Thank you all - great info! Yes, I like the Karbon also but it's not in my budget - I want to spend not more than $500 maybe.

We love our Blanco Culina. It is beautiful and functions beautifully!
http://pinterest.com/blancoamerica/blanco-culina/

Blanco Culina - modern...functional...extremely pleased.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blanco Culina

A2 I just love your faucet! I think the Waterstone has the sleekest modern faucet I have seen and I love how the lever can be front mounted.

Here's our Kohler Purist. It's not very tall and has a locking spray, and I'm very happy with it. Happy hunting!

Buildinva--the lack of the spray lock function does not bother me. I almost didn't get these faucets, the very first item I fell in love with and decided on for the reno more than a year before demo, when so many here said that the spray lock was necessary. I searched for other faucets with similar clean appearance that I could put my hands on in a 60 mile radius, but found nothing I liked as well or could afford. Only ever having a ridiculous side sprayer that had to be held in to be used anyway, I decided to take a chance on my faucet infatuation. Once in a while when I'm using the spray pulled down I do wonder what it would be like if the spray locked, but I can't see how it would improve my life to any noticeable degree. Having a spray that pulls down IS a very significant improvement.

Also, when I have the spray head pulled down and engaged for more than 20 seconds or so, the spray does lock sometimes. I'm not sure if its a fluke or not, but I've read about at least one other person here experiencing the same.

breezy--thank you!!! It's funny how you can just fall in love with something INSTANTLY. That happened to me with the Talis S, but I keep trying to find something else since it was the first one I loved. But every other faucet comes up short. So guess what--I just decided! I'm ordering the Talis S! Thanks!!

laurainlincoln--Thanks for telling me about the sink. It looks amazing!! I wish I had room for it, but alas, I do not. I enjoyed the "eye candy" of looking at yours!

leela4, do you have to hold the spray for the Brizo? How do you find it? Saw it this week-new curvey model, looks great. Seemed to have a nice lock for the magnet. Part of Delta Faucets.

Yep, Buildinva. Love at first sight. Saw it in one of the first kitchen and bath mags I bought when we finally decided to reno. I still remember sitting in the red chair with my feet up on the ottoman that night after putting my tiny baby down for bed and telling DH that I just found our kitchen faucet. I remember the oddest things sometimes. I hope you enjoy yours when it is installed!

Another plug for the OTF. Love, love, love the pure functionality and fun of this faucet. I just checked pricing and it does seem much more expensive than when we purchased two years ago (I think it was between 500 and 600). Someone here may be able to suggest a source for whatever faucet you select. Best of luck!

oldbat, I love your faucet. I have my Waterstone ordered and for me it was love at first sight. Would you mind posting a pic of your entire sink. I love how your faucet is installed to the side and have been contemplating doing something similar.

Here you go:

Thank you OB2B. I really like the faucet mounted to the side. With your faucet the side mount is ideal because you can do so much with it as far as configuring. DH loved the WS gantry faucet. I do love it for it's versatility but I am so happy with the choice that I made. It's funny that my faucet is the only thing I haven't second guessed time and time again.

How about this Grohe?

breezy--I know exactly what you mean! I have memories of things like that too! Like our current house, which we built. The builder had this model already built and we were able to tour it. The first time I walked in the door I gasped because I thought it was so beautiful! And I still remember exactly how that felt as if it were yesterday, though it's been a decade. *sigh* It's going to be hard to leave this house!

But I DID order my Talis S last night, and that helps me get excited!

breezy--I know exactly what you mean! I have memories of things like that too! Like our current house, which we built. The builder had this model already built and we were able to tour it. The first time I walked in the door I gasped because I thought it was so beautiful! And I still remember exactly how that felt as if it were yesterday, though it's been a decade. *sigh* It's going to be hard to leave this house!

But I DID order my Talis S last night, and that helps me get excited!

SparklingwWater-The Brizo has the spray lock function. I really wanted this as I have some problems with my hands, and I didn't want to have to grip and hold for the spray. It has worked out well, and the magnetic lock is also great. We've had zero problems with this faucet and it's been almost 3 years. It was one of the few DH and I could agree on (a lot of the ones we looked at were "too modern looking" for him, lol)

Great suggestions! I was thinking since my doors will be slab and everything is kind of square clean lines - I should go with something not too round but more square style - what do you think?

https://www.houzz.com/products/grohe-minta-dual-spray-pull-out-single-handle-kitchen-faucet-prvw-vr~143549-Minta-Dual-Spray-Pull-Out-Single-Handle-Kitchen-Faucet--kitchen-faucets-other-metro

or

https://www.houzz.com/products/talis-s²-talis-s-higharc-kitchen-faucet-prvw-vr~373113-S--Talis-S-HighArc-Kitchen-Faucet-contemporary-kitchen-faucets

or

https://www.houzz.com/products/hansgrohe-single-handle-pullout-spray-kitchen-faucet-prvw-vr~143546-Single-Handle-Pullout-Spray-Kitchen-Faucet-contemporary-kitchen-faucets-other-metro

I looked at all three of your proposed faucets which are all very functional and accommodating in style.

