Over the past few years, vessel faucets have steadily increased in popularity. There are a few great companies that make vessel sink faucets, including Pegasus, Danze, and Moen. Traditionally designed for use with sinks in the kitchen or bathroom, vessel faucets are beginning to appear in the bathtub and shower markets as well.
If you are contemplating buying a vessel sink faucet, you have probably already figured out that you have a few different materials to choose from. Whether you decide upon a bronze, nickel, brass, pewter, chrome, or stainless steel fixture, your new faucet is guaranteed to be a stylish new addition to any kitchen or bathroom.

When you are picking out your new vessel sink faucets, you should be conscious of the style of the room in which it will be placed. That new shiny chrome faucet will definitely stand out in your dark rustic bathroom, but not necessarily in a good way. Likewise, that antique bronze faucet will likely look out of place in your modern kitchen. If a faucet does not match the surroundings around it, your flashy new addition may quickly become an eyesore.  To prevent this from happening, choose a finish that is a good match with the other elements in the room.  For the kitchen, if you have a shiny stainless steel sink, a similarly shiny chrome, stainless steel, or nickel faucet should look fine.
Another thing to consider before deciding on a material for your new faucet is the type of sink it will be matched with. An oil rubbed bronze bathroom faucet is not likely to be appealing when paired with a cheap white porcelain sink. If you plan to buy a new sink this is not a major concern because you can compare the two before hand to ensure that they go together. If it is in your budget, you may even opt to purchase a classy vessel sink with your faucet.
Finding a vessel faucet that fits both you and your bathroom or kitchen is not as hard as it may sound. Almost all materials that are used to make vessel faucets are available in different finishes, such as oil rubbed bronze or brushed nickel. A few exceptions are gold and stainless steel, which are only available in their natural colors.  Gold and stainless steel are also some of the most expensive materials available, while chrome is traditionally the least expensive.

Tags: Bathrooms, Faucets, Sinks by Jeffrey
No Comments »

While there are only two main types of Pegasus faucets, single and double handled, there are many different styles and designs available.  Some materials used for these faucets are available in both the kitchen and the bathroom, but others tend to look better on the bathroom sink.
Brushed nickel is one of the most popular styles of Pegasus kitchen faucets. With a sleek contemporary design, these faucets are at home in even the most luxurious kitchen. Brushed nickel is also a low maintenance finish that wears well and easily hides scratches.
Polished chrome is another extremely popular style of Pegasus kitchen faucet. Its shiny exterior is more suited for more modern and flashy kitchens or bathrooms. Chrome has the benefit of being both durable and affordable, two desirable characteristics to any consumer. The downside to polished chrome is that it wears very easily and must be properly maintained.
Stainless steel faucets, while not the most flashy, are very popular with the efficiency minded consumer. Because stainless steel does not rust, these are very easy to maintain and can last a very long time. Stainless steel faucets also handle day-to-day wear very well, over time scratches and other blemishes will fade and blend in with the faucets finish. Stainless steel also has the benefit of being very affordable, which is a major selling point for all consumers.
Polished brass is another popular style of Pegasus faucet. With its shiny brass exterior, these faucets are at home in even the most retro environment. Brass also has the benefit of being extremely durable and highly resistant to corrosion. Unfortunately, if not properly protected, brass will eventually begin to tarnish and fade. There are various finishes available on the market that will help prevent your brass faucet from tarnishing.  If you are looking for a unique faucet for your kitchen, you are most likely going to find what you are searching for in a brass faucet.  They also look great when installed on the sink in the bar.  If you have a stainless steel bar fridge and counter, the brown metal will contrast nicely with it.
Like brass, a very popular type of faucet these days is made out of what is called oil rubbed bronze.  These bronze kitchen faucets are not as shiny as polished brass, and they have an old fashioned, european look to them.  Brass is good if you want flashy, but oil rubbed bronze faucets are better for a nice dark brown look.
Some of the less popular styles of Pegasus kitchen faucets include pearl nickel, biscuit, and white. Perl nickel faucets have a dull nickel appearance, and like brushed nickel they hide daily wear and scratches very well. Biscuit is a soft, off-white finish that is similar to that used on many appliances. White, as its name suggest, is a white colored finish that is very similar to biscuit. Both biscuit and white finishes are neutral styles that can be used in almost any kitchen.  As far as the handle goes, there are usually enough choices in each type so that you can take your pick between a Pegasus single handle kitchen faucet or one with two handles.

