Originally written for a UK plumbing merchant client, details redacted for client confidentiality. 

A tap is never just a tap. Brassware trends and fashions are constantly changing, shaping the way our bathrooms and kitchens look – far more than many occupants realise. Brassware can be the finishing touch to a room, adding a final flourish that brings the design together. [client redacted] looks at the latest trends in the world of brassware.

Interior design has seen an explosion in popularity lately, thanks to platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, as well as popular social media influencers taking to the web to showcase their skills. With an uncertain political climate, renovating or redecorating have become much more appealing options over moving into a new house; a trend that is making interior design choices more important than ever. As part of this, installers and their customers can often make brassware an afterthought but getting the choices correct can completely change the look and feel of a room. 

 

A Splash of Colour

Taps are no longer confined to the realms of white or chrome. Nowadays there is a huge range of colours you can opt for when recommending brassware for your customers. Recent trends have seen muted pink, soft green, pastel blue and slate grey gracing the kitchen and bathroom showrooms in a complete division from traditional cool or neutral finishes – Ahmco have a huge selection. Using subtle touches of colour like this can bring a new level to a room while still remaining practical. 

Alongside this explosion of colour has been a shift in the metallic finishes on offer. While chrome is still highly popular, bronze, rose and gold finishes are a rising trend, with copper really making its mark in interior design circles. Matte black taps are also very much on trend, although consider if your customer lives in a hard water area before making a recommendation installing as this finish is great at showing off limescale and soap scum. Always warn your customer about the potential increase in cleaning before they purchase matt finishes. It’s also wise to inform them that some can also be prone to damage from cleaning products. 

Coupling these sleek metallic looks or understated matt finishes with striking black or white tiles and worktops leads to a stunning end result on the appearance of a new a kitchen or bathroom. 

 

Mixing Materials

A traditional metal tap is still a highly popular choice for ensuring good performance and hygiene, but with a range of new materials and techniques coming to market, there are unique ways to customise and personalise your customer’s brassware. 

3D printed taps have just started to emerge on the market, such as the Grohe Icon 3D collection that was recently launched. New manufacturing techniques like this open up a whole new world of shapes, designs, and finishes for brassware. With options such as mixer, pillar, and monobloc that can be engineered into totally new versions, using 3D printing can help provide your customer’s kitchen or bathroom with an unusual accent to compliment the room. 

Plating options are also popular choices to mix up the finish of brassware. Rhodium plating remains the most common, but it comes in a variety of colours and textures, giving your customers the ability to completely personalise their brassware options. 

 

A Touch of Luxury

Minimalist bathroom designs have been popular for a number of years now, but there’s a shift starting to emerge towards the extravagant. As bathrooms are positioned less as functional spaces and more as quiet and peaceful rooms for enjoyment, more lavish styles are becoming more popular, and that includes a change in brassware. Bristan’s Regency brassware range really encapsulates this rising trend with ornate detailing on traditional style taps, mixers and showers, or C J Hart offer a high-end range of handcrafted brassware for a really luxurious finish. 

From handmade and bespoke brassware options using traditional methods, to exclusive materials, finishes and even antique options, luxury brassware is big business and a trend many interior designers are keen to tap into. Combining these ornate products with on-trend metals and finishes can provide a really impressive finish to a room. 

 

Water Friendly 

With climate change such a huge topic at present, you may find that more of your customers are looking to find ways to help reduce wasted energy and resources. Helping save water is one of the best ways to help the environment, as well as reducing their household bills. To help save water, recommend low pressure taps and showers which mix air with water to maintain good pressure while reducing the overall output. Mira’s Advance range offers low-pressure showers so customers can save water without compromising on comfort and quality. 

Boiling water taps are growing in popularity in the home, helping reduce the energy wasted on boiling the kettle and combatting the common issue of overfilling. These options are also a great way to conserve energy and reduce water bills. 

 

[boilerplate for client redacted]