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northcarolina_gw

New faucet looks ridiculous -- or not? (overthinking again)

northcarolina
12 years ago

I decided our old dying faucet wouldn't last until the kitchen redo, so I ordered a new one last week. It arrived today and... oh my goodness, this thing is huge. It was big in the showroom too, but they all were, so it looked almost normal there. Do you get used to this? The old one is actually a bar/prep faucet, I think. And we are used to looking at a white faucet on a white sink against a white backsplash, so obviously chrome is going to stand out. But but but.

I haven't installed it yet so it's not too late; I can still exchange it. I chose shiny chrome because I like chrome and it fits in our old house (at least it does in the bathrooms). I bought a pulldown because it seems more ergonomic than a pullout. But a pullout wouldn't be so TALL.

Here is what it looks like propped up on some books, with a mug for size reference. The nozzle thing is not attached, so that will be another 3.5" of bulbous chrome hanging down. (see link below for how it looks put together.) When we redo the kitchen, the sink/counter/doors/hardware will all change, and the new sink won't be under the window either (I think). DH says he officially has no opinion even though I warned him that having no opinion meant that I would probably post a picture for total strangers to look at on the kitchen forum. So... ridiculous, or OK, or probably OK if everything around it changes? (It looks bigger/sillier in real life than in the photo.) Ew, that stained caulk needs to come out, don't look at that.

{{!gwi}}

I am thinking way too much about this...

Here is a link that might be useful: Moen Brantford

Comments (40)

  • gardenpea_gw
    12 years ago

    I know exactly how you feel. I,too, thought they all looked huge but ended up buying the Delta Saville at Lowe's. Got it home and was actually almost in tears it looked so huge propped up in the sink like in your picture. I came close to swapping for a pull out for the sme reason you stated. The cabinet installer said it would look much better in the space once the granite and new sink were installed. He was right. It looked so much better and not so huge once everything else was in place. I love it now. Maybe that will be the sme for you once it's in. Made. World of difference. I just knew I'd have a faucet up in my face blocking the view and overwhelming the space. Didn't happen, though.

  • sail_away
    12 years ago

    I like your choice of faucets. I had the same situation---had to choose a faucet NOW that would work for right now but also be okay when we start redoing the kitchen. I felt the same way about the tall faucets looking out of place, so I actively looked for one that wasn't as ridiculously tall. I was happy to find one shorter than the rest, but it is just under 15" tall---not much different from yours. I was worried that, because I had such a low profile faucet before, it would be way too large for me. But it really is okay. Frankly, I don't think the pulldown spray part of your faucet looks bulbous at all; also, I think once it's attached it will actually tend to make the faucet look less tall, rather than taller because your eye will go to that portion of the faucet, rather than the highest part of the faucet arc.

    I agree that the new faucet will look better once the rest of the transformation is done, but I also think it's fine now, too.

  • badgergal
    12 years ago

    It does look quite tall in your picture. I looked up the specs in the link you provided. It says it is 15.72 inches high. My new faucet ( ladylux cafe) is a similar style so I checked it's specs and it is 13.5 inches tall. I would not want mine any taller than it already is. You might want to check out a few other brands to see how yours compares.

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    12 years ago

    Remember that you current faucet is rather on the small size, too,( it appears to me) which makes the new one look even bigger.
    Will your new sink be bigger too?

    Your current layout BTW, at least the part in the picture, is identical to my dishwasher/sink/window/outlet/wall cabinet! although I don't think my single basin sink is as large.

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    My faucets are huge also. I knew how large they would be, but when I opened the boxes my breath caught for a moment. Now that they are installed, I don't find them unusually tall. They look in scale. I love them!

    I think a big reason yours looks huge to you is that you're used to the little mini you have now. That one, no offense, looks like a toy to me. I think you'll get used to the size, and that you'll find the function of a taller, longer pulldown that reaches farther into your sink worlds ahead of your mini.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    the one you have now is huge compared to the one I have... it's the old type, basically straight forward type.

    I think a lot will depend on how your sink, counter etc end up looking with it. I think it looks too big for in front of a window but you're saying it most likely won't be, so it might be ok then.

