If you are considering redecorating your bathroom or perhaps even giving it a complete makeover or remodel, then choosing the right faucets is very important. The overall style and feel of your bathroom can be greatly influenced by the faucets you choose. In fact, to update and rejuvenate the entire look of your bathroom, you may be able to simply change the faucets. If you are lucky enough to have original Victorian or Edwardian faucets or even original antique French faucets, they may have them restored.
Some people LOVE traditional baths and would not want anything else. Certainly the trend seems to favor this style at the moment. You may prefer a more modern bathroom faucet or if your bathroom would look good with large Art Deco faucets. Some people like their bathroom taps to match their sink taps exactly. This is not always possible if you are installing original old faucets. Quite simply, the corresponding pair of bathtub or sink faucets may have been damaged or destroyed some time ago. If you are lucky enough to find a matching pair of vintage faucets, they are worth installing in your bathroom.
There are also several different styles of spout for both bathtub and sink faucets. The bathtub faucet can have a spout with 2 handles or 2 spouts with 2 handles. The same goes for sink taps. Or, of course, there is the bathroom shower mixer tap which, although usually very traditional in style, complements any bathroom and saves on plumbing fixtures.
Fortunately, whatever your style, an eclectic approach tends to work very well. A traditional Edwardian or Victorian cast iron roll top bathtub looks fantastic with original antique faucets gold modern deck mounted pillar faucets. Similarly, a modern square bathroom that might otherwise seem quite ordinary can look stunning with charming original large Victorian bathroom faucets or even reproduction Victorian shower mixer bathroom faucets. Art Deco faucets look great in these bathrooms too. Most of the time you can get away with mixing and matching faucets, baths, tiles, decor, etc. modern and traditional. The only exception could be an Art Deco style swimsuit. Although you can fit Art Deco bathroom faucets or sinks in a typically modern suite, it doesn’t always work the other way around. Some Art Deco styles are fine. They can look good with a modern wall mounted bathtub filler (faucets with 2 handles to control the flow of water). However, the typical Art Deco skirted bathroom really needs to have matching Art Deco style bathroom and sink faucets and matching decor to achieve a good look.
Before you even look at the different styles, there are a few things you need to know.
Most bathroom faucets are made of brass which can then be metal plated or enameled. They can be coated with high-gloss or matte finishes such as chrome, nickel, polished brass, pewter, silk steel, and antique gold. Nickel plating is becoming more popular as it provides the traditional look of a traditional Edwardian or Victorian bathroom. These taps are not necessarily cheap. Style and finish are also important and are part of what you will pay.
The most expensive bathroom faucets are made of solid stainless steel, which can be polished to a high shine or brushed to create a low-shine finish. Although these are considerably more expensive, they are sturdier than their cheaper alternatives that will eventually lose their finish.
Brass faucets, if they have been chrome or nickel plated, should take years to lose their finish. Having chrome or nickel plated bathroom faucets is an option and the finish looks fantastic. The coating in chrome, nickel, antique gold, etc. It can be done both on original antique bathroom faucets and on fairly modern bathroom faucets. You would just have to ask your plumber to remove the taps and send them to a specialist. You should weigh whether the added expense of buying solid stainless steel faucets was worth it.
Antique faucets typically have a polished brass finish. This means that you will need to polish your bathtub and sink faucets fairly regularly to make sure they look good. If you are lucky enough to have a cast iron plunger bath with a brass plunger and bath taps, polishing the plunger and taps makes the whole bath look sensational and definitely produces the “WOW” factor. They look great when this is done and many people prefer to keep this finish and do the extra cleaning that would not otherwise be necessary if they installed modern bathroom faucets. Often times, people choose to have their old nickel-plated or chrome-plated faucets. They look fantastic once made and the bathtub faucets are so much easier to keep spotless.
Your budget will likely be the determining factor in which faucets you choose to install in your bathroom. As it is unlikely that you will renovate or update your bathroom again shortly after doing so. If your budget allows it, it may be wise to invest in the best possible faucets for your bathroom.
What the faucet is made of is not the only important factor.
If you’re trashing your bathroom and doing a complete remodel, your options aren’t limited at all. You can install deck mounted bathroom faucets where they didn’t exist before if desire and funds are sufficient. However, if you are replacing existing bathroom faucets, you will need to look at what is already there as this can limit you. You may like the look of a wall-mounted hidden filler, but if you don’t have the plumbing it won’t work and you’d better go for another style altogether.
You should also check with your plumber who is installing your faucets for you whether you have sufficient water pressure to cope with the requirements of the faucets you want to install. If the required pressure is higher than normal bathroom faucets, most suppliers will indicate this in their literature.
Generally speaking, mixer taps require high water pressure, while column taps and fillers can operate with low pressure.
Once you know this, you can proceed with the task of choosing and purchasing your faucets. Then of course there are the accessories.