If you are considering redecorating your bathroom or maybe even renovating or completely remodeling it, 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 can simply change the faucets. If you are lucky enough to have original Victorian or Edwardian faucets or perhaps even original antique French faucets, it is possible to restore them.
Some people LOVE traditional baths and wouldn’t want anything else. Certainly, the trend seems to favor this style at the moment. Maybe you prefer a more modern bathroom faucet or if your bathroom would look good with large Art Deco faucets. Some people like their bathroom faucets to match their sink faucets exactly. This is not always possible if you are installing original antique faucets. Quite simply, the matching pair of bathtub or sink faucets may have been damaged or destroyed some time ago. If you’re lucky enough to find a pair of matching vintage faucets, it’s worth installing them in your bathroom.
There are also several different styles of spouts for both bathroom faucets and sink faucets. The bathroom faucet may have a 2-handle spout or 2-handle 2 spouts. Similar with sink faucets. Or, of course, there’s the bathroom shower mixer tap which, while typically 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 claw foot tub looks fantastic with the original antique faucets Prayed modern deck mounted column faucets. Like a modern square bathtub that might otherwise look quite ordinary, it can look stunning with beautiful original large Victorian bathroom taps or even reproduction Victorian shower mixer taps. Art Deco faucets also look great in these bathrooms. 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 a swimsuit in the Art Deco style. Although Art Deco bathroom or sink faucets may fit in a typically modern suite, it doesn’t always work the other way around. Some Art Deco styles are fine. They can go well with a modern wall mounted bathroom faucet (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 bath 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 that can then be metallized or enamelled. They can be plated 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 faucets are not necessarily cheap. Style and finish are also important and part of what you will pay for.
The most expensive bathroom faucets are made from solid stainless steel, which can be polished to a high shine or brushed to create a low-gloss finish. Although these are considerably more expensive, they are sturdier than their cheaper alternatives which 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. Plating in chrome, nickel, antique gold, etc. It can be done both on original antique bathroom taps and on quite modern bathroom taps. You would just need your plumber to remove the faucets and send them to a specialist. You should consider whether buying solid stainless steel faucets was worth the extra expense.
Antique faucets often have a polished brass finish. This means you’ll need to polish your bathroom and sink faucets fairly regularly to make sure they look good. If you are lucky enough to have a cast iron plunger bathtub with a brass plunger and bathroom faucets, then having the polished plunger and faucets makes the whole bathroom 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 you were installing modern bathroom faucets. Often people choose to have their antique faucets plated in nickel or chrome. They look fantastic once finished and bathroom faucets are so much easier to keep spotless.
Your budget will probably be the determining factor in choosing which faucets to install in your bathroom. As it is unlikely that you will renovate or update your bathroom soon after doing so. If your budget allows it, it may be wise to invest in the best possible faucets for your bathroom.
The material from which the faucet is made is not the only important factor.
If you’re tearing out your bathroom and doing a complete remodel, your options aren’t limited at all. You can install deck mounted bathroom faucets where none existed before if the desire and funds are sufficient. However, if you’re replacing existing bathroom faucets, you’ll need to look at what’s already there, as this can limit you. You might love the look of a concealed wall-mounted filler, but if you don’t have the plumbing, it won’t work and you’re better off looking for another style entirely.
You should also check with the plumber who is installing the faucets for you if you have enough water pressure to deal with the requirements of the faucets you want to install. If the required pressure is higher than normal bathroom faucets, most vendors will state this in their documentation.
Generally speaking, single-lever mixer taps require high water pressure, while column taps and faucets can work with low pressure.
Once you know this, you can get on with the work of choosing and buying your faucets. Then, of course, there are the accessories.