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Jun 25, 2023

The Truth About Unlacquered Brass Faucets + All The Kitchen Faucets I'm Considering (And WHY....)

Here’s a funny story/cautionary tale I never told you: When I was choosing the faucets for our 100-year-old English Tudor 5 years ago I wanted unlacquered brass – I longed for the patina, the age, the

Here’s a funny story/cautionary tale I never told you: When I was choosing the faucets for our 100-year-old English Tudor 5 years ago I wanted unlacquered brass – I longed for the patina, the age, the texture, dimension, and frankly, like the novels I’ve been devouring lately, I wanted that old-world romance that it provoked (The Duke Heist, anyone?). I went to a plumbing store in Pasadena to see them in person and I asked the very experienced salesperson how he felt about live, unlacquered (essentially unsealed) finishes. He responded quickly and enthusiastically “Oh I love them…..” I said “oh good!” and he continued, “…because you’ll be back here in 7 years replacing them”. That was obviously NOT the snarky news I wanted to hear, nor did it change my mind (and no one told Brian that hilarious anecdote). I did however take his precautions in every way – like buying a white sofa with kids, it’s doable but requires preventative measures and maintenance. We softened our water which we were going to do anyway, but it is HIGHLY recommended for live finishes (the Culligan partnership happened afterward, btw). I bought both the right daily cleaner and the monthly wax. After 4 years there was a tiny bit of green around the base on two of them (out of 8), but mostly they looked beautiful and we loved, loved, loved the patina. But the truth is unlacquered brass – like real marble – is a lifestyle choice. You have to love it enough to deal with the consequences and maintenance.

Unlacquered brass brings me an odd amount of happiness. You know when you peel a banana for a toddler and they throw themselves on the ground in rage because either they wanted to do it, or you did it with your left hand instead of your right, etc, and you just think “well this reaction certainly doesn’t match the act”. That’s how I feel about unlacquered brass, except the opposite. It shouldn’t make me as happy as it does, but it does. But let me be clear – mostly in older homes – like our kitchen above. I do not miss it at our contemporary mountain house (I love our Purist faucet) and we aren’t planning it in the river house new build either (we are choosing this one). But in our old Tudor and this old Craftsman farmhouse, I know that it will give me a daily dose of joy, every time I touch it/see it and use it.

We all have our things. 🙂 So today I’m showing you all the faucets I an considering for our kitchen faucet suite (faucet, prep faucet, and pot filler) for our family farmhouse and what I’ve currently narrowed it down to. It should be said that I love a gooseneck or a bridge, and I’m leaning more towards traditional than modern (so no square ones) and I need deck mounted for the kitchen, not wall-mounted. Here we go.

At first in the name of “low maintenance but still so pretty” I was leaning into satin or brushed brass. Polished is better for contemporary homes like the mountain house and besides, the shine adds more bling than I want for this home (repeating “grounded” and “casual” for every decision) so I did not consider polished for this home.

1. Waterhouse Kitchen Faucet With Sprayer | 2. West Slope Kitchen Faucet | 3. Connor Bridge Kitchen Faucet

1. Dash Three Hole Gooseneck Kitchen Faucet with Metal Cross Handles and Spray | 2. Easton Classic Two Hole Bridge Gooseneck Kitchen Faucet, Metal Cross Handles

For a brief moment, I was influenced by Max and the choice we made for Ken’s River house and loved how utilitarian it was. Not trying to be fancy but utterly full of function and says, “What? We cook a lot”. Brian gave all of these fast “nos” because he wants a farmhouse style faucet, but for the record, I love these.

1. Culinary Pull Down Kitchen Faucet | 2. Poetto Pull Down Faucet

For another brief moment (like 2 days) I leaned into polished nickel. We have it mixed in our range, and we have a TON of wood in the kitchen so maybe having a cooler tone would be better than brass. Ultimately I leaned away from it (but chose it in the upstairs new guest bath). By the way, in general for older homes, you want to opt for polished nickel over polished chrome. Nickel is much warmer in tone and feels more timeless, chrome looks more mirrored and cold (it leans more 80s to me). I really love polished nickel and mixing metals in general.

