@mwenn, I sort of do agree with you that hiding everything away till it's needed seems a little fake but when you live in a home as I do at present, with a very tiny kitchen and everything is out because there's nowhere to put it away, consequently, I have a very limited prep area, so in my new kitchen, I can't wait till everything is in a draw or in a cupboard, so that I can enjoy the freedom of having a clear work area. That doesn't mean I won't enjoy a cooking day where everything is brought out for it but most everyday cooking in my opinion, doesn't require all the big gun machines to be taking up bench space. I'm afraid you might think my new kitchen will be one of these "fake" kitchens but I can assure you it won't be but remember most of the photo's that get shown on Houzz, have been professionally prepared for the photo, with nothing out of place, "minimalist" with a perfect vase of flowers and so on like the photo above!!

The one on the right is the same as the one @ work. Looks to standard/industry & stands out. I think the one on the left would blend with your kitchen better so as not to take your eye away from your other kitchen features. I am not a fan of taps being a standout.

Thank you - yes we are nearly at the end of our build but we are so disappointed they did this. I have contacted the plumber and he said he raised the issue with the project manager who told him to do it like this. I think even if the tap was placed to the left hand side it would make a difference. We have three bathrooms in the house they have done like this. It was originally even worse but I made them get new arms for the showers but it is still not right. I will attach pic of original before we put new arms on.

A house I renovated in 2001 is on the market, so I had a sticky beak. The plain white satin bathroom, wardrobes, simple tiles, cabinetry and kitchen all with classic styled taps in a satin finish have held up incredibly well. The Agent was surprised when I told him how old the fittings were. The house was 1950s so classic matched the house. So while there was no wow factor (except for beautiful built ins in the WIR) classic can have lasting charm. But I always say, have what you love.