Tags: Faucets, Sinks by Jeffrey
No Comments »

One of the best additions that you can have in the kitchen sink area is a soap dispenser.  How many times have you gone to the sink to do something, only to remember that you need to wash your hands first?  With the swine flu, bird flu, H1N1, and a host of other illnesses floating around, washing your hands has become more important than ever.  Although many kitchens just have a bar of soap sitting on the sink, this causes a messy pool of gooey stuff to form under it, since it is always getting wet.  I know some people just use a squirt of dishwashing soap to wash their hands, but it isn’t the same.  Dish soap is made for dishes, and hand soap has extra things in it that are meant to kill the bacteria that cause problems.  The best solution to this problem is to get a soap dispenser that fits right onto your sink.  This way you can wash your hands the right way easily and cleanly anytime you want.

Due to the fact that the vast majority of kitchen sinks in the world are made of stainless steel, it makes sense that the most common style of soap dispenser if also made of this material.  A stainless steel soap dispenser looks great on any sink, and many of them have either tops or bottoms that are a different color to add a bit of style.  One of the best things about kitchen soap dispensers is that they are very cheap.  Let’s take a look at a great example of how nice a dispenser you can get for a small price

The Oxo Stainless Steel Soap Dispenser
The Oxo Good Grips model is a perfect example of the type of quality you can expect from an inexpensive soap dispenser.  It is designed with both a nonstick base and a nonstick top, so it won’t slip around when you press it.  Another great thing about unit is that it has a little window on one side from top to bottom so that you can see how much soap is left and can refill accordingly.  At a price of just $14.99, this is a great deal, as stainless steel soap dispensers go.

In Sink Stainless Steel Soap Dispensers
Although many people have the simple soap dispensers that sit right on the sink, they are never as good as ones that actually become part of the sink.  The advantage of an in sink stainless steel soap dispenser is that it is locked in place and won’t move around when you use it. Grohe makes some great in sink units, so let’s take a quick look at them.  Most models of the Grohe stainless steel soap dispenser look pretty similar.  They are tall and round, with thin spouts.  These are top of the line soap dispensers, and they have a great style to them, but they have a higher price tag to match.

Hands Free Soap Dispensers
By far the most exciting innovation to hit kitchens recently has been hands free models.  You can get a stainless steel hands free soap and lotion dispenser that work without any need to push on the top.  An automatic sensor knows when your hand is under it and sends out some soap or lotion by itself.  Now you might be thinking that it would cost an arm and a leg to get one of these, but you should be pretty surprised by the price tag.  In fact, most of these units are cheaper than the in sink soap dispensers.  Here is the most common automatic dispenser:

The iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Sensor Soap Dispenser
This is a great example of a hands-free dispenser.  It is powered by four normal batteries that last up to 10,000 dispenses before they run out.  The good thing about these touch-free dispensers is that they don’t spread germs from the top.  For features like this, a price tag of under $50 is a great deal in my opinion.

Tags: Bathrooms, Faucets, Sinks by Jeffrey
No Comments »

With so many options available for kitchen sinks, you might wonder how you are going to be able to make a choice.  One of the simplest ways to narrow down the choices is by deciding on what material you want your kitchen faucet to be made from.  One of these materials is copper.  A copper kitchen faucet can come in any number of styles, so if you like the finished look of this beautiful metal, you are almost sure to find something you like.  If you don’t know what color a copper faucet is, just think of a penny.  When you look at a new penny (which is made of copper), it has a brilliant gold-like shine to it.  Using a copper faucet in your kitchen will give your sink a wonderful look as well.