1. H-Line Lever Handle Single Hole Kitchen Faucet With Sprayer

Chesterfield Kitchen Bridge Faucet with Side Spray

I’m down to two at three at this point – each with their pros and cons. The Newport brass one above is I think the one I used for our house in LA as well as the Silver Lake Hills kitchen. It’s beautiful and classic. The only con I see is that I have used it twice.

Rohl Perrin and Rowe Bridge Kitchen Faucet With Side Spray

This one is just the right amount of traditional “fuss”. I’ve pinned it probably 15 times over the years and it’s just good. There is no way I’ll regret this. It should be said that there are very few affordable unlacquered brass faucets on the market, for whatever reason (I found one below). Unlacquered brass went out of fashion decades ago when we started sealing the metals for longer use (to avoid the disintegration of the metal). So the general population doesn’t opt for this higher maintenance finish, therefore there really aren’t a ton on the market. I get it. I would like that to change, but I get it.

Stratford 321 Deck Mounted Bridge Kitchen Faucet with Side Spray

Now this one can be in unlacquered brass OR they even have an “aged brass” or “satin bronze” finish that has this beautiful tone that makes them actually look like the patina of an unlacquered brass, but with less maintenance. Watermark is an awesome maker that gives you endless options to customize your plumbing. Like most things that are custom and made in America they can be pretty pricey, but you get what you pay for and these are beautiful.

Loft 2.0 23 Deck Mounted Bridge Extended Gooseneck Kitchen Faucet with Side Spray

Again, this would be in unlacquered brass (I really wish their site showed them in all the different finishes – or at least 3-4 popular ones). I love that big gooseneck with the caps at the foot.

Arched V Bridge Unlacquered Brass Kitchen Faucet

Augusta Bridge Unlacquered Brass Kitchen Faucet With Hand Sprayer & Flat Cross Handles

Ok these two above are about half the price as others ($500 ish) including the sprayer (so saving even more) and is indeed so pretty. I found it on Etsy, made in Morocco by a small maker which is lovely. Brian is nervous about the quality for the price and not working as well with our American systems or not being able to return. The reviews are decent, and I showed ARCIFORM and they didn’t see any red flags, but it feels like a risk. If ANYONE has ordered from them please let me know.

deVOL Aged Brass Ionian Tap

So gorgeous. The little round knobs on the knob are playful but in a classic way. The nuts add a utilitarian element. I would never ever ever regret this one.

deVOL Aged Brass Pot Filler Tap

I mean, that pot filler is incredible. The ball joints add a bit of whimsy that I really really love, while the white enamel gives it a quaintness. I do wish they didn’t have their branding on it, but I guess as a huge fan of deVOL I wouldn’t mind it.

38/39- Kitchen Bridge Mixer

I mean. How beautiful is that? I would get this in polished brass, likely with levers (like below) as they are easier to maneuver with the side of your hand (say when you are washing raw chicken off your hands). The cons of this are 1. not made in America so they are imported from England, but a small company that does lovely things that I would like to support, and B. I don’t see a pot filler on the website which means we’d either source another one.

38/39- Kitchen Bridge Mixer

But I’m also tempted by the more modern goosenecks, in the unlacquered live brass that will age so well with the house:

Kallista One Bridge Kitchen Faucet

Kallista is another great brand that I love and am debating – Brian thinks the below is too modern and he’s probably right, but what you can’t really see until it ages is how the patina could make it work.

Kallista One Pull Down Kitchen Faucet with Metal Lever Handle

I wish I had a conclusion for you – the WE FOUND THE ONE moment, but honestly, we’ve been so swamped with the move that I’ve put off trigger pulling to make sure that I’m making good decisions. Somedays I want to play it safe, other days go for it. While the faucet isn’t the most important decision in the kitchen, it is one that I don’t want to regret, so I need a clear head. Needless to say, it is NOT clear right now and unfortunately, we have time. But I wanted to get you inside my foggy head and let you know where it’s at right now and if any of you have a favorite unlacquered faucet that is NOT here let me know in the comments. ALSO if you have horror stories or cautionary tales with your unsealed or live finished faucets do tell. I should mention this real quick – I used unlacquered in our shower in our old LA house and we had to replace a part that had rusted through – so I personally plan on using this finish sparingly (just the kitchen faucet). The kitchen is front and center all the time and I have to clean the kitchen twice a day so I know I’ll be more mindful of it, whereas a showerhead I will forget about the second I get out of the shower and clean far less frequently (leading to neglect).

