Did you catch our exciting bathroom renovation? Gah! I’m so thrilled with how the space turned out and I can’t believe I’m getting such a beautiful bathroom. Pinch me!
Today I wanted to go into more depth about the faucets and plumbing fixtures we chose because it was something that ended up being more complex than I expected and I thought it would be helpful to share the information if you ever remodel a bathroom.
This post is sponsored by Delta Faucet. All choices, explanations and opinions are mine alone.
From the moment I started planning this renovation, I knew I wanted two things: marble tiles and gold faucets with a vintage flair. I fell in love with the look of showers with exposed pipes. They have the perfect touch of old world charm that I wanted. So after a lot of research, I landed on Join the Faucet Cassidy™ Collection in the stunning Champagne Bronze™ finish.
I am very impressed with the feel and quality of the fixtures. They are heavy and solid. The last thing I wanted after working so hard on the bathroom was to end up with cheap fixtures leaking and causing water damage a year or two from now.
The first thing I have to say is that the Champagne Bronze™ finish is so pretty. It’s gold, but not too gold… it’s soft and subtle, not the yellow 90s brass we all grew up with.
For the bathroom sink, we used CASSIDY™ Single Handle Bathroom Faucets. They also make a version with one channel spout it’s super cute, but we have extremely hard water and I wouldn’t worry about pooling in the canal (or toothpaste from the children, eww!), so I went for the more traditional spout. I really prefer the single hole faucets too because I find them easier to clean.
For a newbie plumber like me, it was a little difficult to figure out exactly what parts we needed to order for the tub/shower combo, so I’ve illustrated the different parts we used to make it more clear.
Shower plumbing parts
The shower column touches the wall in two places. The upper one is where the water pipe comes out and the lower one is anchored to the tile with screws. Then you can choose any combination of shower head and hand shower to attach to the column. These are the products I used:
The rain shower head is so luxurious, but I’m a die-hard hand shower lover and have to have both. The rain head is for standing there and enjoying the hot water while belting out a tune, and the handheld shower is for washing my hair. LOL. The hand shower has H2Okinetic Technology® which shapes water into a unique wave pattern, and gives you more coverage. I also love using it to rinse out the tub. To switch the water from the rain head to the handheld attachment, there is a simple lever near the bottom of the shower column that you simply turn.
Plumber parts
Here are the parts you see in the picture above:
The part that was confusing to me during the process was the rough valve and valve trim. The recessed valve goes behind the wall and is installed before tiling. It is the mechanism that controls the water flow and temperature. The valve trim is the beautiful metal circle and handles that go on top of the rough inlet valve. You can buy the parts for the valve trim separately with different handle styles and different functions, but you always have to buy the coarse valve as well.
You will also need a tray spout with diverter and an overflow plate and vessel drain to match the finish of the taps. And we learned that tub drains come in different sizes, so you need to buy the right size to be able to screw the new drain into your existing pipe under the tub. If you’re installing a new tub, it’s probably easier to buy the entire tub drain assembly, which includes the pipes that hide behind the tub, because then you know the pieces will fit together. If you are having trouble shopping, installing or troubleshooting your Delta Faucet products, their customer service team is always there to help.
Coordinating accessories
Did you know that you can replace the handle on your toilet? It’s a super simple job, but I think it makes a big difference. The handle that came on our new toilet was plastic spray-painted silver. In less than five minutes I replaced it with a real metal handle to match the rest of the bathroom decor and wow, talk about leveling up!
This is Join CASSIDY™. Traditional tank lever in Champagne Bronze™. So pretty!
Delta® also makes towel rails and bars, toilet paper holders, coat hooks, soap dispensers, grab bars and more, so it’s super easy to match all your faucet accessories.
So what’s the easiest way to shop for bathroom fixtures?
I suggest starting on Delta’s website https://www.deltafaucet.com/ and browsing by collection. Once you’ve narrowed down the style you want, click the Where to Buy feature to find your favorite retailer near you.
So hopefully that helps explain some things you need to know if you’re renovating a bathroom soon.
If you have any questions, check out the main bathroom disclosure post for a full source list and lots more information on all things bathroom. If you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, leave a comment and I’ll get back to you soon.