Types of Copper Kitchen Faucets

Due to the fact that copper was widely used decades ago for plumbing fixtures, most copper kitchen sink faucets today are designed to look like they are old fashioned or antique.  Old fashioned kitchen faucets are often beautifully designed, with high arcing necks, elegant handles, and subtle curves.  Don’t let the old fashioned looks fool you though.  A copper kitchen sink faucet these days is made with all of the features that their more modern looking counterparts have.  Some of them come equipped with pull out sprayers, which offer great convenience.
You can also get a wall mount copper kitchen faucet.  If you are replacing another wall mount faucet, it is almost always very easy to install another one.  Wall mount faucets have the same great looks as sink mounted versions as well.
If all of this old fashioned and antique stuff just isn’t your cup of tea, there are modern kitchen faucets made out of copper that are available as well.  Smooth and sleek modern copper faucets can really make your kitchen sink stand out.  This type of faucet will look great with either a stainless steel, but it will really shine when mounted on a ceramic sink or one of a different material.
As for the prices of these copper faucets, it really depends on which model you choose.  There are very inexpensive copper kitchen faucets that can be had for about $50 and there are also models that will cost upwards of $500.  It all depends on the manufacturer and the style you want.  In general, simple modern designs are usually a bit cheaper than fancy old fashioned looking antique copper kitchen faucet.

Tags: Faucets, Sinks by Jeffrey
No Comments »

There are quite a few reputable companies that focus on household faucets, but one of them isn’t as well known as the others.  A company called Pegasus has come onto the home scene in full force and makes many different products.  You can get a Pegasus faucet for the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, or the shower and tub.  Here is an in depth look at the types of Pegasus faucets available today.

Pegasus Kitchen Faucets

Although there are a number of cheap Pegasus faucets available, they make some very beautiful high end models that do an excellent job of combining style and functionality.  Like many of their models, the Arko line has Pegasus faucet parts that come apart when pulled, turning it into a sprayer as well. This type is called a pull down faucet.   You can get a Pegasus kitchen faucet in many different styles, including the old-fashioned looking bridge style, the “goose neck” high arcing pull out, and the sleek looking LaToscana pull out model.  What is neat about the high arcing models is that the neck is flexible as well.

Pegasus Bathroom Faucets

The other main style of faucets that this company makes is those meant for the bathroom.  There are so many different and unique styles to choose from that you will surely see something you like.  From the classic porcelain handle faucets to the unique “bamboo” style Pegasus bathroom faucet designed to look like a piece of bamboo, this company makes many innovative designs.  In addition to just faucets, Pegasus also makes complete bathroom vanity sets that include the vanity, the sink, and the faucet.
If you are looking for an inexpensive solution for a new bathroom, you can get a complete Pegasus vanity set for only $230.  This includes a wooden base, a ceramic sink, and single handle Pegasus bath faucet.

Pegasus Tub Faucets

In addition to sink faucets, there is an entire line of Pegasus bath faucets as well.  One thing that this company specializes in is products finished with oil rubbed bronze.  With so many homes using shiny chrome fixtures these days, installing an oil rubbed bronze kitchen faucet or shower spout in will draw some attention to your house.  It is an easy way of giving your bathroom that special touch.

Pegasus Faucet Parts

Some people have a tough time finding spare parts to repair their Pegasus faucet.  Searching online for their parts seems to pretty futile.  The reason for this is because Pegasus is a proprietary brand of the store Home Depot, which means that if you want parts for it, you have to go to one of their stores.  You can buy the faucets themselves on Amazon, but their parts are nowhere to be found, which makes Pegasus faucet repair a royal pain.

Tags: Bathrooms, Faucets by Jeffrey
No Comments »