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Zeke Ruelas | From: Modern Deco Kitchen Reveal

I would love to see some after photos of the live brass. I have never seen live brass in the wild (never seen it in person inside a home).

Agreed! Id love to see after pix…

Here’s live hardware after a year. Not the same, but maybe it’s helpful. https://www.thegritandpolish.com/blog/how-unlacquered-brass-hardware-ages-one-year

And some “green spot” faucet pics in this post: https://julieblanner.com/unlacquered-brass/

I feel like the kitchen get used the most & therefore anything that is “inconvenient” about a functional piece like a faucet would get annoying, fast. This is true for ANY finish. I find the design of smaller twist knobs to be my no-no. Chicken guys or tomato sauce on the handles, the “spokes” of the handle, & dripping down the to the bridge? Nope! Give me a lever handle so I can keep the handle cleaner when preparing food. It also is food safety, I don’t want to clean down the handle every time I leave raw chicken juice on the handles.

Lever handles are also easier for old & young, & part of sensible Universal Design that I’m slowly incorporating into my home. I’ve fallen in love with touch-sensor technology where I can tap the faucet with the back of my hand to turn the water on/off. But that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

chicken juice faucet handle is one of my nightmares!

From a safety standpoint, hospitals have had problems with infection control and touchfree faucets. Seems counterintuitive but the complexity of the touchfree function seems to harbor pathogens. i would assume this applies to home use also. But maybe this has been solved? https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/latest_hands_free_electronic_water_faucets_found_to_be_hindrance_not_help_in_hospital_infection_control

Totally with you on this. You need something you can turn on with the back of your covered in flour or chicken juice hand. There are plenty of places to have gorgeous impractical faucets, but a working kitchen isn’t one of them.

I brought this up in the pot filler plumbing post, and it seems worth mentioning again here with the chicken juice issue: foot pedals that turn on the faucet.https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a32056023/kitchen-faucet-foot-pedal-hack-molly-britt/

I have a motion sensor faucet and I love it SO MUCH. It’s also fabulous for kids as they’re not getting mud and muck on faucet handles. It’s wonderful when you have stuff all over your hands and it turns off and on in an instant; I installed mine 7 years ago (it’s plugged in to the outlet that my garbage disposal uses under the sink) and it’s one of my favorite things in the kitchen.I have the Kohler Sensate.https://youtu.be/QZ7uEQtFMM8?t=17

And there are Kohler models that come in more antique-y silhouettes, and brass or polished nickel, like this one.https://www.us.kohler.com/us/artifacts-touchless-pull-down-kitchen-sink-faucet/productDetail/kitchen-sink-faucets/623974.htm?skuId=1398645&brandId=1117208

I do not understand wanting a bridge type faucet in a kitchen vs. a one lever pull down. For me, the faucet is the workhorse of the kitchen and while I want it to look good, it has to be the most functional. Bridge faucets do not compare in terms of function, and I would never get cross handles or spokes – talk about impractical!. None of this makes any sense to me from a cooking point of view. If you want a “pretty” bridge faucet, put it at a bar sink or your laundry room, but I would go for function every time at my main sink.

This isn’t so much a question about the unlacquered brass but having a bridge faucet in a busy kitchen. In your experience, is having separate hot/cold handles a pain to find the right “warm” sweet spot? We have one handle, which seems so much easier, but I love the vintage look of two. I don’t want a complaining husband and kids in the name of design!

I have a bridge and I’d say you quickly get used to it. My husband has never even mentioned it being any sort of pain, and we had a one handle faucet with a pull down in our last house.

Why hasn’t someone invented a bridge faucet with a dummy handle? You would use one handle to control the water (with a hot/cold mix) and the other handle is just their to look good. How hard could it be?

