One of the best ways to find out what products are truly trending is to consult data from the places that sell them. This month we consulted with Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery to find out what kitchen faucets are most in demand.
Based in Newport News, Va., Ferguson operates showroom locations across the country and has keen insights into product design trends for the kitchen, bath, laundry room, and outdoor spaces. We recently spoke with Ferguson’s Brittany Merritt, category manager for finished plumbing.
Merritt says the faucet sector has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, as technology has finally started to make inroads in residential home building and remodeling.
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“Over the last five to ten years, the industry has made a solid push towards more touchless or smart home kitchen options,” she says. “These choices have expanded to lower price points and moved from touchless-only or motion-activated to voice controlled. We’ve also seen an increase in finish offerings with black matte quickly moving up the ranks as a customer favorite.”
We recently wrote about five important considerations for choosing the right faucet, but there are other aesthetic considerations that consumers use to pick their products. And during the last 10 years, consumers have grown adventurous.
“Kitchen faucets are an easier piece of plumbing to change out,” Merritt says. “Plus, customers can take a slightly higher risk with a kitchen faucet than they can with an entire matched bathroom suite. We see customers installing faucets with high style. Consumers are also embracing technology in the kitchen and moving toward touchless faucets now more than ever.”
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So what are buyers looking for in a kitchen faucet these days? Merritt says the pull down reigns supreme “as the highest selling style from core product all the way up to luxury. Semi-pro styles are still popular as well.” In addition, stainless steel is the number one finish across all market segments with chrome and matte black capturing the number two and three spots.
“Matte black has shot up over the last year and moved from a trendy finish option to a steadily picked offering in many kitchen projects,” Merritt explains. “Polished Nickel is still a large contender in the luxury and premium space and sales are continuing to rise for gold product offerings across all segments of the market.”
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One area that remains unclear is water conservation. Ferguson says it is certainly an area of concern for customers but is not among the top considerations. But the way things are progressing in municipalities across the country and in manufacturing, the conservation is built into the units.
“As national and local regulations tighten, many customers don’t have an option but to install a faucet that will aid with water conservation,” Merritt explains. “While these faucets certainly provide a reduced water flow when compared to their 1990 counterpart’s, they have been engineered to offer an excellent experience in the kitchen and tackle any job. Smart home options also aid with water conservation. These faucets allow consumers to control the water flow down to the ounce.”
Here are some that are trending with Ferguson customers:
Photo: Courtesy of Moen at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
The STo Smart Faucet (in Matte Black) is the perfect complement to modern spaces, the company says. Measuring 17¼ inches tall, the unit offers a single handle that makes it easy to adjust the water, while its standard design allows for mounting on the sink or countertop. It comes with Power Boost technology for boosted water performance and Reflex system for smooth operation, easy movement and secure docking of the pulldown/pullout spray head, the company says.
Photo: Courtesy of Signature Hardware at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
The Ravenel stainless steel pull down kitchen faucet is made of durable brass with a tarnish-resistant finish. Measuring 16 inches in height, it features a pull-out sprayer with both stream and spray aerators and concealed, dual action head attached to a nylon-wrapped hose.
Photo: Courtesy of Kohler at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Sensate is a single-handle touchless unit that is equipped with Response technology for reliable handsfree on/off operation via a sensor that responds in 20 milliseconds.Measuring 15.5 inches, the faucet has a two-function pull-down sprayhead with touch-control and comes in a Vibrant Stainless steel finish.
Photo: Courtesy of Hansgrohe at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Focus N Pull Out features QuickClean technology, which instantly removes dirt and limescale deposits from faucets thanks to the silicon nozzles. This faucet measures 15.75 inches in height and has a Swivel range of 150 degrees. It also has an integrated double backflow preventor.
Photo: Courtesy of Signature Hardware at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Levi is a three-handle pull down unit measures 26 1/4 inches in height and is made of solid brass, with a metal handle and stainless steel spring. It also comes with a control knob on the faucet that allows for main to be left on at a constant temperature, while preventing excessive water use from the faucet itself.
Photo: Courtesy of Grohe at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Essence is an ideal solution for those looking to make a statement, the manufacturer says. Measuring 20.875 inches, the faucet fits easily onto island units or underneath wall-mounted cupboards. The unit features a GrohFlexx santoprene hose offering a wipe-clean surface and SpeedClean silicone spray nozzles that can be cleared of lime scale with a brush of your finger.
Photo: Courtesy of Waterstone at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Measuring 19.5 inches in height, the features an innovative design inspired by the wheel of a ship. The faucet’s wheel spring technology gives the sprayer an easy, smooth pull, while its’ pulley braking system prevents the spray handle from slamming back in to place too quickly.
Photo: Courtesy of Brizo at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
The Artesso faucet draws inspiration from factories of the early 20th century. Offering a warmer, more refined take on the industrial aesthetic, the unit measures 15 11/16 inches tall and features MagneDock Technology and Touch-Clean nozzles to help users swipe away mineral deposits and make cleaning a breeze.
