Just remember that good quality tapware is EXPENSIVE and so is the plumber to change out the tap so go for the best you can afford - tapware will either make or break the look you're going for in terms of big ticket items. But go for what you want - infact take a sample of your benchtop and put it next to the tap and a stainless steel appliance in the Ikea showroom and have a look to decide for yourself - it all depends on personal taste.

We installed a Zip system during our kitchen renovation- the filtered boiling, chilled and soda. We LOVE it! Having the hot water at a moments notice is amazing. Not only do we find we're drinking more tea (great thing for health), but we use it to soak things, heat up cooking quicker, etc. I probably use it 10x a day! We start our day off with hot lemon water w/ apple cider vinegar- it's so nice to have it at our fingertips! I saw the comment about being too hot... the beauty is that you have the chilled water with the push of a button. So I know that I fill my Yeti just under 2/3 with the boiling water and then flip the function and top it off with chilled water. I can drink it instantly. The chilled filtered water is a bit noisy, but in a house with kids, dog, lots of activity... it doesn't bother us. I also saw the comment about filling Britas... with kids that play sports, filling up water bottles constantly is so much easier right from the tap. And they want cold water. They did need to reorganize the plans for the cabinet to make room for it under the sink, but it really wasn't a big deal. I also had to adjust the bubbles to get a higher volume b/c we like our soda water fizzy- it was not difficult. We were avid Soda Stream users... this is SO much easier. We used to plow through Co2 cartridges so fast with the Soda Stream. And then you have to send them back to recycle them. The tech for Zip said we'll probably have to change out the Co2 on this unit once a year. I would say that if you're going to use it- it's definitely worth the money, space and noise.

i guess the problem is about the number of tap holes in the sink or wall but swopping tap sets with two or three holes for a mixer tap is a job for a plumber as the separate hot and cold water needs to be fed into one outlet to suit the new mixer

Hi helennick, I think someone may be having a lend of you about Butler sinks being hard to get in Australia and that they are too heavy for cabinets; these are certainly not our expierience. The only problem you may have is that you want to use timber tops. This is because the constant exposure to water against the end grain over many years of use can become problematic especially if your tops are not polished properyl and it breaks down, wears or is damaged over time with use. For your handle selaction, I think choosing tapware with gold trim or gold and porcelain from Perrin & Rowe or Bastow or the like would be a good option. Hope this helps, Malcolm