What a thought!! So smart. Might confuse people who don’t live in the home, but best of both worlds for the people that do!!

Cute–kind of like a fake manual transmission shifter in a car.

Until the one you use every day starts to look a LOT more worn than the one you never touch…now if you could easily swap them back and forth for even wear….

In the Before Times, I would just use the hot to wash my hands. The water wasn’t on long enough to get scalding. Now that I have better hand washing technique and the water runs longer, I’ve just memorized how much I need to tap the cold on, so I don’t burn myself. Pretty easy adjustment.

My previous one handled faucet was pretty junky, but I found it didn’t really stay at the temperature I set it on — easy to bump it colder or hotter when you turned it on — so no great loss.

I was thinking the same thing. I like the single handle and also the pull-down features a lot.

We installed the Rohl bridge faucet mentioned and absolutely loved it. We installed it with a Tapmaster foot pedal that goes on the toekick, and then you activate the faucet with the pedal. Saves water, hygienic, and allows you to get the water temp just right (turn the handles to desired temp, then use the foot pedal to turn on and off). Loved it, but both my husband and I work in healthcare, so we’re used to foot pedals to activate sinks. We just moved and I miss that set-up every day.

Megan, you may have uncovered The Secret. Thank you!

Yes! Megan, thank you! I have wanted a foot pedal for so so long. Saves so much water!

I just want to say that I love chrome in a bathroom – it feels historic and luxurious. I get the coldness of chrome for a kitchen or public space, but I’ll take it over nickel for a bathroom any time.

I’ve mixed chrome and black hardware in my kitchen and bathroom (midcentury bungalow), and I love the chrome. It feels clean, in addition to the attributes you mentioned. I don’t love nickel.

A lot of people are allrgi to nickel top!

Too…

I agree; especially if you are one who likes to be in a bathroom that is and feels clean. Polished nickel really dulls over time and feels tired. I frequently read that polished nickel for bathroom lights but avoid in faucets.However, if you are flipping houses every few years you would not realize what use does to polished nickel.

Same! Chrome is so much more historic and classic in a bathroom. I absolutely hate polished nickel. In my historic 1800s home, I did polished chrome in 2 bathrooms and polished brass (unlacquered except the showerhead/levers) in the 3rd. Zero regrets 🙂 My parents 1920s home has an antique unlacquered brass bathroom faucet that is green in parts and so dull (looks more golden bronze in color than brass) and looks just amazing (sounds awful but looks so great). I hope mine get there one day, decades from now.

De gustibus, and all that, but I’ve always found chrome to be cheap-looking! I don’t like the bluish shine it has. Makes me think of all that gaudy chrome on old cars. I have nickel on all my faucets, and they’ve aged beautifully. The chrome ones in my sister’s bathroom are looking a bit rough, though.

Our kitchen faucet is from InsidEast (we actually met them on our trip to Morocco but ordered it off Etsy a year later). I will say there are a few cons, but overall I’m completely smitten with it. Here’s what you need to know: Shipping took forever. Hubby ordered it for my birthday (purchased March 2020) and it didn’t arrive until September 2020. One of the internal pieces was cracked. Our plumbers were able to figure out a replacement so it was no biggie but FYI. The sprayer is a separate pipe, unlike American ones. So that means that you can use it and the faucet at the same time, but you have to choose either hot or cold only. We chose hot and, because it’s brass, it does get pretty hot after about a minute of use, but we never use it that long anyway. That said, may be a concern with kids but you could just make it cold. We’ve had it installed for about six months and it is an absolute showstopper. Everyone comments on it. It makes the kitchen. I also love it. Oh one more thing. I’m not sure what the exact cause is so… Read more »

RE: #5 – that is absolutely bc of how tight the plumber got the stem valve on the hot tap. Sometimes they will do that so that it takes more turns to get a lot of hot water in the “mix” so that you don’t accidentally scald yourself – especially if there are kids in the house, I have found that plumbers in my area instantly become very paternalistic about whether or not they should do the work the way I ask them (and no, I’m not asking them to violate code or anything). My children are trained to be careful, but my in-laws can’t be “trained” to not be elderly with arthritis and waning hand strength. You can adjust it yourself with only the purchase of a few handtools – I think I spent $30 and about an hour getting mine right – and some time with handyman videos on YT. Look for ones that the plumber shows an entire job, and the channel is their company’s name. They make very good, long, detailed videos about how to do things as advertisement to people who will watch and go “oh, that’s too much, I’ll just pay them to do… Read more »

Thank you for your detailed write up, I just bought a faucet from them a few weeks ago and this makes me feel more confident about it!

