Tuesday, June 30, 2009

5 Tips on Updating Bathroom Faucets


Michael and I went into this last leg of updating our 80's home not fully realizing the speed bumps we'd have in the "simple" task in choosing new faucets, lighting and mirrors for our master bathroom.

I really thought I could simply venture into Home Depot (a favorite place) and pick out matching pieces for the two sinks, bathtub and shower. My thinking quickly changed when I started noticing that every thing I liked was high end. My thinking also changed when I realized that I needed to really match or at least complement the brassy looking 80's door hardware.

Since starting this fun adventure, I've made no less than four trips back and forth to different Home Depots and Targets. I've expanded my journey to looking at bathroom remodeling pictures and to the online options with Home Depot, Bellacor, the Lighting Catalog, Overstock.Com and anything else I can find.

Today, my mind is stuck. Like everyone else our budget is limited to a dime. My mind is stuck because of the pressure to make the right choice with our limited resources. I want it to be lovely and at least match or complement.

HGTV has some helpful tips for any woman wading through the decision to update bathroom faucets.

Tip # 1 .... Pay Now or Pay Later
You may sputter a bit at the price of some faucets, but paying for quality now can save you searching for a plumber — or new faucet — later. Look for solid-brass construction instead of plated metal, and check the warranty. If you need to pinch pennies, consider a different finish. Polished chrome is one of the most popular finishes because of its timeless color and least expensive price tag. This is a good tip! Read more . . .

Tip # 2 ... Think Sink
Bathroom sink faucets come in four basic varieties, based on the configuration of the sink on which they're mounted: 8 inches, also called widespread; 4 inches; single hole; and wall mount. This is a good tip! Read more . . .

Tip # 3 ... The Choices

Most of the 8-inch or widespread faucets have three pieces, the tap and the hot and cold handles, which means some 8-inch faucets can fit holes not exactly 8 inches apart.

If the span is 4 inches, a 4-inch faucet is what you need. These usually have a base and come in one solid piece. Read more . . .

Tip # 4 ... Style Savvy
Configuration isn't the only faucet decision you'll need to consider. Read more . . .

Tip # 5 ... The Match Game
Your faucet should match or complement the tub faucet as well as other hardware in your bathroom, such as towel racks, hooks and the toilet paper holder. Choosing from a manufacturer's design series can take away the guesswork when making your decisions, Stephanie says. Read more . . .

Now I'm really confused, just when I thought I'd head toward 'investing' in polished bronze, this article says chrome is the leader in choice!!! I'm thinking this project might take longer than originally intended as I think and ponder and scout around some more. Got some ideas?

For more great tips read the fantastic comments here.

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1 comments:

Andrea said...

Lylah, I think chrome is the top choice due to $. Not for beauty.

I chose chrome only because EVERYTHING else in the bathroom was chrome. Previous owners were very frugal and I guess they loved chrome.

I founda great lighting fixture on Ebay. -not to give you more options!- Sorry Mike!