Tapped out
From dark and moody to bright and playful, this season’s best bathroom looks have us tapping into some serious style. So we’ve got some tap lessons just for you.
Who would have thought our functional faucets would set the trend in the busiest little room of the house? Tapware is the new bathroom bling.
And brass is the much-loved baby in the bathroom this year – whether in a high-polished, soft brushed or a more antiqued patina, this metal excludes a certain elegance and richness.
Plush set against porcelain white, both brass and gold are also a warm flattering tone with blues and greens.
Against marble-effect tiling and stone, it is pure European opulence that blends with the latest brass-framed mirrors and accessories, and gilt-marbling seen in the new wet-room wallpapers.
Black dramatically graced the faucet fashion pages a few years ago, and is now upstaging grey as the dashingly dark choice in bathrooms.
The practical matte-black is the tapware we’re turning towards this time. Classic chrome is still with us – but in shapes and styles that will stand out
Industrial is the practical style of the year – with the edgy, chunky function in substantial-sized separate taps and out-there spouting.
Deep plunge baths lend the opportunity to showcase free-standing tapware as a feature; an elegant swan neck or an industrial focal piece.
Especially imperative if the bath is freestanding away from the wall.
Now that variety in tapware styles and finishes expand the decades – it is easy to create any theme, from an ancient Turkish spa or Victorian villa to a contemporary Italian or New York apartment.
New tapware is an affordable alternative to transform a bathroom without a complete new fit-out.
Let tapware tell the tale.
