How To Select The Perfect Bathroom Fixtures For Your Style
Bathroom fixtures do far more than accessorize. Used well, they make the bathroom design feel cohesive and finished; used poorly, they make it look mismatched and off. This is exactly why many homeowners get overwhelmed in the design process of a new bath: the potential for making or breaking a room’s whole vibe can feel like a lot of pressure. How do you pick pieces you’ll love for the long haul? What’s the key to avoiding choices you’ll regret later? Whether you’re building a new home, renovating your bathroom or for any other reason to wander through the maze of bathroom fixture possibilities, here’s a guide for how to select the right products for you.   

1. Start with your budget. Knowing what you can afford to spend sets clear limits for your fixture shopping. For this reason, take time upfront, before purchasing anything, to set a budget for your bathroom project. If nothing else, a budget narrows your world of options, simplifying your search.

2. Pick a finish. Once you know your price range for fixtures, it’s time to start exploring. Right away, you’ll notice there are a lot of finishes available, such as brass, nickel, chrome, bronze, black, copper, stainless steel, polished, satin and antiqued. To know which direction you want to go, you can browse magazines, the Internet, model homes or the bathrooms of friends. You can also take into account what finishes are in the rest of your home. If all your other household fixtures are chrome, for example, you may wish to stay with that theme. That said, feel free to mix metals for a look that’s all your own, too. If you’re totally unsure which direction to go, timeless choices include bronze and brass or brushed nickel.

3. Select a style. Even once you’ve selected a finish, your decision-making isn’t done. Search through only matte black fixtures, for example, and you’ll still have to decide among modern, traditional, industrial and more. To know which style to go with, consider the rest of your home and what aesthetic you lean towards: classic and traditional, modern and minimal, items with ornate detail, or something else? Identifying what you like can help guide you to the fixtures that fit your taste.

4. Consider sustainability. If possible, opt for environmentally friendly, non-toxic materials. While any fixtures sold at a normal U.S. retailer need to be certified free of lead, for example, that’s not to say all faucets and fixtures are safe. Always look for the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification of safety, and, if you’re interested in conserving water, look for products with WaterSense® labels.

5. Compare favorites. At this point, you should have whittled down your options to a manageable number, making your decisions a bit simpler. Order samples if possible, so you can touch materials, hold them up in your space and get a good sense of how they’ll work. You could also make mood boards or mockups to help you visualize potential the project and any tweaks to make it just right. From here, you should be able to gain confidence in what fixtures will fit your bathroom.

6. Make your selections. Last but not least, order your products. Be sure not to overlook anything important, such as the sink drain, plumbing valves or the toilet lever. Likewise, don’t forget a toilet paper holder, if you need one, and a towel bar and/or robe hooks; important accessories that serve a purpose and tie the space together Other possibilities worth exploring are mirrors, light sconces or an exhaust fan, as well as pendant and recessed lights.

Outfitting a bathroom with beautiful fixtures doesn’t have to be daunting. By following the six steps above, you can save yourself time and headaches in making the best selections for you. Invest a little thought and planning now, so you can choose fixtures you’ll love both now and well into the future.

AUTHOR BIO: Carmen Fiordirosa is Vice President of Marketing for Gerber, a manufacturer of high-quality kitchen and bathroom plumbing products. Fiordirosa, who has more than 18 years of experience in the marketing industry, focuses on earning the trust of trade professionals and homeowners alike who find value in products that have both style and substance.