Modern manufacturing techniques have enabled costs to reduce to the point where the designer details are no longer just affordable by the rich, but by the everyday working man, and this has led to a demand for more individual designs to be applied to everyday items.

Not just a faucet

Among the utility items to be given the designer treatment in recent times is the faucet, a simple device that has been with us for years and, no matter how much it advances in time, does the same thing it has always done ? controls the flow of water into the sink.

It is often forgotten that it is not necessarily the major items of furnishing and fitment that make the most difference to the overall impact, but the smaller, often forgotten and necessary items; the faucet is one of these.

You may have spent a good deal of time looking for the ideal sink, be it surface mounted or flush, or chrome finish or ceramic, only to have paid little attention to the faucet that needs to be attached to make the system operate.

A vast and varied range

This need not be the case, as the range of faucets available is vast and varied, and there will be many different choices for any sink that you opt for, be it for the bathroom, the kitchen or the bedroom.

Modern thinking has it that the faucet need not be of the traditional type that is attached to the top of the sink, either, as the option to have your faucet mounted din the wall behind the sink is available to all with a bit of minor plumbing al that is needed.

This method of design can be very effective when coupled with the beautiful and modern looking undermounted sinks, and adds to the effect that the sleek and flush design of the sink provides by keeping the connecting pipes between the two hidden from view.

Modern, traditional, or retro

If it is not a modern look you are building, but a more traditional feel with a retro look, the range of faucets is equally varied, with anything from recent, 1960's style chrome faucets through to English Victorian style butlers sink faucets available widely on the market. The beauty here is that you get the look, but it comes with modern methods of operation and build, and a modern, affordable price.

Faucets have, surprisingly to some, entered the realm of gadgetry=try of late, with the availability of faucets that do not require a tap with which to turn them on and off. Instead they use a sensor that detects when a hand is placed underneath, and run for either as long as it is there or for a set period of time.

Whatever your requirements, remember that the faucet is an essential design detail when looking to build the perfect bathroom or kitchen.