If you’re in the process of renovating your bathroom, updating your décor or even building a new bathroom from scratch, you need to think carefully about your choice of faucets. Installing new faucets in your shower, tub and sink is one way you can update the look of your bathroom without spending a lot of money. Just remember that the faucets you choose can determine whether or not your bathroom design is successful. The finish of your faucet is one of the most important elements of design. With the right faucets you can make your bathroom fixtures look more upscale, while the wrong faucets may spoil the appearance of even the highest-end shower, sink and tub.
If you’re installing new faucets into an existing bathroom, take a good look at your bathroom décor before you choose a finish. When renovating a whole room, take the finish into account when you choose fixtures such as sinks, tiles and cabinets. The finish should coordinate well with everything else in the room, blending with other finishes and colors.
Not so long ago, chrome was pretty much the only available finish. Chrome still has a loyal fan base, but it’s no longer the most popular finish. Builders still prefer chrome, so based on volume alone chrome continues to lead the market. But in terms of home improvement and renovation, chrome lags far behind. These days you have options!
- Copper: In a bathroom with a vintage look, a polished copper faucet can add elegance. If you’re looking for an Old World style, consider brushed copper.
- Brass: This elegant finish will impart a Victorian or traditional flavor to your bathroom décor. Brushed brass works well for a traditional look, while aged brass is great with a Victorian theme. You can even find some vintage-style faucets with exposed shower and tub mixers in a polished brass finish.
- Gold-plated: What could be more luxurious and elegant than gold plating for a formal bathroom? A satin gold finish is probably the most elegant of all finishes.
- Polished nickel: This finish lends elegance both to contemporary and traditional bathrooms. Polished nickel is a good choice if your bathroom décor is fairly traditional, but brushed nickel goes well with a more contemporary style.
- Stainless steel: In this case, a stainless steel finish with a high polish tends to look more contemporary, while brushed stainless will go well in a bathroom with a more traditional style.
- Bronze: A light-colored bronze finish such as champagne bronze looks good in a traditional bathroom. A dark rich finish like oil rubbed bronze will work better in an Old World type of décor.
When you’re buying multiple faucets, a good way to make sure that they all look good together is to select them from a particular manufacturer’s design collection. Don’t forget to look at the finishes of your toilet paper holder, hooks, towel bar, and any other fixtures in the bathroom. If all of these come from the same design collection, you know that they will work well together. If you can’t get everything from the same collection, try sticking with just one finish at least. Once you’ve chosen your finish, make sure it will look good with the other elements in your design: walls, cabinets and floors for example. Light fixtures will also look better if they match your faucets.