A lot of things go into making a bathroom beautiful, but not all of it has to be big. If you’re in the middle of a major remodel, forgetting about the little things can be a huge mistake – as is assuming you can’t give an outdated bathroom a facelift without a huge investment. The truth is, sometimes the smallest changes can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of your bathroom, whether it’s part of a larger redesign or all on its own. Take bathroom faucets for example – they’re small, inexpensive, and easy to install, but are probably the most used fixture in your whole bathroom. Really beautiful, luxurious bathroom faucets can go a long way toward making you feel prim and pampered every time you use them – even without a lot of other updates.
Your average bathroom faucet is pretty simple in design – one or two handles and a nice straight spigot that shoots water straight down. But the moment you change up that formula, “just a faucet” becomes a unique, functional luxury item that not only looks great, but is enjoyable to use. Take this Brick Faucet from Fima Carlo Frattini – it has all the basic parts, a handle and a spigot, but it’s a wall mounted fixture – unusual for bathroom faucets – and is designed more like a tub filler than a tap faucet. Plus, instead of a regular spigot, it has a waterfall style tap that lets water fall naturally off the edge and into the sink, for an entirely different look and feel.
Even more typical waterfall-style bathroom faucets like this Kuatro Cascade from Roman Soler add a certain unexpected something to a modern bathroom space. The flow of the water is more natural, and the open trough-style spigot lets you enjoy the beautiful movement of water, making this piece much more than just functional. The natural water contrasted with the highly geometric chrome design of the faucet itself makes this a perfect accent piece for a simple, stylish modern bathroom.
Of course, making the flow of water a unique and integral part of luxury bathroom faucets isn’t limited merely to waterfall faucets. In fact, simply changing the shape of the water stream (in the case of this Arola Faucet, having a thin rectangular opening rather than a circular one) completely changes the aesthetic of your faucet. The real reason I personally like this faucet, though, is that it does away with the conventional faucet handle, replacing it with a small rotating band just beneath the spout to adjust the flow and temperature of the water. Not only does this create a lean, sleek form, but it’s also great for an uncluttered modern aesthetic.
But enough about the water – some luxury bathroom faucets are considered deluxe for their design, plain and simple, and there are a whole lot of really cool ones out there. I’m a big fan of this Tango faucet from Graff, which is a cool re-imagining of your average bathroom faucets. Instead of sitting close to the counter, this faucet is quite tall – big enough to comfortably accommodate a vessel sink – and instead of merging the hot and cold inlet lines into a single feed at the base, they continue up independently to mix only at the tap itself. That makes for a unique, leggy-looking bathroom faucet that’s totally outside the norm. Above, it’s pictured in chrome, but some of the other options – particularly the rubbed and oiled bronze finishes – actually make for a nice twist on the old vintage two-tap faucets (without all the scalding).
Sometimes the simplest designs are the most stunning. This Eco faucet, for example, is little more than a smooth chrome cylinder bent at a sharp angle, but the unexpected minimalness of it is absolutely striking. Even in a bathroom that isn’t especially modern, this faucet is a definite stand-out focal point, just because it isn’t like your average bathroom faucets. Plus, the futuristic looking joystick style handle makes for a unique finishing touch as well as an innovative user experience.
But while modern bathroom faucets are striking and elegant in their simplicity, I have to admit that I think the most luxurious bathroom faucets are the ones with some real vintage flair and detail. I mean, come on – if you want to add something stunning to your bathroom, what could be better than something like this Pompadour Faucet from Herbeau, that looks like it came straight out of Hearse Castle? After all, nothing quiet says luxury like having a Louis XV-inspired dragon-tap in your bathroom.
In fact, vintage-inspired and authentic vintage bathroom faucets are a great way to add a little unique custom flair to bathrooms that aren’t ultra modern in their aesthetic. Something like this wood-accented, vintage-inspired Fountainhaus Faucet from Whitehaus adds rustic charm in spades for exactly the opposite reason of most of the other faucets on this list. Instead of being eye-catching for being minimal and angular, this faucet and others like it are beautiful for their faithful reproduction of the more lavish, intricate, and detailed style of a bygone era. Especially in an older home, vintage bathroom faucets can go a long way to adding luxury and authenticity.
Then again, sometimes it’s the little things of the little things that can give you warm fuzzies when you use it. This Brick Faucet is fairly standard among high-end modern bathroom faucets, with a sleek geometric shape and dazzling chrome finish. But the sister Brick Chic collection comes with a small rectangle of tiny Swarovski crystals. It’s the tiniest detail, but one that adds a sophisticated, luxury finish not only to your bathroom faucets, but also to your bathroom as a whole.
So, whether you’re looking for a faucet to perfect your next big remodel, or just an afternoon project to improve the look and feel of your bathroom, there are a lot of luxury bathroom faucets out there that will not only make your bathroom nicer to look at, but maybe even more enjoyable to use. What are you looking for in a new bathroom faucet? Do you prefer a dramatic modern aesthetic, or a more vintage style?