Proud owner of the deVOL Aged Brass Ionian Tap + Rinse here – and I love it. We’re two years in, living in our new construction home with this kitchen faucet against marble, which instantly created character in the kitchen. A couple of cautionary tales: Make sure there is ample room between the sink, faucet and whatever is behind it (window?). Reason being that because you need to turn the faucet off with wet hands (vs. a touch or more modern type of faucet), water splashes up on the window sill we have behind the faucet, which worries me a bit for the future. The rinser also could easily nick the window sill if we’re not careful. I wish I would have continued marble for the window sill. Second word of wisdom if you are planning a garbage disposal – there are exactly ZERO options I’ve found for an air switch (the little button that usually sits on top of the sink to control the disposal) in a coordinating aged brass. I wish I had known that sooner, we would have used a light switch to control the disposal. And FINAL tip if you go this route – your dishwasher… Read more »

Our garbage disposal switches these days are hidden just inside the sink cupboard, so that’s another option to avoid an ugly switch.

Don’t exclude touchless faucets from your search! Love mine, saves water and reduces sticky handles.

We just installed this one and I LOVE it. Might have more detail than you’re looking for, but for a single handle pull down it’s the most graceful and classic for an older home (I’m in a 1928 New England Garrison Colonial). It’s stunning and I love it even more than the popular pricey Waterworks single handle pull down sprayer option, but that one is a little more clean lined and might be up your alley if you want the ease of a single handle and pull down sprayer. I just find it so convenient though I love the look for a bridge faucet, for sure! Both come in many finished including UL Brass! I didn’t love the Waterstone logo medallion, but they provide a plain brass option that you can use if you don’t want the ceramic one.Waterstone: https://www.plumbingoverstock.com/products/waterstone-5600-traditional-standard-reach-plp-pulldown-faucet?variant=28995017506921&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvO2IBhCzARIsALw3ASoBWQOLgWv7Mz5rgCFjs_Mi2l1s4ahTC6TLxmgpe1tN8nViozk6aQEaAjgwEALw_wcBWaterworks Henry: https://www.waterworks.com/us_en/henry-one-hole-gooseneck-integrated-pull-spray-kitchen-faucet-with-lever-handle-hnkm70?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvO2IBhCzARIsALw3ASooexh8V45zOAa5kd11Vd-2HoxpL5ivXVJi3nsS3vSTRGjx8MdwNmsaAjZaEALw_wcB

Soooo, I need all the deets please! What daily cleaner and wax!?! I have a friend that just renoed their kitchen with a devol faucet and pot filler and want to get them the unlacquered brass cleaner and wax as a VERY exciting wedding gift! 😛

Emily used Renaissance Wax, and Protech Brass cleaner in her Los Feliz home, I believe. She wrote about it in connection with that reno and I purchased for my master bath. Admittedly I don’t use it, however. I dont have softened water and have been happy with the patina au natural. Our cleaners just use mild soap and water to clean them and that leaves all the patina in place. I haven’t tried to avoid water spots though, which when they accumulate don’t look like spots they just look like an overall patina layer. To each their own!

