The Opulence (D404557) bridge-type kitchen faucet by Danze is appropriately named. It combines a beautiful design with excellent functionality.
Features
This Danze faucet features a double handle bridge design. This layout makes visible the components that are often hidden away in other styles – the hot and cold water inlets that connect to the central pipe. This particular model also has a crossbar that connects all the components horizontally.
This style is in one way comparatively new, and has been seen in several popular faucets recently. However, the basics of the bridge design have been with us for many years. If you look at some authentic plumbing fixtures from the Victorian era, you’ll see that bridge faucets were sometimes used.
In the case of this faucet, a vintage look disguises some very up-to-date technology. This model features a ceramic disk valve, which is still a gold standard for reliable no-drip performance that lasts for many years. This technology also gives the faucet its smoothness and security of motion. One of the best overall things about this faucet is that it just feels so sturdy and reliable when you use it.
The total height of this faucet is 11 inches at its peak with 9 inches of reach for the spout. This is not the best choice if you like a very high-arched spout or a lot of clearance. But in that case, you’re probably more drawn to contemporary gooseneck designs anyway. For most people, this model will provide ample room to fill your biggest vessels and prepare your foods.
The 2.2 gallon-per-minute flow rate means that you won’t have to wait long for your pots to fill. With 60 PSI of pressure, cleaning up after your meals will be quick and easy too.
To install this Opulence faucet you will need 4 holes. Of course, this means that your sink has to be able to accommodate these holes. If this is the case, you probably won’t have any trouble installing the fixture. But it’s a fairly hefty faucet at 7.7 pounds, so it’s a good idea to have someone to help you by holding the faucet while you secure things under the sink. That way you’ll avoid damaging the lovely finish.
>>Check out Amazon for more discounts<<
More about Style
This Danze faucet really deserves a bit more praise about its style.
Just by looking at the picture you can see the old-fashioned attention to detail. The star-shaped, horizontally turning knobs look back to a time when indoor running water was celebrated as a luxury for the rich. If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, you’ll know what I mean.
I’m really in love with this look. It’s exactly the kind of fixture you might see in historical houses from the late 19th and early 20th century, when plumbing fixtures used a lot of beautiful brass, ivory and polished wood – you probably know what I’m talking about.
Even the finishes that are available for this model follow through with the vintage flavor of the design.
The chrome (D404557) and stainless steel (D404557SS) finishes don’t really work with the style, in my opinion, and I’m not a huge fan of the polished nickel (D404557PNV) either. But then again, some people may like these combinations of classic and modern aesthetics. If you like to “mash up” different styles and periods, these finishes may be just the thing for you.
But for me the antique copper finish (D404557AC) give the fixture an authentic look that would make it look great in a vintage Edwardian kitchen. It could also be a nice old-fashioned element in an otherwise modern kitchen. The tumbled bronze (D404557BR) and oil-rubbed bronze (D404557RB) finishes have a similar effect.
Somewhere in between the antique and the modern extremes you have the black satin finish (D404557BS). It can fit in well enough with either a vintage or a more modern look. If you want to have a faucet that hearkens back to the Gilded Age, but you don’t want it to look like an actual antique, this finish is a good option.
Spray
Depending on which finish you choose, you may not feel that the vintage style of the main faucet carries over very well to the spray wand. The outer finish is fine, and matches the rest of the faucet. But the spray face itself doesn’t always coordinate with the metallic finish. For instance, there is a white spray face on the black satin model. To my mind, this contrast is a bit jarring. The bronze finishes coordinate well with the spray face, though.
Apart from that, there are no problems with the spray function. In my case I would prefer a bigger spray wand because of my big hands, but that’s entirely an individual preference. I usually go for pull-out designs, which are obviously not going to work with this model’s aesthetic.
One word of warning: this spray wand might seem a bit heavy to you. The excellent manufacturing makes this a smooth, solid fixture, but it definitely has some heft to it, even compared to other metal spray wands.
Overall
The D404557 by Danze superbly re-creates the aesthetic of a turn-of-the-century kitchen faucet. The classic bridge design will never look out of place or dated. This is also a well-manufactured fixture using the best materials, and you’ll never feel like you’re using an antique! However it looks, this is a thoroughly modern faucet with the most up-to-date technologies inside.
The combination of quality materials and vintage style with excellent manufacturing practices makes this an easy faucet to highly recommend. If you’re a fan of the Edwardian or Victorian aesthetic, be sure to take a look at this faucet. It would pair especially well with a farmhouse-style kitchen sink.