When it comes to designing a new kitchen or updating an old one, choosing a sink and faucet can be a difficult process with all of the styles, features and finishes available. It’s also crucial to consider the additional accessories that one would like – or need – to have on hand.

If you’re currently in the position to choose new fixtures, take some time to think about what you use and what you long for when you’re cooking and washing up.

Hate the way the dish (or hand) soap bottle looks?

…regardless of how many “decorative” containers you’ve tried? Can’t stand the way it gets full of soap scum and dirt sitting on your sink ledge? Do you obsess over getting the right color of soap to match your kitchen? (Okay, so maybe that’s just the obsessive-compulsive tendencies talking.)

You need an integrated soap dispenser. 

Luckily for you, they’re available in loads of styles and colors. A deck-mount soap dispenser hides the bottle of soap beneath the counter, leaving a neat, matching dispenser atop it and effectively quashing your kids’ ambitions to squirt each other with the soap bottle.

Harrington Brass Victorian Deck Mount Soap Dispenser

If you’re plagued with dry hands from dish washing, you can fill the dispenser with lotion instead.

If you don’t mind having the soap bottle on the countertop, or if you’re not planning on drilling new holes for it, there are plenty of attractive soap dispensers too.

Love cold, hot, filtered or otherwise special water but hate lugging bottles (and taking up fridge space) or waiting for the kettle?

Solution for you: a hot and/or filtered water dispenser.

They’re not just ugly but functional fixtures anymore. These dispensers can do practically anything, besides for mix your margarita (well, almost). And, once more, they come in so many sizes, finishes, and configurations (instant hot, hot/cold, filtered hot/cold…), you’re sure to find one you love. If you want to install a reverse osmosis system, many dispensers are compatible as well.

You can even get one that dispenses sparkling water! Yes, you read that right. You can get sparkling water right from your tap.

And it functions as a regular kitchen faucet, too. Your regular faucet is looking pretty obsolete now, isn’t it?

Have a lot of food waste that you just don’t know what to do with?

You know, like the congealing juice from tonight’s chicken. Dump it in the garbage? It’ll leak and smell. In the sink? Too thick. The toilet? Can’t be good for the pipes!

Or do you have a hard time figuring out where to peel your potatoes? In the sink? (How do you clean that up?) Over the garbage can or counter? (Say hello to little peels all over the floor/counter top!)

You need a garbage disposal.

This handy device will grind up and flush away your kitchen waste and is built right into your sink drain.

Choose one with a powerful motor (1 HP is good) and reliable jam-resistance. Just be aware that you may need a basket strainer, stopper (not all disposers include one) and/or an extended flange (commonly necessary if you have a fireclay sink). And keep everyone’s fingers away from it!

What kitchen sink add-on can you not live without? What do you dream of having? And what do you regret putting in?