I have no experience with unlacquered brass, but I do have experience with “inexpensive” faucets. The house we bought last year was 13 years old, and shortly after we moved in, the right handle on the powder room faucet stopped working. I had our handyman come take a look to see if it could be fixed, and essentially the entire thing had corroded inside and we had to replace it. Now I have 3 other bathroom faucets (not the same faucet, but the same brand) and my kitchen faucet, which are leaking at the base and leaving a greenish substance on the sink. Will probably need to replace them all soon. That would make 6 bathroom faucets and a kitchen faucet! I actually replaced the powder room faucet with the exact same one from the same company (different finish) just because the price was so low and it looks good, knowing that in 13 years another one will probably be needed. If I bought this earlier in my life and planned to be here for 20+ years, I would go for the highest quality faucets. My design teachers always advised us to splurge on faucets and exterior door handles- because… Read more »

I have an unlacquered brass faucet from InsidEast and love the aesthetics of it, even though I’m not nearly as religious about maintaining it as most. I’ve had it for 2 years now and it’s showing signs of aging at the spout, but again, I do not take care of it the way that you describe. I will say that install was tricky…the fixtures do not translate easily to American plumbing. Our neighbor is a retired plumber and after much running around to plumbing stores and fiddling under the sink, he managed to make the taps work, but we never really got the sprayer to function properly (it loses water pressure almost immediately…that could be our water line though and not the fixture’s fault). Also, the water comes out VERY quickly and splashes all over rather easily, much more so than standard American faucets, but you learn its weird traits and adapt. In other words, it’s definitely quirky and not perfect, but I’m also not that picky and appreciate its idiosyncrasies 🙂

I have a terracotta water filter with charcoal filter and an unlacquered brass tap. No green happening there, just beautiful patina. I’ve had this for @ 25 years!!! Brilliant. Oh, and I’ve never used wax or anything on it, but it only gets used once or twice a day coz I fill up a 2 litre jug each time.

I don’t get the latest trend for sharp looking, angular tapware. I need handles to be curvy and nice to use/touch.Some of these suckers can actually scratch if you’re not careful! And some are technically spindles and that’s naff!Gimme, curved, rounded handles any day and forget the trends.

DeVol beats Rejuvenation every single time. I personally think Rejuvenation is just overpriced and overused in sponsored blogs. I live in Portland, near the Rejuvenation store, and even with the often 70% off that they offer in the outlet portion of the store, I still question if I’m paying for quality vs a overmarketed brand.

I feel like Rejuvenation changed and became more big box when it was acquired by the Williams-Sonoma stores. They used to carry more period reproductions. You could search by year to see what lighting fixtures were common in an era. They don’t even make most of the reproductions that I have in my house now. Fortunately, there are other places that make appropriate period replacements. But I only bought lighting, and door and cabinet hardware. I don’t think they made plumbing fixtures back then.

Yes, they absolutely did (Portland resident of 20 years here). It used to be so much better! Their prices increased and the quality of some of their things went down.Schoolhouse Electric really surpassed them as a local business in that genre.

I agree, the quality just isn’t there anymore. Nowadays the only time I buy Rejuvenation peeves is from Facebook marketplace, because I’m ok passing $50 for a light fixture from there. Schoolhouse Electric, I love. I went there a few weeks ago and was really sad to see that the store is closed because of covid -i’m hoping they reopen!

I think rejuvenation’s faucets are from Watermark

Interesting!

Rowe bridge kitchen faucet is my favLove the straight handles vs x handles.

I was perusing my copy of A Field Guide to American houses the other day (highly recommend when you’re designing exteriors, it’s soo helpful!) and I wondered if you’d ever considered your farmhouse might be a turn of the century Folk Vernacular home? It definitely has some of those craftsman features that were popular at the time as well as some Victorian hints and the Folk Vernacular style is kind of a casual architectural style that borrows from some of the more high design styles of the period, but in a more down time earth way. Anyways, felt like it might fit the farmhouse (and the vibe you’re going for!).

This is a great observation. While it has some Craftsman elements, it didn’t feel fully Craftsman, so it made sense that she didn’t want to go that direction. I need to check out that book now!

A Field Guide to American Houses is the go-to for Historic Preservation architecture professionals for learning architectural styles and types – we just refer to it by the author’s last name though: McAlester(s) 🙂

Wow!!! You’re on it!! How astute! Kudos! 👍

I’m pretty sure verdigris is toxic…. it’s probably fine, but I’d imagine most people would want to be very careful to keep any green patina off of brass on something like a tap that people might consume water from.