    I like higher faucets than the really old ones (like mine) but I don't care for the really huge ones. I'm looking at those about 9 or 10" high. that'll probably be about what your old one is.

    have you seen any pics of a sink set up like you plan to have with a faucet that high? check some out and see how they look all finished. That'll probably tell you what you want to know. Maybe some here have one that height with a sink like you want and can post a pic of it.

  • Buehl
    12 years ago

    I think it looks fine. In fact, your old faucet looks too small for the sink! The new one appears to be more to scale with your sink than the old one.

    How wide will your new sink be?


    Mine is 16-5/8" tall with a 9-1/2" reach; my sink is 35" wide overall.


    Mine is in front of a window though...

  • jscout
    12 years ago

    Take a deep breath...Now step out of Lilliput and back into Gulliver's world. You'll be fine.

    Just want to share a story with you for some perspective. My wife and I have a good sized family room. For a few years after we moved in, we watched TV on a 27" screen from 14 feet away. And when we could finally afford it, we shopped for a big screen TV to replace the little one. I picked out a big 65" HDTV and took her to the store to see it to make sure she'd be fine. Mind you, this was before flat screen was affordable and it was a rear projection. She ok'd it and I bought it. I stayed home from work, received the TV and set it up. When she came home from work, she walked in, saw the TV and immediately broke out into tears and yelled, "It's too big!" Most guys would take great pride hearing this from a woman. :) But not me at least not in this case. Her immediate reaction was to send it back. I managed to calm her down and convinced her to give it a few days. After we watched Grease together a couple of times she realized, "This is like being in a theater."

    Sounds familiar? ;)

  • boxerpups
    12 years ago

    I love your faucet. It will be perfect.
    Pat yourself on the back.
    ~boxer

  • celticmoon
    12 years ago

    I felt the same about mine: WAY TOO BIG!

    But I was wrong. It is fine. Great in fact. (The higher arc makes everything so much easier).

    And the old one would look funny and puny to me now.

  • CEFreeman
    12 years ago

    It's shocking, isn't it? [LOL]

    I would take the word of the folks who are experienced in size. Hmmm. did that come out right?

    My own faucet is almost 15" tall, but it's more delicate with a side sprayer, so I can't compare.

    But I do like yours and it can't be decided until it's really in place. Just ... keep your receipt.

    I think, though, you'll end up loving it.
    Christine

  • nini804
    12 years ago

    Plus...when you re-do your kitchen, will you have an undermount sink and install the faucet in the counter? That will also make a difference! I love big faucets! I remember, about 7 years ago when we finally got granite counters and an undermount sink in my previous house...the big, arched faucet was SUCH a difference...but I LOVED it. I think you will quickly get used to your pretty, new, faucet once it is installed.

  • northcarolina
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Y'all are funny! I am still laughing at the Gulliver comment. Thanks so much, I feel better now. I have also just spent a good bit of time looking at pictures of sinks that are not under a window as suggested, and you're right, the tall faucets look just fine there as long as there is clearance underneath the upper cabinet. Maybe a bit better than under the window because there is no horizontal line bisecting the spout.

    Go ahead and make fun of my little faucet; I didn't choose it so that's OK. [grin] I didn't even know it was a small one for a long time, because really, who ever thinks about the kitchen faucet unless it breaks. (...) Our plumber was the one who told me that it was really a prep faucet. The other houses I've lived in had the short flatter style. The small size of the old faucet hasn't been a problem except that I do have to lean forward a bit to rinse things under it. The new (Brobdingnagian) one actually has a fairly short reach, only about 1/2 - 3/4" further than the little one, so I hope that will not be a problem. It looks as though the water will come out at an angle instead of straight down, so I think that will help.

    For those who asked, my current sink is about 33" wide externally and 30" wide internally. The new sink is not yet set in stone (ba ha ha) because I have not figured out my countertop; that is, laminate (ergo a topmount sink) is still a possibility. But the sinks that are on my list have about the same internal dimensions as the old one, though less visual weight because they would not have that thick outside rim.

    Thanks again! Oh, and I am not ignoring those of you who thought it was indeed too tall. I understand, and I am hoping it won't be so bad since I would rather have a pulldown than pullout and they all seem to be well over a foot high.

  • tress21
    12 years ago

    northcarolina,

    I think the faucet is beautiful. I too worried about the enormous height of my new faucets (about the same size as yours) but once we finished, they look perfectly to scale.

