Choosing Plumbing Fixtures: Beautiful Finishes, Practical Details, and Where to Splurge

Plumbing fixtures are jewelry for your kitchen and bathroom. But this jewelry also needs to rinse toothpaste, wash dishes, and get the shampoo out of your hair.

I want beautiful fixtures. I also want them to earn their keep.

Sinks and faucets: start with everyday use

My favorite bathroom sink is the rectangular Kohler Verticyl. I love its deep basin and squared-off shape. Oval and round sinks rarely make my shortlist. I also want the sink color to coordinate with the countertop, so it feels like part of the design rather than something we dropped into a hole.

For everyday bathrooms, I prefer a single-handle faucet. Adjusting the temperature for washing your face or brushing your teeth should be easy. In the kitchen, that matters even more. Your other hand is usually holding something wet, dirty, or chicken-related.

A powder room or guest bathroom gives us more room to play. An eight-inch widespread faucet or a wall-mounted fixture can bring wonderful character.

For finishes, my first love is a living finish: unlacquered brass or a bronze intended to develop patina. I love the way these change as you live with them. A new house gets a little soul. Everything doesn’t need to look fresh out of the box forever.

Those finishes can narrow our options and stretch the budget. Polished nickel is my timeless alternative.

Black can feel harsh to me, and satin brass is surprisingly difficult to coordinate across brands. Apparently, everyone has their own interpretation of gold. Softer gray, graphite, and pewter tones can also be worth exploring.

And no, the faucet does not need to match every mirror, light, and cabinet pull. My starting rule for mixing metals is to change both the color and the sheen. Satin brass with polished nickel is a combination I love: enough contrast to look intentional.

Showers and tubs: pretty needs to be practical

I want a handheld shower in every shower. It makes cleaning easier, and an adjustable slide bar lets us position it for different heights.

Then we can add a stationary head or a rain head. A rain head is lovely, but I wouldn’t make it your only option. Sometimes you need a proper rinse, not a weather experience.

Body sprays are a luxury some clients love. They aren’t usually where I would spend first. My Florida snowbirds occasionally disagree. We all bring our preferences with us.

For bathtub fillers, the usual options are wall-mounted, floor-mounted, or deck-mounted—often called Roman tub faucets. Wall-mounted is my favorite when the layout allows it. I prefer the look, and it can avoid the expense of a floor-mounted installation.

Some freestanding tubs accommodate deck-mounted fixtures, too. We’ll work with your plumber on the installation before falling in love with the pretty part.

I’m also drawn to black, clay, and gray tubs. A sculptural stone or concrete tub can be stunning, but that is a serious splurge for something many people use occasionally.

Lately, I’ve been loving an undermount tub with a deck made from countertop material. Strategic seams and the right stone can help control fabrication costs while keeping the result beautiful.

A usable deck can provide a place to sit while getting in and out, though the tub’s height and your mobility still matter. And I appreciate a design that doesn’t require cleaning a mysterious six-inch gap behind a freestanding tub. Nobody is excited about that assignment.

Spend on quality, then choose your extras

Grohe, Newport Brass, and Delta are among the brands I like working with. Moen and Kohler are also familiar options I regularly consider. At higher price points, brands such as Kallista, Brizo, and Rohl have their place.

My job is to understand those options and respect your budget. Sometimes the splurge belongs in the finish. Sometimes it belongs in the shower controls. Sometimes the sensible faucet is exactly the right faucet.

I look for dependable construction, serviceable parts, and meaningful manufacturer support. There is always another bell or whistle available. We don’t need all of them to create a beautiful room.

Planning a kitchen or bathroom renovation in Colorado Springs? I’ll help you choose plumbing fixtures that bring character to the space and make daily life easier. Pretty is the starting point. Working beautifully is the goal.

See how plumbing finishes fit into the wider design at the Boulder Residence.

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