Personally I like the finish and style of the Hansgrohe Single Handle Pullout Spray Kitchen Faucet. With lots of vertical slabs and some squares in a kitchen, a circle or round here or there might serve to break it up a little.

Thanks leela4. I have problems with my hands too. I also find Brezo more fitting with my traditional home, and planned transitional kitchen.

We have the blanco culina too and are really happy with it
{{gwi:1567367}}

{{!gwi}}

Thank you all!

I have another question - did you all get your faucets in chrome or stainless steel color? Is the chrome too shiny and harder to clean? How did you match the soap dispenser and button for the disposal ( if you have one ) - I am not sure which way to go - should the faucet match the appliances/cab pulls etc or be more fun and sparkly? thank you!

My faucets are polished chrome. No matter how hard I try, I cannot come to lik brushed hardware or faucets. They look cheap and fake to me. I've always had polished faucets so they don't seem like any work to maintain. Because I'm obsessed about keeping my new kitchen as close to brand new as possible, I wipe the faucets almost every night with an almost-dry sponge or rage to take care of the few water spots I have. It "sparkles" them up a bit also. It's not necessary, but, again, part of my OCD.

As to my soap dispensers and GD air switches, they aren't part of a suite of a certain style. The air switch is the ISE brand available everywhere and what my electrician always uses. The soap dispensers were a bit tougher in that I didn't like the matching ones for my faucet. I decided on my criteria (clean and modern lines with long spout that wasn't curvy) and then went hunting for units that meet those criteria and complimented my faucets. I eventually decided on an Elkay model.

I have no issues with the faucet hardware and appliances not matching. Besides, chrome was cheaper for me. :-)

We bought a Kraus faucet and I really like it. You can lock on the spray function and also divert the water to the spray-only. Very powerful blast of water when you want it. It is very tall and may not work in your space or be your style, but for $300.00, it was worth a try for me....I can always change it later if I want to. It does get a ton of compliments.

Thank you - great info!

Breezygirl - which Elkay model is the soap dispenser? Thanks!

It's this one from the "Gourmet" collection...

Here is a link that might be useful: Elkay Gourmet

@Breezygirl, may I ask where you found those barstools? Very nice!

I vote for the grohe minta!

Hunter--My stools are the Rustic Barstool from West Elm. I'll link them below. Twice yearly, WE puts their dining chairs on sale so I got a better price than that listed. I'm surprised at how comfortable they are for unupholstered stools. They are very sturdy and easy to clean with the kids. I still love them, although I do have a couple of scratches on the wood seat from when little DD sat on them while wearing her hard shin guards. She was so tiny then that she sat on her knees to reach her food better. It was a good five minutes before I realized she still had on the guards while snacking. Oops and dang!

Here is a link that might be useful: West Elm Rustic Barstools

In our recently finished update, we installed slab maple cabinets, cambria and a Delta Berkley pull-down faucet. Love them all! The Berkley has a spray lock that I use a lot.

Hope this helps!

This post was edited by beachlily on Thu, Jan 16, 14 at 10:36

Our new Grohe Concetto with the Blanco Culina in the background. I like them both so far and got the air switches and Moen soap dispensers in stainless to match.
Beachlily, I love your backsplash! Please share details?

Thanks for your interest. That backsplash .... gray glass field tiles are 6x3" and are from Lowe's. The random accents are ice and snow (clear glass that matches, frosted glass and marble). The glass tiles had a 50% reject rate because the very talented young man who did the work was meticulous. It was fun to do because Michael would lay the field tiles out in the basket weave design before he left for the day and invited me to place the accent tiles where ever I wanted them. I'd get up in the middle of the night and change things around. The glass really works because the kitchen is on interior walls. The tiles act like small mirrors, reflecting existing light around the kitchen and making it look much lighter. Worked out better than I ever thought!

I love it, and am really trying to figure out something similar, combining glass (because I also have interior walls) and marble. And I think I need a look that ends up being "square" rather than the linear look of subway tiles, because of the lines in my granite. And of course I want all that to happen with minimal grout, and just the right amount of a blue/green/water look. Did the accent tiles come from Lowes, too? Did the installer have to do a lot of cutting to make this work? I spent a couple hours at a tile place yesterday, and fought with different thicknesses between glass and marble, and different lengths, and just couldn't make it happen. Tile stores are closed today, but Lowes is open!

What I was fighting was the very predictable look of subway tiles. The way I got past that was by using a basket weave pattern. Actually, by itself, that worked very well. Plus, Michael used 1/8" grout lines, the smallest he could do. The glass worked really well with that.

The accent tile came from a tile store. A very helpful lady there admitted she didn't have any product that came close to matching the snow and ice. It came on a backing and was easy to insert into the pattern.

