Brizo, the Indianapolis-based manufacturer of products for kitchen and bath, seems to have a company-wide nautical fixation: the firm’s namesake is the Greek goddess who haunted the dreams of sailors, and the flagship product—the Belo Pull-Down kitchen faucet—takes its moniker from the Portuguese word for “beautiful.” The choice would appear to be an homage to a true sea-faring people (some would argue they authored the age of exploration).

Belo Collection faucet. Manufactured by Brizo.

In any case, both Brizo and Belo celebrate the enchantments of water. How fitting, then, that the form of the latter mimics the sensual and sinuous curves of life borne along in water: the elegance of aquatic algae, the fluid propulsion of iridescent jellyfish, the alluring contours of the mythical mermaid. The look of Belo fits with Brizo’s mantra, “the faucet brand for the fashion-forward,” but that doesn’t mean the product is just another pretty face. Brizo is one company whose products embrace form as well as function, and Belo epitomizes Brizo’s contention that “form and function are one and beautifully the same.” Belo’s innovations include a two-button, four-function (spray, stream, volume control, and pause) pull-out wand; a seamless docking apparatus facilitated via their MagneDock technology; and Delta Faucet’s patented Diamond seal technology, in which a diamond-embedded ceramic disk keeps water from contact with metal contaminants.

The retractable wand is worth the price of admission all by itself. Eliminating in one fell swoop the unsightly levers of conventional faucets, the erratic and messy oscillations between “spray” and “stream” functions, and the habitual drips of faucet/wand junctions, this feature has earned Belo accolades too numerous to count (one might start with Professional Builder magazine’s recognition of the product as one of the best debuts of 2008). Throw in lifetime faucet warranties, finishes in chrome and brilliant stainless steel, and stylish matching accessories (the world’s sexiest soap dispenser and an accompanying sculptural vase), and one quickly sees that Belo’s stellar reputation is much merited indeed.