
About Us \| Contact Us \| Login \| Affiliates

Product Advice:

Appliance Trends:
Faucets Come Clean with New Decorating Finishes

By Jeremy Powers

There have been bathrooms in every color in the world, from stark white to basic black. But through it all, the faucets have mostly come in chrome.

Chrome is a clean-looking finish and it does, in fact, clean up well. It takes scrubbing that traditional brass couldn't handle without looking like it had been beaten up with sandpaper.

Just as one size doesn't fit all, one finish doesn't fit all. Today's bath faucets come in some new colors. But the colors themselves aren't really new unless you consider that these colors are also as durable as the best of the chrome. In the 1970s, every major faucet manufacturer offered a brushed brass look. The finish might have lasted through two cleanings.

Today's faucets carry lifetime finish guarantees. Moen, which now offers its LifeShine finish on all of its kitchen and bath faucets, offers a lifetime guarantee against tarnishing. The brass-colored finish is strengthened with titanium, one of the strongest metals known.

Brass isn't the only new color. Bright nickel and a slightly blackened nickel are also popular. White and almond have been around for a while, but frequently these colors come in plastic, which doesn't hold up to years of bathroom abuse. Today, some companies put an enamel-like finish on solid brass and that finish lasts. Ceramic parts, like the old-fashioned X handles of the turn of the century, are again being used in modern faucets.

The best part about any modern faucet is that the insides are now better than ever before. Many faucets use a ceramic disk as the shut off mechanism. The ceramic is harder than any of the minerals in the water, so unlike rubber parts, it can't break down and leak.

Shiny Nickel
You've rarely seen a tarnished nickel. That's because it is the material they add to steel to make stainless steel. This brushed nickel finish with brass accents is from Price Pfister and its Georgetown line is naturally tarnish resistant.

Bright Spout
This Revival faucet from Kohler is in Kohler's Vibrant brass finish, which the company says is more durable than polished chrome.

New & Mod
Brass accents don't have to go into a retro look. This satin nickel faucet with brass accents from Delta Select faucets is quite modern.

Bright White
Most new faucets, which are called widespread, are designed to fit holes eight inches apart. This durable white faucet from Gerber has the same look, but fits traditional four inch holes.

Simply Brass
Most of the new finishes are on fashionable, widespread faucets. But Moen offers its LifeShine finish on this regular one-piece unit.

Swan Song
The Brilliance finish from Delta is now available on all of its faucets in the bath, including this stunning swan-inspired high faucet.

More Articles by Jeremy Powers

Appliance Trends: Refrigerators Get Bigger and Better

Appliance Trends: Faucets Come Clean with New Decorating Finishes

Pro Advice Library Main Page | Back to Top