Mixing Materials: How to Create Beautiful Multifamily Units with Unique Kitchen Sinks

May 13, 2024

3 minute read

Shouldn’t the kitchens in your multifamily building be designed minimally?

After all, kitchens sell homes, and you want buyers to be able to decorate them to their heart’s content.

There’s just one issue.

While they’re looking at properties, potential residents and buyers will see home after home. They can look for 4 ½ months to shop for a home (source: Zillow).

After a while, all these homes start to blend together.

That’s why, the property that gets the most offers is the one that’s most memorable.

And when residents can see themselves enjoying life in the property, they make better offers.

So, what specific furnishings and finishes can you use to really stand out to prospective buyers? Wow them with gorgeous kitchens they’ll want to spend time enjoying.

An unexpected blend of materials and finishes can create a strong impression. Here’s how to make a strong impression and attract better buyers by investing in eye-catching kitchen sinks and faucets.

When Adding Luxury Finishes Can Be Worth the Money

Most builders are hesitant to switch to new materials or finishes, and for good reason.

Choose something uncommon, and you might run into supply chain problems.

As a builder, you want your projects to be predictable and consistent. Every fixture needs to be within budget and arrive on time.

Often, the easiest way to make that happen, is to lean on a handful of go-to fixtures. After all, it’s much quicker to re-up a previous order from your suppliers, rather than looking for something new every time.

But if you don’t update your defaults from time to time, your designs will start to look dated. Which means your builds won’t fit with current tastes and won’t appeal to discerning residents.

That doesn’t mean you need a full overhaul. No need to ditch what’s working.

You can try adding in a few fixtures in an in-demand color or unexpected texture. This can create a memorable look without affecting your budget, timelines, or supply chain too much. And benefit your project’s profits in the long run.

Here are some ideas for incorporating materials that can refresh the aesthetics in your next build.

Color Choices for Faucets and Basins

The classic look of a stainless steel faucet with a white ceramic sink is neutral, and usually pretty budget-friendly. But it also doesn’t stand out.

The most in-demand colors for sinks and faucets right now are gold and black.

They can be more expensive than standard stainless sinks and faucets. But you can get that eye-catching edge you’re looking for without overcommitting on your budget.

Here are a few ideas for how to do it.

The Midas Touch: When to Choose Gold Kitchen Faucets and Basins

According to surveys, gold is the most in-demand color for kitchen sinks in 2024.

Gold creates warmth, but it's neutral enough to blend in with a wide range of color palettes. That makes it a great option for high-end multifamily builds where you want to attract higher income residents.

Gold Faucets

Gold kitchen faucets are a stand-out statement piece. By surrounding it with neutral fixtures, you’ll get an elegant result that won’t look tacky.

Gold faucets look great with many of today’s most popular countertops. They work especially well with white quartz to give the kitchen a warm, airy feel.

And what sink do you pair with a gold faucet?

While you can go with a gold-on-gold faucet and basin combo, that’s a bold choice that can be expensive. And it might be too intense to appeal to some residents.

Instead, consider pairing a gold faucet with a stainless steel sink.

This is a great approach because:

Stainless steel has a warm undertone that looks great with gold finishes.
It saves money on the basin, which you can use on the more expensive faucet color.
The faucet is often more visible than the sink, so you get more visual impact for your money.

Gold Sinks

Gold kitchen basins add an opulent detail with a lot of warmth.

Like a gold faucet, a gold kitchen sink looks amazing against a white quartz countertop to create lightness. On the other hand, you can get a subtle result with medium gray counters to offset the gold.

Many interior designers also suggest low-shine countertops that won’t compete with the basin, so the sink will be the shiniest thing in that area. But skip butcher block because the wood will probably clash with gold.

What faucet to pair with a gold sink

Gold kitchen sinks look best with a matching gold faucet.

In some cases, a matte black faucet may also work very well.

While a gold faucet may look great with a stainless basin, a gold sink does not look good with a steel faucet.

High Contrast: When to Choose Black Kitchen Faucets and Basins

Black is the second most in-demand color for kitchen sinks. It ranked almost the same as gold for 2024 kitchen design trends.

Black adds sharp contrast. Many buyers and residents are looking for light, warm, welcoming kitchens. High-contrast black kitchen sinks can keep a lighter palette from looking washed out or too plain.

Black Faucets

One of the best things about black kitchen sinks and faucets is how versatile they are.

Pairing a black faucet with a black kitchen basin creates a clean, modern look that adds depth to many design aesthetics. Just be sure you’ve got plenty of light above the sink so residents can see clearly.

Black faucets look amazing with stainless steel and white ceramic sinks, too. So it's an easy way to make any design look updated and on-trend.

Black Kitchen Sinks

A black granite composite basin with a stainless steel faucet is a luxurious and durable combination that can stand up to heavy long-term use.

You can also go with a gunmetal stainless steel kitchen sink for a more affordable option to get the same sophistication.

Black fixtures look great against white quartz countertops, or marble with gray veins. Dark concrete counters with black fixtures can create a moody, masculine look.

Both black and gold are higher-cost finishes, and can be a bit difficult to match with certain countertops or natural wood cabinets. You can still take advantage of interesting material choices by focusing on textures.

How Texture Can Take Your Design to the Next Level

Current design trends call for softer textures to create tranquil kitchens.

That means matte, satin, and brushed finishes are in highest demand right now.

Softer finishes are also great because they won’t show scratches, fingerprints, or water spots as easily as glossy and shiny finishes.

Kitchen Sink Textures

The most popular choices for sinks are:

Granite composite, which has a matte finish and excellent durability.
Stainless steel, which will develop a patina as it ages, giving it a soft, brushed look. Stainless is also one of the most affordable kitchen sink materials, making it ideal for multifamily projects.

However, since stainless steel starts off on the shiny side, you can soften its appearance by pairing it with a textural faucet finish.

Kitchen Faucet Textures

The most popular choices for kitchen faucets are:

Brushed nickel for an elegant touch of texture
Satin finishes for a soft, luxurious feel
Matte finishes for a modern, minimalist look

Like unique colors, you can pair low-shine pieces with glossy counterparts. So a high-gloss chrome faucet can give you an interesting counterpoint to a lower-shine basin.

The key is to be sure you’re choosing elements that complement each other in some way. For example, you can match the style and color if you’re choosing contrasting textures.

Quality Manufacturing Makes the Difference

Whatever materials you choose, quality manufacturing is the best way to ensure a gorgeous result that will last.

At Allora USA, we’re very selective about what materials we offer. We've curated our catalog to offer sink materials that have the best blend of durability and affordability.

Narrowing our focus has allowed us to ensure you always get the highest quality pieces, every time.

Plus we offer:

Discounts for commercial projects.
ADA models to match standard models in most designs.
Guaranteed pricing.
Guaranteed stock.
Product warranties.
Fast customer support
Free shipping to most areas in the US.
Delivery within 5 days or less anywhere in the US.
Unlimited phone and email support.

A luxurious kitchen starts with a gorgeous sink. Browse our selection of kitchen sinks in the best materials for multifamily builds. Or send us your specs and we’ll put together a list of options that will be a perfect fit.

With dedicated professional support, we’ll make it easy to get the right fixtures at the right price for this and all your future projects.