Both the tile layer and his boss (a master tile guy) told me they would work to keep the cuts on glass to a minimum due to safety for the homeowner and longevity of the finished product. There was some cutting up under the cabinets and then around the hood on the other side of the room.

This post was edited by beachlily on Sun, Aug 25, 13 at 14:15

Thanks Beachlily, I think I found the accent tile and am definitely happy to consider the basket weave pattern. Congrats to you and Michael on a beautiful cooperative project!

Here is a link that might be useful: snow and ice

Actually, Crossville is where I purchased those tiles.

The Lowe's tile is #255445, 3x6 Studio White Glass Tile. It matches the unfrosted glass pieces in the Snow and Ice. Amazing, isn't it, when it all comes together?

All of these design elements are hard for me, they are SO far out of my skill set! And yet I'm stubbornly determined to "eat my own cooking" so I torture myself with considering all the possibilities until I find the right one.
Yours reads a beautiful blue on my screen - is that true IRL? Do your walls or counter have blue?

No blue anywhere. Pale gray walls that match the tile perfectly. With incandescent light, there is a light blue look that fades to pale gray in the shadows. With no lights on, it is pale gray. The box for the tile, however, says that it's white. Go figure.

I found the faucet about the most difficult decision I made ... and the one I most regret. Oy. I have a Karbon like Laurainlincoln and Oldbat. I know they love theirs: I hate mine! Just hate it. I can't ever get it to go to the right place for hot water. Those that install them with that kick-device probably have a happier time of it. As well it's possible mine is installed wrong - they say it's really easy to move theirs but I cannot move mine easily at all. Its massively annoying; takes two hands and a lot of strength and shifting my arms; it's just not easy - perhaps not as un-easy as this sentence implies, but no fun at all. No way is it love-worthy for me, at least!

OTOH I love my other faucet, which is a Grohe pullout, very popular, purchased online from Costco but I can't remember the name. But someone will surely have recommended it already. I think it was a number one seller for years and years.

Just wanting to say, mostly, by my throwing a little cold water on the hot reviews of bat and laura, that IMO, this faucet-purchase is the most subjective of all bits to your kitchen. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think that the way you actually use that bit of your kitchen which is most-used at least for me, the sink and its water source, is highly dependent on your own personal habits. As it happens, I don't really want to touch the faucet much or fiddle with it. Laura mentions her dh is "OCD", I'm sort of the opposite. I just don't want to have to deal with the thing. I like that my other is at a good height and angle already and just doesn't need fiddling. A touch of the spray button and a gentle spray works well. The spray on the Cohler is harsh and too broad.

Which leads to another, important point. *What* that faucet is spraying into matters hugely. That is, which sink. I bet you could place the Kohler on a sink like that big Stages and it would work better than a smaller sink. Mine is the blanco waterfall that is depicted above underneath someone else's faucet. I wonder whether the finish of the blanco might reflect water more forcefully than a SS sink??? Dunno.

Just wanted to give you an update - I splurged... I went with MGS Spin D Italian solid stainless steel faucet. It looks really nice will post pics when kitchen is ready - thank you all for the great advice!

We have a Keta High Rise faucet from Signature Hardware. Not too pricey and works great.

Bumping up because I am thoroughly enjoying seeing these faucets and hearing the good feedback.....want more people to keep posting!

Am completely envious of the Kohler Karbon folks but just cannot pull the trigger on those. I have busted my budget on my steel windows and I need to find other ways to keep my costs down....so really appreciate the whole breadth of faucet prices that are being posted :)

I was very attracted to the Kohler Karbon, but decided against it because of the two holes in the granite requirement. Also, the size of the hole is non-standard, and I wanted to preserve the option to change faucets without a problem.

So, I got a Cifial Techno faucet, which I am very happy with. It's made in Portugal, very substantial feeling, and it works just great. Very moderately priced. It's a pullout, and I think I might prefer a pulldown, however I'm still happy with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cifial techno

bumping up, loving the faucet photos and comments!

Another Karbon pic...

I looove the Karbon and put one in my parents' kitchen but as it is a bit too expensive for my budget I picked Hansgrohe's Citterio M two holes pull down faucet. Mine is not installed yet but I can't wait to use it :) .

We got this hansgrohe from eBay can't beat the price! It has a toggle switch for the spray and I love the clean shiny look.

Wow lliN, let us know how you like it. It's really sleek.

kimberly623 - is that your kitchen? Your cherry cabinet is the perfect, rich color; looks like a beautiful piece of furniture. Do you mind sharing details? (I went with a cherry island and white perimeter cabinets but my cherry is cordovan, far redder than I'd planned). Love your KK mixed with it; aren't they the best?

oldbat2be,

Yes, that's my prep sink base cabinet. I mixed white and cherry also - the cabinets are custom from a local Mennonite cabinet maker. The area shown is directly across from the fridge and was created due to the need for additional support after removal of a load bearing wall. We have a stages sink there that creates a perfect staging area for ingredients removed from the fridge. Here's another view...