.  For the $449.00 MSRP (!), I'm expecting outstanding quality, and I hope to salvage the faucet for our phase II reno.  The shape is clean and modern, but not too trendy, so I hope it won't look tired in a few years.  Strangely, what drew Hubby and I to this style originally was the unassuming handle: some are really curvy and seem more traditional, while some really angular ones look exceptionally modern.  This one is so simple.  We like simple.

The sink is also a stunner, but it gave us a little trouble.  It's a beast - much larger than what was there before - but we found it at Costco for $199, which is a good price for a sink this size and quality.  Plus it was fun to put "kitchen sink" on our grocery list.  It's an Atlantis Commercial Grade Pro Series, in 18-gauge stainless steel.  The lower the gauge, the thicker the steel but I've read conflicting reports about whether the gauge really impacts durability.  Reportedly, around the 22-gauge mark, a stainless sink will be more prone to denting, but I think 18-gauge is pretty standard.  We'll see how this one wears.  It does have two stainless steel basin grids with rubber feet, which keeps knives and cutlery from scratching the bottom (plus it makes a good dry rack for the things I hand wash).  Hopefully the basin grids will keep this sink looking new.

We actually bought the sink in Ottawa and drove it up here to Thunder Bay.  I'm sure we measured . . . okay I'm not sure, I just assumed that sinks are a relatively standard overall size because I thought cabinetry was pretty standard.  Nope.  The front of the cabinetry needed to be shaved away to make room for the sink.  The weight of the counter mostly sits on the vertical supports so it shouldn't be a problem, but we can always add horizontal support pieces. 

The sink sits a little farther back than I envisioned, but it's as far forward as we can put it.

This sink has the option of under mount or drop-in and we chose the latter.  Under mount required a frame be built to support it, because it wasn't designed to attach to the underside of the counter.  Bah!  Too much work.  Plus, cutting the hole was tricky enough, without making it pretty enough to show off (it wasn't).  Hubby used a jigsaw to cut the hole and although he did an amazing job, there were some areas where the cut jogged a bit.  Not a problem for installation, just not show-pretty.

More relevant than our laziness, we love the sharp lines of this boxy sink and the rectangular edge looks perfect with our thick, blocky counters.  Hubby and I have been admiring the counters with the sink, and we're so happy we didn't hide most of the fanciest sink we've ever owner with under mount.  (Not that doing dishes in the laundry room sink wasn't fancy).  



As a reminder, here's the old sink and faucet (is the new one freakishly tall, or what?):

Because the new sink's shape and proportions are different than the old sink's, Hubs spent quite a bit of time under the sink playing plumber.  So long, in fact, that while he was on his stomach, fussing, Szuka wandered over and decided his bum would be a good place for a nice, long snooze. 



Disclosure: I was provide the Lita faucet for review, courtesy of Pfister, but was not asked to, or otherwise compensated for, providing a review.  Time will tell how well it wears, and I'll be sure to keep you posted on the faucet, and our new sink, once we've had a chance to break them both in. 

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I Need Your Thoughts: Black or Silver Kitchen Faucet?

Although we replaced the countertop in the kitchen and re-did the back splash a couple of years ago, we kept the original faucet because it was in okay condition and, frankly, we were desperate to save cash wherever we could.  We're of the "don't replace things that work fine" mentality.  Unfortunately, now the faucet is getting corroded and worn out, but it looks like I will have the opportunity to review a Pfister product, so an update is in our future!  We'd like to keep the pull out or pull down feature (ours pulls out), but the Hubs and I are divided on whether to get a stainless steel finish (to complement our silver light fixture and cabinet pulls) or black (like our main floor bathroom faucet).  Help us?

My case first: I like the black because our sink is brushed inside and stainless on the edge and I'm worried a chrome faucet will be like our current chrome faucet and not match exactly.  Plus the cabinet pulls and light are a brushed silver and that adds up to just a boatload of different silvers.  I think the black would be graphic and fun, and look great with the black accents in the kitchen and adjacent rooms.  I found two pretty and practical styles: the Cagney pull down faucet (left) and Shelton pull out faucet (right), both from Pfister.

 

Because it's a more unusual choice and you might not have seen one in action yet, here are a few beautiful kitchens sporting sharp black faucets.

Sköna Hem; Flea Market Trixie; The Blade

Hubby's case:  I think Hubby prefers the stainless steel and chrome finishes because they pair more subtly with the existing finishes, plus it's a more traditional choice.  Our kitchen is not super modern, so I think he wants to make sure the faucet suits the look of our kitchen.  He's also not convinced a stainless sink and black faucet work together.  He pointed out that two of the sinks in my inspiration shots are white.  He's sharper with this whole decorating thing than I thought!  He likes the Lita pull-down model . . .

. . . but honestly, right now we have quite a few more silver faucets short listed than black, making it tricky to decide!

Selia; Avanti; Mystique; Pasadena

As a refresher, here's a quick recap of the kitchen, including the newest additions.  But please don't look too closely at the first photo - the sink is not clean!

Help us decide and cast your vote in the comments!  Black or silver?  And, which style?  Anonymous comments always welcome :)

P.S. I haven't been asked (or paid or perked) to write this post.  I just need a little help making this decision before selecting a faucet to review.  Thanks so much for your input!

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