The best bathroom taps - awash with style and substance

(Image credit: West One Bathrooms)

last updated 13 January 2021

Blowing hot and cold over the best bathroom taps to buy? Hand washing has never been so topical but basin taps are not just about hygiene. If you're looking for modern bathroom ideas, the right brassware can elevate your scheme and take it from simply stylish to sensational.

The choice in bathroom taps has grown considerably in recent years and as chrome and stainless steel have taken a back seat in the bathroom, we've seen bronze, brass and black taps come to the fore.

A FINE FINISH

An impressive choice of finishes and textured details gives the Spillo Tech tap collection an opportunity for personalisation that’s hard to beat. Choose from handles and bases in Vertical, Cross and Knurled effects, which can be supplied in 11 finishes including polished and hand- brushed chrome, 24-carat gold and nickel, plus matt black and matt white at C. P. Hart.

CIAO BELLA

If you consider the bathroom a sanctuary for all-out luxury, why stop short at your taps? The Portofino collection from West One Bathrooms features designs in five metallic finishes, many with elegant marble handles. We’d call that
the cherry on the, erm, tap.

FEELING SHADY

The rise of the statement tap continues and Kohler’s Ombré basin mixer might just be one of the prettiest sink-side accessories we’ve seen. Choose from two glossy finishes, each graduating from Ombré rose gold to Polished Chrome or Vibrant Titanium

INDUSTRIAL ACTION

We love the industrial style of the Astonian Index-3-hole basin mixer from Aston Matthews. Manufactured in England, it's solid brass and available in a chrome or brass finish.

TOP BRASS

Warm brassware tones are showing no signs of slowing down in 2021. According to Yousef Mansuri, Head of Design at C. P. Hart, "We will continue to see bronze, brass and gold everywhere in bathrooms, with new finishes from Dornbracht and Gessi."

POLE POSITION

The Hoxton bathroom mixer in matt black from Britton Bathrooms makes a sleek and dramatic addition to a bathroom basin.

BARE ESSENTIALS

Crosswater has introduced a beautiful new finish to its timeless Belgravia collection. The new Un-lacquered Brass finish is specifically designed and manufactured to oxidise over time, resulting in a rich patina that offers a classic aesthetic with a nod to contemporary style.

HANDS FREE

A common experience in airport bathrooms, infra red sensor taps are now cropping up in interior schemes.

Grohe has seen a huge demand for its infra-red bathroom taps in the home. Not just since the onset of Covid-19, but due to water efficiency too, as the sensors can detect when you remove your hands and stop the water flow.

best bathroom taps — GROHE Eurocube E infra-red tap

ALL WHITE NOW

Black taps have been providing stand out style in chic bathrooms in recent years and now it's the turn of the white tap. Crosswater's new matt white finish looks particularly bold and beautiful in a monochrome scheme.

NEW LOOK

These matt black Allora deck mounted pillar taps combine traditional style with a distinctly modern finish for a fresh new look. Ideal for adding character to a contemporary space.

See our buying guide to the best black bathroom taps

Jacky Parker is a freelance lifestyle journalist and writer, producing a wide range of features for magazines and digital platforms. She has written for Livingetc and its sister titles, Homes & Gardens and Country Homes & Interiors for more than 15 years, both as a freelance contributor and as Acting Digital Editor and Acting Style Content Editor, regularly reporting on the latest interiors, gardens and wellness inspiration, speaking to experts in their respective fields, and discovering the best tips.

Jacky has also written for other publications, including Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, ELLE Decoration, Red, Grand Designs and more.