    Please measure your countertops and choose your sink carefully to be sure that you will have enough room for your new faucet, especially if it is to be mounted in the countertop behind your new sink. I can't find the thread, but last year someone posted here with pictures of a beautiful new sink and faucet in front of a window like yours, and there was no space for the handle of the faucet to turn (it needs some clearance behind). She'd chosen a too-big sink and needed to bump out the counters, and no one had caught the mistake until it was too late. I'd guess she's not the only one with this problem, because many of us are replacing top-mount sinks with built-in plumbing holes with new sinks where the faucet is drilled into the counter behind the sink (like buehl's) and therefore need more clearance.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago

    >there was no space for the handle of the faucet to turn (it needs some clearance behind)

    Most often you can mount the faucet with the handle on the front in this situation and some people do that even when there's enough room so that wet hands drip more into the sink instead of on the counter.

  • dianalo
    12 years ago

    I am sorry but it looks out of scale to me. I'd also worry about splashing with how high it lets the water out. I would want one a little more toned down, but the shape and handle on this is quite nice. Does this brand come in a smaller size? Bigger isn't always better.... I think this one is meant to be a statement faucet and to me, a faucet is not one of the elements for which I am looking for the wow factor. If everything is a wow, then nothing is special.

  • Fori
    12 years ago

    Been there done that and it looks good. Mine was huger. You've seen my faucet. Totally out of proportion before AND after remodel and I didn't care. You could see it from down the block! Yours is delicate enough in style that it'll be just fine.

    Remember, even if it looks HORRIBLE (it doesn't), a kitchen is primarily a working room. It's all about function! And also that faucet is pretty and they're all big these days and it'll look even better after you remodel. That's not big. THIS is big:

    See that black air gap cover? From before remodel. Didn't replace it until I moved out and put the place on the market, at which point I swapped the air gap cover for the one in my new-needs-remodeling kitchen.

    I have an air gap from two houses and three kitchens ago!!! Me off topic? Never!

  • a2gemini
    12 years ago

    So glad to see other people are "overthinkers"
    I had to laugh as our remodel will start in March and our kitchen faucet died the other day. I wanted to leave it alone and just use the knob under the sink but DH had other ideas and the next thing is the faucet is out and can't be put back into place. His friend had a faucet that would work but it turned out to be dripping also - so they tried to fix it and it broke. So then, they attached a wrench to the cold water to turn it on and off. So, I went down to HD and purchased the cheapest faucet in the store to hold us over.
    Now, I definitely can't wait til my Waterstone PLP arrives! We are going to wait to install it until the kitchen remodel and a "real" plumber!!!
    I think your faucet will be fine - just be careful turning it on - a lot more water can pop out of these faucets and can create a mess if you aren't careful.

  • weedmeister
    12 years ago

    It depends on what you're going to do for the remodel. your old one is too small. This one is a bit large.

  • LMM170
    12 years ago

    I almost died when I opened the box. The faucet looked huge. I think they all look big until they are installed. Mine now looks great. I love it. I would not have a smaller one. The utility is amazing. Don't fret. You will be ok.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My faucet

  • northcarolina
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks you all who have commented today. :) I have been underneath the sink off and on trying to remove the old faucet. I love our local hardware store -- the fellow in plumbing lent me a basin wrench so I wouldn't have to buy one... he wasn't sure it would work because the connections are kind of odd. I ended up having to do some Internet hunting to find out how the supply lines hooked in because there are no nuts to be seen. But guess what, it turns out that Grohe still makes this faucet and one can be yours (in chrome or nickel) if you want, triangular handles and all. So I got the most important stuff disconnected (the spout broke off in my hand when I lifted it out -- corroded around the bottom -- no wonder it was leaking) but the last weirdly-shaped connection holding the base onto the sink has got us beat. DH came home to all this but even the two of us working together couldn't loosen that last fitting. So I might end up calling our plumber after all... of course he could have had the whole thing taken care of in about 20 min if he'd come in at the start.

    All of which is to say, once the old one is out I will be able to set the new one in the hole in the sink, and then I can see how it will really look. I had thought of the handle clearance issue because our backsplash is 0.75" thick and this faucet's handle does have a considerable swing both ways -- but I want to mount it handle-forward, so it'll be OK.

    The Faucet Saga. Just wait till it's time for countertops. lol.

