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59 Comments

  1. Janet
    December 10, 2019 @ 2:03 pm

    I installed an instahot gizmo for my tea too. I quit using it as it imparted a stinky smell to the water- kind of like rotten eggs. Now I microwave my water right in my giant mug.

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  2. S MJ Kurth
    December 10, 2019 @ 2:04 pm

    I’ve had the hot water tap and agree with all the others above…skip it! The water is not as hot as you’d need to make proper tea. It’s not even hot enough to make a decent cup of instant oatmeal. Get yourself a $20 electric kettle instead. We lived in England for 5+ years and they have the best electric kettles. Those things are brilliant! Ever since we’ve been back Stateside, I’ve had one.

    I love the idea about getting everything off the counters. So clean! And how have I never seen the piano drawers before now?!! So amazing! Love them!

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  3. Robin Miller
    December 10, 2019 @ 2:11 pm

    Hello! What about the Insinkerator in Brushed Bronze? It looks very close to unlacquered brass – at least in the picture!

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  4. Linda
    December 10, 2019 @ 2:26 pm

    An electric tea kettle is faster than induction or microwave. And I love my Forlife stainless steel tea filter. Much bigger than the one you showed.

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  5. Margaret McCoon
    December 10, 2019 @ 2:31 pm

    Love Love Love you and your blog!! But…you can’t hate on Zipperhead…it’s an institution (at least to all of us aging punk rockers who now love giant gold fancy things 🙂

    Reply

  6. Shirley
    December 10, 2019 @ 3:15 pm

    Victoria, get the taps you LOVE! Any decent metal shop can delacquer and/or brass plate whatever you need.
    Ditto also on the thumbs down on the “hot” water dispenser – a disappointing waste of money!

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  7. Tina
    December 10, 2019 @ 4:55 pm

    I thought you should know that icky Spencers is still alive and well–at least at the Exton Mall.

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  8. Sheila I McNeil
    December 10, 2019 @ 5:13 pm

    ” maybe there is value in LESS-noticeable…”
    VICTORIA!
    Are you feeling okay???

    Go with polished nickel, it has a better vibe.

    Always happy to get the email that you’ve posted!! You make my day. 😉

    Reply

  9. Laurilyn Fortner
    December 10, 2019 @ 5:54 pm

    “ as always,my ideas were superior to anything that already exists “- this is why I love your posts! Because me too!

    Reply

  10. Carolyn
    December 10, 2019 @ 6:11 pm

    Love your blog, your sense of humor and your knight-in-shining-armour, handsome, patient and lint-picking husband. Mostly I love your videos because of your amazing music. Please, please, please give us a playlist!,carolyn

    Reply

  11. Crystal
    December 10, 2019 @ 6:41 pm

    Spend the money on the one you want…. why settle? You’ll be using it for a long (hopefully) time. Are 2 different unlacquered brass fixtures going to drive you insane? Won’t they age to a somewhat consistent brass color? Asking for a friend who knows nothing about different brass….

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  12. Dana
    December 10, 2019 @ 8:14 pm

    The Newport Brass is so jolly. It looks like a little butler just waiting to serve you tea.

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  13. Chris
    December 10, 2019 @ 8:58 pm

    I actually like the sound of South Street. I find people like this are the most sensitive of souls – only look scary. We used to have an arcade (really a walk through ally) off Elizabeth Street years ago. Had the best perfume shop run by a guy who looked like a blonde Robert Smith. It also had an amazing Russian Restaurant.

    Nevermind

    I like the idea of plating. A great way to get a very unique look

    Reply

  14. KR
    December 10, 2019 @ 9:05 pm

    Newport style! It looks more stylistically closer to your faucet. And slight variations in metals, if noticeable, are in my opinion forgivable. In fact, I think it may even make the kitchen look more established, like it evolved over time.

    Can’t wait to see the whole kitchen come together! These are the type of decisions that keep me up for weeks until I randomly order one and then am surprised by my choice when it arrives.

    Reply

  15. Genevieve
    December 10, 2019 @ 10:37 pm

    As a frequent visitor to South Street in the 90’s, I just want to say that A: apparently some things never change, and B: your description is dead on. Also, Team Tea.

    Reply

  16. Jules
    December 11, 2019 @ 12:38 am

    We also watched “Broken”, and we are very concerned about everything we buy. Especially honey.

    Everything seems to come from China. I don’t even know where to begin looking for water taps that don’t come from China.

    I’m curious where you are going to store the hot water tank and the reverse osmosis tank. We have our very large RO tank under the sink, and it is heavy enough that it is trying to separate the cupboard floor from the cupboard frame. Not kosher.

    Reply

    • judy
      December 13, 2019 @ 12:24 pm

      I am so tired of the China thing-for goodness sake can’t anything that doesn’t demand slave/forced labor and rampant unregulated pollution be made by Americans? Their children seem to be asthmatic & they had to close factories because the Olympic athletes couldn’t breathe.Does this crap stay in their air or does it spread to our children? Bought 1250 sq ft of Acacia hardwood,Acacia, (genus Acacia), genus of about 160 species of trees and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae). Acacias are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world, particularly Australia (where they are called wattles) and Africa, where they are well-known landmarks on the veld and savanna. Guess what the boxes said. Right! Made in China? So the wood was shipped to China Then shipped to America.For a long time it was unclear just how many of these containers go overboard each year on average. An estimate of 10,000 containers annually is entirely plausible, which would mean the equivalent of 27 containers lost every day.

      Reply

  17. Leanne Michael
    December 11, 2019 @ 3:24 am

    I’d suggest the RO faucet with Newport Brass as well. Their unlacquered brass finish patinas rather quickly if that’s what you are hoping for to match your wall faucet. I have a photo of a NB unlacquered faucet from my clients home if you’d like to see how it turns in just one year of use. Email me. Lmluxelifestyle@gmail.com
    I’d be happy to forward the images.

    Enjoy your renovation!

    Reply

  18. Mabel
    December 11, 2019 @ 9:10 am

    Definitely get an unlacquered brass filtered water dispenser. Once all your fixtures have started to patina a little, I think they’ll blend together just fine. I second the suggestion of bringing your faucet to see the Newport Brass finish samples in a store.

    That said, there is a $$$$ option you might like and aren’t aware of. Waterworks is coming out with filtered water dispensers soon (in the summer I was told maybe by end of year). They are low profile with a single lever handle (turn one way for hot and the other way for cold) and would match the finish of your faucet. I know this because I’m working on a new kitchen for my Victorian house and went to visit a Waterworks showroom. I hope telling you isn’t too much torture because $$$$. I got a quote for unlacquered brass cold only and it is $820 plus tax and shipping and handling. I’m just guessing that the hot and cold option might be a little more expensive.

    I completely relate to all your decision anxiety. Thanks for writing!

    Reply

  19. Lin Sanchez
    December 11, 2019 @ 9:11 am

    I agree with all the comments about bringing water to a boil. No substitute. Also I brew in a pot. So before I put the tea in the pot gets boiling water to heat it up so it will stay hot longer. THEN the pot gets wrapped up in a cozy. Amazing how long it will hold heat. .

    Reply

  20. sweetfe
    December 12, 2019 @ 2:32 am

    Okay, so I must be missing something (it happens)….Why don’t you just install a “point of use” tankless water heater under your sink for all your hot water from the kitchen faucet versus adding second (or third if you count the pot filler…or did I imagine that) faucet? Or is this a fanciness thing?

    Reply

    • Pericolosa
      December 12, 2019 @ 5:40 am

      VEB wants filtered hot H2O for special purposes. So the tankless heater would be installed on the RO line, not the main sink water line.

      Reply

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