Redesigning Your Bathroom – How To Choose Faucets and Showerheads


We have your essential guide to choosing bathroom fittings right here. Whether designing your brand new home from scratch or undergoing a renovation, it’s always exciting to breathe life into your home by creating spaces that allow you to express your unique personality. Designing a bathroom is no exception. From bathroom tiles to the vanity table, even the smallest details can make the biggest difference in the overall look and feel of the space.

The fun doesn’t end after you’ve chosen your bathroom’s color palette, there’s still plenty to consider when it comes to bathroom fittings. And while it can be daunting to decide on the type of faucet or shower you should get, we’ve come up with a quick and easy guide to choosing the best faucets and showerheads for your bathroom.

For the Bathroom Sink

The first step is always to determine the overall theme of your bathroom, from here, we can move on to the bathroom sink.

Go Round or Square 

Axor Urquiola Faucet by Patricia Urquiola

Don’t be intimidated by the wide array of bathroom faucets you find in store. You can generally categorize them as a round shaped faucet or a square shaped faucet. Simply match the shape of the faucet with the shape of the basin. A round shaped faucet would suit a round basin, while a square shaped faucet would suit a rectangular basin. Of course, you’re free to mix and match if you want to add a bit of dynamism to your space.

Axor Starck Organic Faucet designed by Philippe Starck

Figure Out Your Comfort Zone

Axor Starck V designed by Philippe Starck

Once you have a general idea of the faucet shape you like, you can now decide on the spout height and the mount. Again, it’s better to consider the size and shape of your basin for this. Having a lower spout height means the water flow might have a limited reach, better for smaller sinks, compared to a higher spout height which gives you more space for washing your hands under the faucet.

Do mind the height of your spout especially if you have a shelf or cabinet right above the sink. You want to make sure the faucet fits nicely between the mirror and the basin. Additionally, you can decide whether you want your faucet mounted on the wall or from the basin itself, depending on the basin you’ll use.

Turn the Lever

Axor Citterio Faucet designed by Antonio Citterio

Here’s the exciting bit about bathroom sinks – choosing your controls. Remember how amazed we were when automatic sensors first came out? It’s great that there are so many water control options out there and you should choose the ones most convenient for you. Whether it’s a joystick control like this faucet designed by Antonio Citterio or a more traditional pair of round handles, pick one that matches the overall design of your bathroom, and one that’s fairly easy to use.

Don’t forget that there are double lever controls for hot and cold as well as mixers that combine the two settings into one lever. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with using.

Graze the Surface

Axor Citterio Faucet designed by Antonio Citterio

A classic chrome finish never goes out of style, but there are plenty to choose from in the market. If you’re feeling a warmer color, you can go for polished brass or even oil rubbed bronze. Make sure to ask for available colors and match it with your bathroom.

Opt for Water Efficient Faucets

Axor Starck V designed by Philippe Starck

Water is a precious resource and we only have so much of it left. Take note of the water pressure of your faucet and ensure that you use only what you need. Some faucets like Hansgrohe‘s bathroom systems have Ecosmart technology built in that uses about 60% less water than other systems. After all, we should all aim for a home with a low carbon footprint.

Axor Starck V designed by Philippe Starck

For the Shower

We all love a good bath after a long day, but a shower is often the quickest way to freshen up in the mornings. Here, we go through a few tips and tricks to choosing the best shower system for your bathroom.

Overhead or Handheld

Hansgrohe Raindance Overhead Shower

The best thing about the shower is the calming pitter-patter of water. Lucky for us, we can pick among a number of overhead showers and handheld showers for our bathrooms. While an overhead shower system mirrors the rain effect better, having a handheld shower is recommended for easier use and flexibility.

Fix Up the Height

Hansgrohe Raindance Overhead Shower

Height matters when it comes to installing an overhead shower and it’s important to consider how close to the ceiling you want it to be. You want it far enough from the floor that you are comfortable standing, but still be able to reach it when you need to do some cleaning.

Figure Out Your Water Stream Settings

Hansgrohe ShowerSelect Concealed Controls

Thanks to advancements in technology, you can now choose different water stream settings with a push of a button. If you prefer a stronger water pressure or a gentler stream, check the available built-in configurations of the shower system before purchase.

Hansgrohe Ecostat Select Surface-Mounted Shower Controls

Choose Controls That Are Easy to Understand

Hansgrohe ShowerSelect Concealed Controls

Whether you prefer a knob or a button, most shower systems come with a variety of controls. It helps to understand controls that blend well with the rest of your bathroom fittings as well as ones that are easy to use, especially if you have children sharing the bathroom.

Keep it Easy to Clean 

Hansgrohe Raindance Select with built-in QuickClean technology

Finally, showers need some cleaning too. Choose a showerhead that’s easy to clean, as dirt and limescale can build up around the spout and weaken the water output. We really like Hansgrohe‘s QuickClean technology in their showers and faucets, making cleaning a breeze.

We hope these tips help you on your next redesign. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

I’d like to thank Hansgrohe for sharing their tips and information on the latest shower systems and faucets as well as giving us access to their showroom for taking photos for this article. If you want to know more about any of the products featured in this article, do check out the Hansgrohe website.

Design: Hansgrohe

Photos: NONAGON.style

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