  • Redhead47
    12 years ago

    I have a similar faucet -- Moen Anabelle -- in my new kitchen reno. It's also in front of a window, over a deep undermount double-bowl sink. I love it! There are no problems with splashing. I also installed a small faucet similar to your old prep sink one, for filtered water (undercounter filter). Love that one, too. The large faucet is in the center, the small one is in the right hand corner.

    I think you will be happy with your faucet once it is installed in your new kitchen. Like others have said, it's just a bit of a shock after seeing your very small old faucet.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My new Moen faucet

  • sail_away
    12 years ago

    I posted earlier and mentioned that I, too, was forced to buy a new faucet before I wanted to, and I was also concerned about how tall all of the faucets I like are. Not only am I perfectly satisfied with the height of the faucet, but in just a few days I realized how much easier it was to rinse my dishes, produce, or whatever with the higher faucet. I'm hoping you'll find it more convenient, also.

  • zelmar
    12 years ago

    The functionality of the tall faucet was the overriding factor when I decided on faucets for both of our sinks. The faucet at our prep sink is taller than the sink is wide.

    I hated our old (typical to the 80's) faucet. Snaking large stock pots and baking pans around it was difficult. I thought tall faucets were odd looking when I first saw them but I realized the height would make them a lot easier to use than any faucet I ever had experience with. After we put in our 2 pull down faucets with our reno, they still looked odd to me and my eye constantly went straight to them whenever I walked into the kitchen. It took me a good 1-2 weeks to get used to seeing them but then they became part of the landscape. They've been as functional as I had hoped and they have made certain kitchen chores much simpler. My sink can be full of dirty pots and baking pans and I am still able fit a tea kettle under the faucet to fill it.

    My experience, in any sink I've used, is that splashing is more a matter of the force of the water stream than the height of the faucet. Our water pressure isn't great and I have absolutely no splashing when our water is in stream mode. I do get splashing with the more forceful spray mode but that's typical with any sprayer I've ever used, tall faucet or low faucet. Where an item is held in relation to the faucet head also makes a difference with splash. Holding something close makes more splash, no matter what the faucet. A tall faucet enables me to hold items further down in the stream of water.

    How good something looks often depends on what our eye is used to. As the taller faucets become more and more common, they are going to start blending into the background more.

    I think your faucet looks both beautiful and functional.

  • annettacm
    12 years ago

    jscout, you cracked me up. Great story.

    I love the faucet. I think it'll look great. No worries!

  • lascatx
    12 years ago

    Splashing is also worse in the shallower sinks. A deeper sink and a taller faucet will actually allow you to wash easier and have less splashing (unless the faucet reach puts it too close to the edge). I think your faucet looks great. It is similar to the Whithaus one I got and love.

  • brianadarnell
    12 years ago

    Is that the Brantford? I have the Brantford and it is great! Don't overthink. You'll get used to it.

  • northcarolina
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all! That Anabelle faucet is very pretty. Brianadarnell, yes, this is the Brantford. I hope the Reflex works as well as the reviews say it does.

    The funny thing is that once the spout is installed, it will be almost the same height from the sink as the spout of the old faucet, just with a huger arch up above. I don't know that I need all that much arch, but having a more-usable spray head will be very nice.

    Today I continued to fight the final nut holding the old faucet in place and finally gave up, just a few threads away from getting it all the way off. Plumber is coming tomorrow and then I will be able to try out the new one for the first time. I doubt he will have the patience (or if I will want to pay him) to hold it in place while I step back and decide if I like it after all, so I guess it's mine now. ha. Thank you all again for the reassurance! And for those of you who think that it might be too big -- we'll just hope it fits in with the next iteration of the kitchen. At the moment I just want running water in my kitchen again.

  • Fori
    12 years ago

    I had to send the spouse under the sink with a Dremel tool to get the darn things off my bathroom faucet. Those plastic nuts are bad.

  • Bunny
    12 years ago

    I'm glad I found this thread. My faucet is like Godzilla. It's a beautiful Hansgrohe Talis C and it seems enormously oversized. Not to be rude, but it reminds me of a stallion's member, or an elephant's. And, after a shallow dual-bowl sink, my deep 30" single-bowl is like a stadium.