I looked it up on wikipedia and webmd, verdigris and other copper salts are indeed toxic. Ingesting even small amounts, if you do it repeatedly for a long period of time (like all the years that you have copper water pipes), can cause serious health problems. However, it can be sealed and made safe to be around.

Yeah, that’s what I think too. There is a reason that they use a lot of chrome for functional purpose. Dry handle and light fixture is fine, but using unlaquered brass in the sink will fasten verdigris process because of moisture and chemistry from things you washed in there.

That Culinary from Rejuvenation is near perfect in form and function, with a single lever and a pull-down sprayer. It is very similar to my personal favorite, the Blanco Culina (only available in stainless or chrome), which I am using for the third time…but the Blanco is 1/4 the cost. I kind of understand the appeal of a bridge faucet from an aesthetic point of view, but I think the way that it functions is just not acceptable to me. But I understand–the heart wants what the heart wants.

If it makes you happy and you can afford it, go for it. Personally I look for faucets that are easy to clean, and less than $500.

It might be interesting for EHD to do a post on budgeting, and how to decide how much to spend.

Unlacquered brass or Polished Nickel if you are bothered by the unlacquered. I mean, get what you LOVE.

Wait – you’re supposed to clean/wax unlaquered brass?? I thought the whole point was to let it get aged. Now I’m concerned I’ve been doing it wrong by doing nothing to it. 🙀

I have to have a pull down faucet head and single lever handle. I agree that 2 handles look better (but when cooking are a pain), but the separate sprayer drives me nuts. Why can’t they just make them built in? I had to search long and hard to find one that was what I wanted & of good quality brass (unlacquered), but did find one. Good luck on the search! I like the ones you picked that are more vintage in style, but know whatever you choose will look great!

I bought the Devol faucet about two years ago and it is my absolute favorite part of our whole kitchen remodel. I have honed marble countertops and the combination of the two is stunning.

Here’s a pic of it after a year of use.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9u-fk7H2Hz/?utm_medium=copy_link

Oh, Erik, that’s gorgeous. The honed marble has that great old look that I love.

Gorgeous!

What daily cleaner do you use? And monthly cleaner?

I don’t know anything about the cheaper faucet brand you found on Etsy, but I would definitely not buy a faucet that wasn’t made to US/Canadian plumbing code standards for safety and reliability. This is particularly a concern for lead, which is always present in brass in small amounts. By US law, the lead levels cannot exceed a certain amount for drinking water applications. And that’s important for a kitchen!

Thanks for bringing this up! So, I wrote to InsidEast a while back to ask them about lead content in their faucets. I asked on instagram and the answer was – “yes a small amount.” When I messaged them on Etsy to follow up on this, someone answered right away, and said, “no, there is no lead.” My daughter actually has lead poisoning so unfortunately I know way too much about lead now (it’s EVERYWHERE!) and we are in the middle of a kitchen renovation and I have learned it is extremely difficult to find faucets that are actually “lead free” – even those that pass California’s lead regulations and are certified as “low lead” faucets have had studies done showing ead content far exceeding what’s safe to drink. So obviously the response that there is “no lead” made me extremely suspicious. When I sent the screenshot showing the opposite response on instagram, they backpedaled and stated “well there could be SOME lead….” etc. SO, I personally would not trust this company to purchase a faucet for my family/child.

A designer I follow (will go back and try to find the post because I don’t remember off the top of my head) ordered a faucet off Etsy from Morocco and she had some problems with the spacing between the bridge being different from our “standard spacing” which only came up because there were issues with the faucet but because their countertops were already drilled for the spacing they couldn’t replace it with another one made in the US, their only option was to fix it or replace with the same faucet. The biggest issue I would see is if in the future you wanted it needed to swap out the faucet you might be boxed in.

I have never seen a side sprayer (Australian), I had to google it and they are very cool!

I have the Waterworks Easton in unlacquered brass in my kitchen. It’s actually 7 years old (ha!) and I have not had any issues. I live in NYC and have hard water, too. In fact, I have all unlacquered brass faucets, pot filler, shower heads, etc, and so far no issues.

