So, you have designed your kitchen layout, chosen the kitchen style, the worktops and the appliances. Now, you just need to decide on the finishing touches. Kitchen accessories such as taps are just as essential to the overall look and style, as well as the big purchases, therefore they require as much thought as the rest of the room design. A tap is a major kitchen accessory that can enhance the look of the kitchen and thankfully you are not limited to just one or two choices. In fact, there is no shortage of choices and rest assured that the selection available on the market will meet whatever your taste or budget.

Basically, taps come into two simple design categories, modern and traditional. Modern design taps work well with minimalist design kitchens; they come in sharp stunning design, with square or round edges and come in a number of finishes from an easy on the pocket shiny chrome to a more upmarket solid stainless steel. Traditional taps are usually Victorian or Edwardian style, they are made of brass, finished in chrome plated, gold plated or enamelled. Traditional high shine chrome and enamelled taps work well with country style kitchen while the brass and bronze taps can work perfectly well with ultra-modern kitchen to bring a more eclectic look to it.

Styles of Taps

Taps come in various styles with different mountings. Below are some of the most common style of kitchen taps available and a short explanation as to what they are.

Single Lever Tap - This is a mixer tap that uses one handle to control the flow of water from both the hot and cold water supply. Single levers are of very modern and minimalist design with just one tap and is available with either one or two mounting points with only one valve.

Monobloc Mixer Tap - This is a mixer tap with a smaller input pipe than standard taps. It's of modern design with one valve and requires just one mounting point.

Bridge Mixer Tap - The bridge mixer is a traditional style tap with three interconnecting tubes, the tap being in the middle and the hot and cold water control on each side. It has one tap, two mounting point and two valves and is of very modern design.

Deck Mounted Taps - These style taps are designed to be mounted on the edge of the sink (as opposed to the wall). It has one tap with three mounting points (one for the tap and one each for hot and cold water.)