This Simple Upgrade Can Make Your Kitchen Feel Brand New (And It Doesn't Require Any Renovations)

When deciding which non-emergency kitchen updates to prioritize, it's best to consider where you spend the most time. Areas that face a lot of everyday wear are the floor, countertops, and sinks. Floors and countertops are big projects that you can spot from afar, but if you're looking for a small kitchen upgrade that can elevate your space, then look no further than the kitchen sink.

Replacing the faucet on your kitchen sink can help bring together your interior concept and provide utility benefits. If you're moving into a new home and it appears the faucets haven't been replaced since the Bush administration (either one), there's a fair chance those appliances have accumulated some rust or gunk over the years. Forgetting to regularly clean the faucet is a common kitchen sanitation mistake and a potential health hazard. Even if they're pristine, you have the right to make design choices that reflect your personal style, and installing new faucets is one of the easier kitchen upgrades to DIY without renovations.

Considering how much of a high-traffic area the kitchen sink is, you should choose a new faucet that feels as practical as it is beautiful. The most useful faucets have a pull-out head, containing both a stream and spray setting with ample water pressure. These setups also usually come with a single handle that can control hot and cold temperatures simultaneously. The stream setting is great for washing hands or filling pots, and the spray setting helps blast away stuck-on grime on cups and pans, making dish cleaning much quicker.

There are a few color and finish options for faucets, usually consisting of black, gold, silver, and bronze in either a matte or chrome finish. The faucet is one of few metal accents in a kitchen outside of the big appliances, so it's best to match the color of the faucet to your light fixtures, cabinet, and drawer handles. If you're opting for a matte gunmetal handle in your industrial-style kitchen, for example, then the faucet should complement that aesthetic. However, if you have a visible kitchen sink rather than hidden, match the faucet to the rest of the sink instead (e.g. a bronze faucet with a bronze sink). A cohesive design among all of these makes your kitchen layout feel intentional and harmonious. Whether you have an HGTV-level kitchen or a cute kitchenette, a faucet update gives the sink new life.