I also love Unlacquered brass, and looked everywhere for an affordable option. I looked at Insideast, but the lead time and a few of the reviews about US plumbing differences deterred me. But, I found this great company in Louisiana called WatermarkFixtures, and they have a few Unlacquered options in more “old world” styles, which is what I wanted, too. I understand everyone’s qualms about bridge faucets and ease of one handle, but you cannot beat the look of a bridge faucet with any other (if that’s the design look you’re going for). I did like that they weren’t x handle for the same “chicken juice” reason as the others mentioned, and I have had no issues using the back of my hand to turn these on and off. It’s beautiful, it’s an American company (don’t know if it’s made here, but it’s US standards), heavy, durable, I’ve used it for 6 months and I’m pleased. My only qualm is the sprayer isn’t my favorite I’ve used. You have to press a button on the back of the head and then press it when you’re finished. It’s not as easy as the kind with a trigger/lever that l’ve always had… Read more »

All gorgeous! I don’t have any unlacquered brass experience to share, but look forward to this chance in life! We live in an old home, remodeled, and while I love the double handles faucets, I chose a single with a lever to help reduce the water drippage on the countertop deck that inevitably just happens. I, of course, always dry the deck with the towel after food perp, dishes, etc. The guys in my home, not so much. Our kitchen sink is closest to our back/main entry of the house, so this is where handwashing happens a lot- yay! Any ED tricks for keeping water build up off the deck area and around the base of those of so lovely faucets, regardless of material?Good luck with the move. Rooting for ya!

I have the same P&R faucet/sprayer in unlacquered brass featured above. You’re right – you won’t regret it – especially since you know the TLC they require (I’m very lazy with mine and in a year it’s aged a lot – which I actually love! The water spots all blend now and just make it a uniformly beautiful muted brass). Two things. First, P&R have a pot filler nearly identical to the deVol one above if you want to stick with one vendor (same thing tho – branding on caps). Second, I also have an unlacquered brass bathroom faucet with the cross handles. I love the look, but it is so, so much harder to maintain than the ‘arm’ handle type. The cross shape goes ‘green’ in the top screw super easy and is much more difficult to keep lookin nice bc of the extra nooks and crannies…

California Faucets does unlacquered brass and have a range of styles. Have you looked at them? We used them throughout our house.

A bridge faucet will fit well in your house’s style, but I prefer the one faucet generally, and lever handles because they are disability friendly.

In the UK I only see pot fillers in very large houses in magazines. I would love a boiling water tap but when I started research they cost of filters is ridiculous. I can’t justify hundreds a year just to have a tap work! So I’ll stick to boiling kettles for pasta/rice water. Unless my lottery win turns up.

I just don’t like brass. I do think it looks cute in small amounts but mostly it’s just too much for me. I guess it reminds me too much of the 90’s.

Emily, We have the unlacquered Kallista “modern” pulldown faucet in our non-modern kitchen if you lean that way and would like to see a picture of it. It’s aging well. Plenty of patina.

It’s your house and you need to do as you please, but “brass fixtures” ranks up there with “moody” paint colors. Not for me. I don’t understand the appeal of it at all. I don’t want it. It seems like a trend to me.

Presumably, this level of disgusting hyper- consumerism is only cute when you do it, Emily?

Since I’m living vicariously through you, please choose the Rohl Perrin or DeVol! So breathtakingly beautiful.

Hi, I have two faucets from Inside East. Unfortunately, there are problems with the quality. I have a wall mount faucet in my bathroom with the cross handles. The cross handles constantly fall off. In addition, they sent me the wrong handles originally but they did send me the right ones at no cost. They wanted me to mail the original handles back but that was too much hassle for me, since it was their mistake in the first place. I then ordered a kitchen faucet for my downstairs kitchenette and it arrived with a dent and more of a polished finish vs. that unlacquered look. Ultimately I decided to use it because the dent wasn’t that visible and I had a time constraint. But one awesome option is to buy a low cost chrome plated one and have it chemically stripped by a chemical plating company. There is an article about it if you google that. I was going to do that and even found the company to do the stripping but then I found Inside East and it was going to be the same cost. I would still buy from them but with the understanding that there could… Read more »