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It is a good idea to check that your selection of tap/faucet is compatible with the water pressure system of your home.

Sinks & Taps (Faucets)

Customised accessories turn a sink into a multi-function food preparation centre. ( Image by: Teka Australia)

Sinks

Think about how you will use your sink. How many bowls do you need in your sink? Do you want one large sink bowl to hold everything including platters and baking trays or two bowls for washing and rinsing? Will you be using the dishwasher most of the time or do you prefer hand-wash everything? Will you use the draining board at all?

A large square sink is perfect for large items such as baking trays. (Image by: Lisa D aka "lilou_2006" @ flickr.com)

If space is available, consider having a separate sink away form the main sink in your kitchen. This separate sink can be used as a "drink" sink if positioned near the entrance of the kitchen, so guests and other family members can use it without interfering any activities in the main sink. Or you can put the second sink near the cooking area to making cooking easier.

Stainless steel is still the most popular choice in sinks due to its hygienic and hard wearing properties and its variety in design.

A satin/matt stainless steel sink tends to show less scratches than a sink with a highly polished mirror finish.

Coloured sinks are also available in porcelain, stone composite and acrylic composite.

White double-bowl ceramic sink.

Seamless acrylic benchtop with moulded acrylic sink is easy to clean. (Image by: A. Fischer, "albertsok" @ ikeafans.com)

Sinks can either be mounted from the top (inset sinks) or mounted under the top or even flush-mounted (sink edges are levelled with the benchtop).

Inset sinks often come with built-in draining boards and are easier to install than under mount sinks.

Modern inset sink with draining board. (Image by: Teka Australia)

An inset sink with draining board and matching accessories. (Image by: Teka Australia)

Under-mount sinks are easier to clean around the edges with no raised lips around the sink. Individual undermount sinks also give you the flexibility to mix and match different bowls to create your own sink configuration.

Double-bowl under mount sink with a simple clean design. (Image by: Teka Australia)

Pay extra attention if the sink is to be installed onto a timber benchtop. Make sure the cut-out edge is properly sealed to prevent water seeping into the timber espeically when the sink is under mounted (where the end grains of the timber benchtop is exposed to moisture all the time).

If having a stainless steel bench, you can consider having your stainless steel sink welded into the benchtop to form an easy-to-clean seamless work surface. The same applies to acrylic composite benchtops with acrylic composite sinks.

A seamless stainless steel benchtop with moulded sink.

Seamless acrylic synthetic sink with moulded draining board integrated into the benchtop.

Make sure there is enough space on the sink if you want to install a water filter tap or soap dispenser on the sink.

A large under mount sink with soap dispenser in acrylic benchtop.

Taps (Faucets)

Kitchen taps (faucets) can either be mounted on the counter or on the wall. If you have a lot of big and tall items such as vases or bottles, a tap with a high spout will be ideal for washing such items. If you have a large sink or you have a lot of big platters and trays, then a tap with a pull-out spray can be handy.

Dual-control mixer tap (faucet).

Mixer tap (faucet) with pull-out spray.

A long single lever mixer tap (faucet) is ideal for elderly and people with arthritis.

A high-spout tap (faucet) is perfect for big pots and vases.

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