    So you're telling me I'll get used to it? My stuff is still in boxes and I'm washing just a plate, bowl and one set of utensils as I use them, so maybe once I'm back using my kitchen normally I'll appreciate it all. Right now, I'm not loving my faucet.

  • northcarolina
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Linelle, I think you will get used to it. Mine has been in for what, 3 weeks now? and it still looks ridiculous if I think about it, but I don't notice it anymore. It works beautifully and is much easier to use than my old one, so I am willing to forgive it for making my old chipped countertop and stained sink look a bit dingy. lol. Privately I can still agree with you that these big pull-down faucets look just a bit silly. Oh well, they work great so there you go. :)

  • Bunny
    12 years ago

    northcarolina, thank you, they do look silly. One of my problems may be that the counters are still bare, half the doors aren't on the cabs, no backsplash, so the faucet stands like a colossus over the cavernous sink. I seriously wonder about my design choice, but I'll just have to live with it. I'm not sure whether I'll name it Godzilla or Seabiscuit.

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Linelle--I have two Hansgrohe faucets almost identical to yours.

    As I mentioned above, they did seem enormous in the box. But now that I'm living in the kitchen with them, they don't look too large. Once they are installed and you have the rest of your kitchen accoutrements back in, the faucet won't seem out of place. I love, love, love the functionality of a pulldown and think the faucets are beautiful. (Once you get over the phallic references! ;) )

    Here is a link that might be useful: more pics of the faucets on this thread

  • Bunny
    12 years ago

    breezy, I know, my mind's in the gutter. ;-) I prefer the look of your faucets over mine. I trust that at some point I will stop noticing its hugeness. Remember, I have a 10x10 kitchen, so this is a stand-out. BTW, how's your splash factor? I'm keeping it inside the sink, but I have to be mindful of the location and angle of whatever's under the flow of water.

    I think this is what's filed under 1st World Problems.

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    LOL at "First World Problems"! Yes! Aren't most of the issues we talk about here in that category though?

    Splash isn't much of a factor unless I have something in just the right shape on the bottom of the sink in just the right spot that the water stream hits it oddly. But, that's a factor with ANY faucet. If you look closely at the prep sink faucet, you can see that the arc is angled out towards the front of the sink slightly so the stream does not go straight down. I think the fact that both my silgranit sinks are very deep also works to prevent splashing.

    Is your arc angled like mine is?

    (Oh, and ignore how the lever on the prep faucet is out of position. The Tapmaster was on.)

  • Bunny
    12 years ago

    This is Big Bertha:

    From across the room, it looks like it almost reaches to the far edge of the counter, when in reality, the stream hits square in the middle of the sink.

  • peonybush
    12 years ago

    I ordered the exact faucet last week. Had to pick it out in literally 10 min. as the showroom was closing. The granite guys were there that day to template and needed to know the specs for faucet and soap dispenser "right away".
    DH was along and doesn't overthink like I do. I'm trying to get the vision and DH is off wandering. Seriously, can I get a little input over here.
    Anyways, thought it was an eyecatcher. It's going to look over the metallic grey silgranite cascade sink. BTW--the sink is a little darker grey than the sample appears. I don't see as much of the tiny "sparkles" in the sink as the sample either but I love it anyways. Also included with the sink is a wire basket for the ledge in the sink.

  • Bunny
    12 years ago

    peonybush, oh, it's an eye-catcher all right. ;-) We will have twin faucets! I never thought I'd pay that much for a faucet (yes, I know there are more expensive ones). It's beautifully made and has really smooth action. I'm having to get used to hot/cold=back/forward and on/off=left/right. It's counter-intuitive to me, but I'm sure I'll adjust. I guess I'm just coming from a low-end, low-slung faucet and have yet to stand back and appreciate this guy's good (and huge) looks.

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Sorry for the complete hijack of your thread, Northcarolina!

    Linelle--Yes, your faucet has more visual weight than my more slim ones do. I can see that.

    Peony--both my sinks are metallic gray silgranit. I love them! The gray is very pretty and never really looks dirty. I have to get into the habit of scrubbing them because it's easy to forget! Bad thing?!? ;)

  • northcarolina
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    No problem (and no hijack as it's the same kind of problem) -- I am enjoying the new discussion!

    Linelle, I realized after our faucet was installed that orienting the handle toward the front very conveniently (and intuitively) put hot toward the left and cold to the right, just like in the shower.