How to choose your bathroom taps

On a scale of one to ten, the importance that taps have today among all the components of a bathroom is practically ten: a tap in fact must no longer be only functional but indeed aesthetically significant. Today's taps must be both practical and beautiful to look at, even better if they successfully implement new technologies. Innovative design, functionality, pleasant lines and technology are therefore the aspects that must be considered when choosing bathroom taps. In this guide we'll take a close look at all the important elements to consider when choosing the perfect bathroom taps.

Bathroom taps: the right style

The style adopted to furnish the other rooms of the house very often dictates the line to follow also in the bathroom, thus helping to decide which type and style of taps to install. Those who love contemporary lines and essential shapes will follow for the taps as well the same refined taste. In the same way, those who appreciate the timeless charm of classic lines will opt for a vintage style: certainly modern, but with a wink to the past. Nowadays it is important not to neglect the appearance and design of each element present in our living spaces and - for those who love functionality combined with aesthetics - today's offer is rich with solutions and proposals that combine together finest taste and creativity also in terms of bathroom taps. Technology lovers can rely on hi-tech even in the most intimate room of the house, as designers and manufacturers of the best taps brands available today are always up to date from this point of view: mixers that can effectively reduce water waste or made with innovative and unusual materials. The bathroom taps of the third millennium are able to satisfy any style and furnishing requirement.

Bathroom taps: types explained

Once the style and taste issue has been resolved, it is time to decide which type of tap is most suitable for your bathroom. Broadly speaking, taps are divided into these main categories:

single-hole taps and mixers: in all probability, this is the most common type and the one we all instinctively think of to the sound of the word "tap". A mono hole tap - as this type is also called - either directly stands on the ceramic of the sanitary for which it is intended or on the countertop of the host furniture, requiring only one hole for installation (hence the name). It can have a single lever to mix hot and cold water comfortably but also separate controls that depart from a single central body;
3-hole taps: almost exclusively designed with classic and retro lines, the hole in the middle houses the tap spout whereas the two knobs or levers on the sides, depending on the design, are intended for hot and cold water separately;
wall mounted taps: the ideal option for those who love modern and never predictable solutions. They can be installed directly on plaster, ceramic, stoneware or other different and original supports such as a mirror: there is no limit to design imagination. Beautiful to look at, they offer the additional advantage of an always clear countertop that hence remains free for more space.

Another aspect you may want to consider when choosing your bathroom taps type is the one relating to built-in parts. Not all taps, in fact, require a recessed part - the one installed in the wall in correspondence with its relative external part. This feature has a relevance both in terms of installation and style of the entire project, so it is highly recommended to carefully think about it ahead of time. You may then prefer:

taps and mixers with concealed valves: those for which a built-in body is installed on the wall. This type is usually preferred in bathroom areas such as the shower cubicle, where it is reasonable to consider a less frequent exposure of chromed or finishing parts to the direct contact with water;
taps and mixers with exposed valves: in this latter case the entire tap body remains external, occupying proportionately more space than a similar tap but with built-in body and concealed valves. The obvious advantages are that of a less invasive installation on the walls of the bathroom and an easier maintenance.

A final important note must certainly be dedicated to thermostatic taps and electric taps:

thermostatic mixers are the real object of desire for those seeking absolute comfort in their bathroom and in their shower in particular! Equipped with a special sensor, a thermostatic tap can regulate the desired water temperature and most importantly can guarantee its constant maintenance throughout the desired time, without undergoing any change or variation due to low water pressure;
electric mixers are equipped with a sensor too, but in this case its aim is to activate the water come-out and to regulate its jet. In general they are easier to find in public toilets for hygiene reasons, but given the increasingly widespread and heartfelt people sensitization to the waste of water resources issue and the need not to waste water even within our domestic environments, they are little by little beginning to be preferred in some home bathrooms as well.

Very easily and often, each of these macro-categories crosses over into the other and is in turn divided into many sub-categories of other different taps' types and mixers, styles and technologies, that each one of us can choose accordingly to personal taste and specific needs.

Basin taps

The basin tap is generally considered as the main one in the bathroom because effortless and continuously attracts the eye. It plays such a role that if properly chosen can add some extra oomph to the whole visual impact of the bathroom.

Needless to say, types, models and variables on the market are as many as one can imagine. The most used type is certainly the mono hole countertop tap, directly placed on the basin or on its countertop (if the model requires it, in case of a bowl basin for instance), but you can also choose to install a wall mounted basin tap or even a floor mounted one if your basin is a freestanding type.

A basin tap can be electric, have a LED or a digital sensor. What's for sure is that whatever model you choose, do not forget the role of its aesthetic value.

Bidet taps

The offer in terms of bidet taps is no less varied: the options are in fact no longer limited to standard single-hole bidet mixers to be installed on the ceramic of the same bidet, but thanks to increasingly bold and innovative design proposals, it is no longer so hard to find wall mounted taps for the bidet as well. However, it must be said that these are undoubtedly slightly more sophisticated aesthetic solutions.

Just as for basin taps, bidet taps can be electric to reduce water waste to a minimum. Coming to style and lines, the bidet tap will combine with the rest of the bathroom fittings, making a couple in particular with the basin tap.

Shower sets and more

The choice that maybe scares a little bit more is the one about the shower cubicle taps and fittings. In fact, each of the components of the shower set can be customized in a certain way, allowing you to give free rein to your imagination. Minimal style built-in set or instead an exposed valves unit with more diversified lines and designs, a basic tower shower or one highly equipped, an essential sliding shower rail combinable with a shower head of the shape and size you like the most, and - more than any other area - the shower cubicle is the real hi-tech space in the bathroom. Considering both the type and size of the shower enclosure, the shower set will adapt to other specifics such wall thickness or wall tiles.

Of course, there is more than one possible solution for the shower head too: it can be a ceiling mounted one, or positioned on the wall by means of a shower arm or a shower rail as well, which in turn is available in more than one type (sliding, fixed,...). A ceiling mounted shower head is less bulky and can have a very elegant and refined design. With the addition of some targeted accessories, the moment of the shower can really become a relaxing experience recreating in our daily life the pampering of a spa thanks to shower heads with hydromassage jets, lights for chromotherapy or aromatherapy diffusers.

Due to the wide range of all possible combinations and options of bathroom taps and fittings we highly recommend to always find the time to make a parallel choice that includes taps and sanitary ware. Even better if the floor and wall tiles are already part of the project, at least ideally. Relying on expert professionals in the sector can have the double advantage of greatly ease the stress of a bathroom refit and of making you discover new and unplanned solutions.