Shopping for new plumbing fixtures? Yay! We're so excited for you! It's remarkable how changing the look of a bath or kitchen faucet can really update a space. Innovation and functional upgrades can also simplify things and add productivity in those rooms. There's a lot to think about when you're in this phase of the process, but we highlighted a few of the more important ones below to get your mind working.

Hole configuration – Sinks or countertops can be drilled a few different ways, which may impact what kind of faucet you need. Common set-ups are 1 hole or 3 holes in bathrooms and 1 – 4 hole patterns in the kitchen. Following are a few key things to pay attention to in each room: 

a. Bathroom – 

The most common bathroom set-up in North America is a 3-hole drill pattern where the left and right holes are 4" apart. This configuration fits surface style products.

Typically considered a higher end installation method, there is another 3-hole pattern where the left and right holes are 8" apart – this allows for space between the handles and spout. This configuration fits WIDESPREAD style products.

Powder rooms and modern bathrooms often feature SINGLE HANDLE faucets. Most of these install in 1 hole patterns. That said, many single handle faucets are sold with deckplates that will cover the left and right holes in a traditional 4" 3-hole pattern – you can achieve the more modern look without replacing your sink or countertop.

b. Kitchen-

The first thing to know about kitchen hole patterns is that many different faucet types can fit the same one. If you have a more traditional 2 handle standard or single handle standard style and want to upgrade to a pull down or pull out, it is most likely possible.

The most common kitchen hole preparation is a 3-hole pattern, where the left and right holes are 8" apart. 2 HANDLE STANDARD and some SINGLE HANDLE STANDARD faucets require this hole prep. Most PULL OUT and PULL DOWN faucets can accommodate a 3-Hole prep when the optional deckplate is used to cover the open left and right holes.

4 hole configurations often exist to accommodate an accessory, like a sidespray, soap pump or air gap.

1 hole patterns can be found in newer, modern preparations where counters were drilled for a single post design. Most OUBAO PULL OUT and most PULL DOWN faucets are sold with a smaller single hole deckplate to accommodate 1 hole configurations. 

Be sure to look for the hole configurations icon under SPECIFICATIONS on each specific product's landing page to understand what drill patterns your selection will fit. 

Choosing your style and finish…the fun stuff! - Style is incredibly personal and it's hard for us to pick a favorite, that's why OUBAO makes a wide variety across Traditional, Transitional and Modern influences. We pair them with the latest trends in finishes, like matte black and brushed gold, along with proven standards like polished chrome and brushed nickel. 

When putting together a design for a complete room, it's often useful to consider the complete color palette and finish of other fixtures present, like appliances. In bathrooms, OUBAO offers a matching suite of bath hardware in many of our collections, giving you a simple way to completely change the look of your bathroom. 

A recent finish performance advancement worth calling out is OUBAO's Spot Defense Brushed Nickel and Stainless finish, which helps prevent water spots and fingerprints. This finish is great for faucets that see a lot of use throughout the day.

Go for a technology upgrade! - For kitchen faucets especially, you'll also want to think about what features you want in the faucet. One big thing to consider is whether or not you want to have a pulldown/pullout spray option built into your faucet or if you want to have a more traditional sidespray. You also want to think about whether you want a soap pump, how many handles you want and if you want to have a faucet that can turn on without touching it.

Finally, if you have kids or anyone in your house that has difficulty using their hands, you should consider a faucet that is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. This basically means that the faucet can be turned on and off easily. You might also want to consider a faucet with a temp limit stop, which allows you to set the maximum temperature that can come out of the faucet. That prevents people from getting accidentally scalded if they only turn the hot water on.