What’s your kitchen style?
The first step in choosing tapware is to consider the design of your kitchen – is it contemporary or traditional? Quirky or formal? Make sure your tap of choice fits seamlessly with the rest of room to avoid a disjointed looking space.
For example, a tap with sharp angles and straight lines may look good in a similarly finished kitchen, while a softer curve may be more appropriate if your home is going for a more elegant look. You could also consider adding a pop of colour to inject some vibrancy!
Phoenix Vivid Slimline Sink Mixer 220mm Gooseneck in Brushed Gold
What type of taps are available?
Sink Mixers
The most common tap found in the kitchen is a sink mixer. It’s the most versatile tap to have installed in a kitchen because it allows control over the spout. The handle also allows for ease of use when turning the water on.
Vivid Slimline Squareline Sink Mixer in Matte Black. Image: Studio Black Interiors
Pull Out Sink Mixers
Pull out sink mixers feature a single, pull out hand piece. Each mixer is designed for greater water direction control, and many additionally include a 360-degree swivel spout for enhanced functionality.
Phoenix Vivid Slimline Multi-Function Sink Mixer
Hob Sets
Particularly suited to recessed sinks, hob sets are mounted directly to the benchtop and come with an outlet and taps. Stylish and durable, hob sets are a great alternative to sink mixers.
Vivid Slimline Hob Sink Outlet 220mm Gooseneck in Matte Black and Vivid Slimline Hob Mixer in Matte Black
Tapware Sets
Tapware sets include a spout and hot and cold taps installed on your benchtop or wall, offering a more traditional look. The main advantage of these taps is the greater degree of control you get over water flow and temperature with two handles at your disposal. Tapware sets are available in the classic arrangement of having the outlet in between the hot and cold taps.
Radii Wall Sink Set in Chrome
How about finishes?
The colour of your sink will impact on the finish of the taps you choose, so it’s a good idea to plan your kitchen tap ideas well in advance of your having a full kitchen makeover.
For example, if you’ve chosen a white kitchen sink, a brushed gold kitchen tap will create an attractive contrast. Alternatively, you might prefer the monochromatic look, in which case you’ll want to marry the finish of your tap with your sink – black kitchen taps look striking when paired with a black kitchen sink, for instance.
Vivid Slimline Sink Mixer Gooseneck in Brushed Nickel. Image: Build Her Collective
At Phoenix, we have created aguide to our myriad colour finishesranging from matte black, to brushed nickel to blush pink and everything in between. But here’s a quick rundown of some of our most popular finishes.
Brushed Nickel
Soft and satin, our brushed nickel adds a toned-down, pared back look as part of our contemporary finish collection. It has a warm, soft metallic appearance with surface brushed lines, which suits white and light-coloured granite or marble, as well as stainless steel sinks.
Matte black
Confident and stylish, matte black is a finish designed to make a statement. It complements bold, monochromatic environments but flourishes in bright and colourful surroundings too. If pairing with a lot of white, try using a touch of timber to tone down the styling.
Brushed gold
Flawlessly on-trend, our brushed gold is part of our contemporary range of finishes. Taking styling to a new level, it’s a warm tone with soft surface lines and a gentle metallic hue, providing for a truly modern take on traditional gold finishes for contemporary spaces styled with other soft metallic finishes.
Chrome
Versatile and flexible, chrome is one of our most classic finishes. Not only does chrome suit a wider variety of colours used within the kitchen, but will also compliment overall schemes and textures, including timber, stone, or a monochromatic black and white palette.
Nostalgia Pull Out Sink Mixer in Chrome
What else do I need to consider?
One of the biggest considerations you should make when choosing your kitchen tapware is the size and height of the spout in relation to your sink bowl. Both can affect how easy your tap is to access and use, so you want to choose one that will best suit your needs.
A spout that reaches the centre of the bowl is most convenient, and swivel taps, which move from side to side, can offer greater flexibility as they allow you to position the tap between two separate sinks.
Blix Flexible Hose Sink Mixer
If you use a lot of large bowls and pans, a high spout will make washing up much easier, as will a pull-out sink mixer, which has a retractable spray head allowing easy access around the bowl for cleaning pots and pans. They are also frequently used for rinsing fruit and veg, or for filling a large kettle or bowl that won’t fit in the sink.
Need more inspiration? Take a look through ourGallery Pageandcheck out our complete kitchen tap collection.
