What to Expect: Plumbing Selection
Plumbing selections may not seem like the most exciting part of the design process, but they are crucial to the overall look and feel of a space. People often wait too long to make these selections because they are one of the last things to be installed in a project. Given that plumbing rough-ins go in right after framing, it’s important to make your selections as early as possible! There are several important things to consider when making plumbing fixture selections. These include finish, style, function, brand, price, and placement.
Finishes:
Chrome, Stainless Steel, Brass, Nickel (both polished and brushed), Champagne Bronze, and Matte Black are the most popular finishes. While we do love mixing metals, all plumbing fixtures within one space should match each other. You can certainly change it up from room to room to give each space a unique feel.
Style:
From simple and sleek, to curvy and ornamental, there are tons of different style options. We can recommend styles that complement the overall design of the space.
Function:
Do you want your kitchen sink to have a detachable spray head or a separate sprayer? Is touchless technology important to you? Do you want a simple shower head in the bathroom, or do you want a rain head, hand sprayer, body sprays… the works?! These are all considerations to make when making selections that are not only beautiful, but functional.
Brand:
There are many different brands of plumbing fixtures. We use Delta most commonly, as their rough-ins are universal (meaning, if you need to change the fixture down the line, you don’t have to change the “guts” of it in the wall). We also love Brizo, Signature Hardware, Kohler, and many others. We can guide you toward which brand(s) will be best for your space.
Price:
We know some tips and tricks to help you stay on budget when making selections. Certain finishes and styles are less expensive than others. Our familiarity can help us steer you toward budget-friendly options in secondary spaces so that you can splurge on fixtures for the rooms that will get the most use!
Placement:
Sink faucets can be mounted on the wall or on the countertop. Tub faucets can be deck mounted, wall mounted, or floor mounted. Shower valves can be placed below the shower head, or they can be moved to any other wall of the shower to allow you to turn the water on without having to step all the way into the shower. Thinking about these things ahead of time will prevent costly changes that will come if you don’t specify them until further into the project.
All of these considerations, combined with the sheer number of choices out there, can leave you feeling overwhelmed when it is time to make plumbing selections for your space. Our team would love to help guide you through the selection process to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible! If you could use help with plumbing fixture selections, or any other part of the design process, contact us here!