Choosing faucets for your bathroom might seem like a no-brainer: Find what you think looks best with the rest of your bathroom décor. The finish should match the other fixtures, and voila, you’re done. Wait! Before you commit based on aesthetics, make sure to put some thought into functionality.
Case in point: We’ve had clients come to us wanting to redesign bathrooms to include dual-spigot Victorian-inspired sinks like this one:
Pretty as they might be, separate spigots present a setback from a modern-day luxury: controlling the temperature of the water. Yow! With a sink like this one, the only decent way to get that just-right temperature for face-washing, for example, is to fill the basin with a blend from the two spigots.
Is the solution to have a single spigot but with two vintage-look faucet handles? Perhaps, but keep in mind that people often find pressure-control confusing if you use vintage-inspired cross-style handles like these ones, because one handle turns clockwise and the other turns counterclockwise:
Where temperature control really matters is in the shower. For precision control, traditional wisdom is to go for a two-handle faucet. Degree by degree, you have the power. However, here’s something you might want to consider about going with a single handle like this one:
With this kind of handle, once you find the sweet spot for water temperature, you can very easily find it again and again. View the handle fixture like a clock face, and you’ll see exactly which o’clock you gives you your most comfortable water temperature.
Other things to consider when choosing faucets include ensuring that you have a wide enough basin to contain the bigger splash that typically comes with a gooseneck faucet, and making sure you have enough space between the sink and backsplash to accommodate for any kind of lever-controlled faucet that has forward-backward rotation. From ease of cleaning to limitations on water pressure, there’s more to faucets than meets the eye!
