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French Country Kitchen with Copper Farm Sink

Every once in a while we get lucky enough to meet super happy people who are just clearly delighted to be able to move forward with a remodel project. Such was the case with these two. From the get-go, these two had a clear and confident direction and they smiled all the way through the process. With the help of Lydia Corser at Greenspace in Santa Cruz, these two pulled off a beautifully successful remodel.

This sink is made of recycled copper by Native Trails, a California company founded an led by a woman. The faucet is made in California by Waterstone and it is available in a myriad of finishes. It does have a long lead time of 3-7 weeks depending on how busy the factory is, so plan early. The glass 2×6 subway tiles are made by FireClay Tile and made from recycled glass. The glass knobs are made by Lewis Dolin Hardware in NY.

Recycled Copper Sink and Made in USA Faucet

Recycled Copper Sink and Made in USA Faucet

We love the chandelier and the glass pulls and knobs even though we didn't sell them

We love the chandelier and the glass pulls and knobs even though we didn’t sell them

Do you know why Native Trails sinks are better and easier to care for than so many other brands? It’s because they heat their recycled copper to 2500 degrees while most other companies do not take that time and heat it to only 1500 degrees. By heating it that additional 1000 degrees, more of the impurities float to the top. It is the impurities that give copper that greenish stigma. In addition, less expensive sinks are often not hand hammered but instead they are made of a sheet of impure copper that is rolled over with a hammered patterned stamp. When created out of a sheet, the copper will usually be polished with a gloss which will often deteriorate leaving shiny and matte areas, some greenish and others not. In contrast, Native Trails sinks are hand hammered. Each strike of the hammer creates a shiny indentation making it look polished when in fact it is not. This makes it way easier to care for.

Click How Native Trails Sinks are Made for a quick YouTube Video. Note how the metals used are recycled and how the sink is dull before the hammer strike.

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New low flow kitchen faucets

We have heard. Yes, we have received the phone calls that the newer kitchen faucets do not have the pressure that the old ones did. We like the kitchen faucets that we sell. But our new restrictions which dictate that the faucets flow at 1.75 gallons per minute, have really affected the way the faucets feel and perform. But, the water situation is dire. And, we know… We used to use our kitchen faucet as a scrubbing device as well. But the fact of the matter is that we should be scrubbing first and then using the water to rinse. Shock!! What?? Yes, I am telling you that you should scrub your dishes and pots with a brush or sponge or… whatever and then use the faucet to rinse. And this also goes for the kitchen sink. It should be scrubbed with a brush or sponge or whatever and the faucet should be used to rinse it. But the pressure of the water should not be used as a scrubbing device. We are in a drought! Sorry to be the naysayer but we really need to be mindful of how much water is coming out of our faucets. And the old ones are real water wasters. These new ones will save at least 30% over an older faucet from 2012 and earlier. And if your faucet is older than 1997 or so, you are really using a lot of water. If you are not ready to buy a new faucet, you could turn the angle stops down under your sink. What is an angle stop? You know, those little handles under the sink that turn the water on and off. You could turn those down to help reduce the flow of water out of the faucet.

Traditional low flow kitchen faucet available in a myriad of finishes

Traditional low flow kitchen faucet available in a myriad of finishes


Popular prerinse commercial style faucet available in chrome or brushed nickel.

Popular prerinse commercial style faucet available in chrome or brushed nickel.


Faucet with nice wide flat candle that is comfortable in the hand.

Faucet with nice wide flat candle that is comfortable in the hand.


Modern architectural shaped kitchen faucet from Switzerland

Modern architectural shaped kitchen faucet from Switzerland


This faucet is designed to be beautiful no matter which direction the faucet is swiveled in its 270° radius of movement

This faucet is designed to be beautiful no matter which direction the faucet is swiveled in its 270° radius of movement


High-tech faucet that uses a motion sensor to both turn it on and control the temperature of water

High-tech faucet that uses a motion sensor to both turn it on and control the temperature of water

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