Why Plumbing Fixtures Are A Smart Splurge

Whether you’re renovating a house or starting from scratch, outfitting an entire home from floor to ceiling is a pricey undertaking. By the time you’re choosing hardware, you’re likely suffering from decision fatigue and feeling overwhelmed by the ever-increasing bottom line. Even so, 2024 Idea House designer Allison Elebash insists that plumbing fixtures are one element where you should plan to invest a little more. 

“I always tell my clients, plumbing matters,” says Elebash. “It makes a big difference and really helps to elevate a space, so it’s a great place to splurge.” Consider these fixtures the jewelry of a room, the best-for-last accessories that make even the most utilitarian space feel considered and complete. 

There Are Endless Options

When it comes to choosing fixtures and finishes, the options are endless. “You always need to look at the style and intent of the architecture,” she advises. “That drives your decision, whether it’s the lighting, hardware, or color palette.”

Throughout the primary living spaces in the Idea House, for instance, Elebash relied on one finish to double-down on the home’s relaxed and welcoming farmhouse character. “We wanted to use a lot of unlacquered brass because it gets a beautiful patina to it as it ages,” she says of her fixture selections from Waterworks. Her choice helped foster a feeling of history in the new build, something that a shiny-forever finish would not.

Fixtures Add Contrast

But just as plumbing fixtures can subscribe to your home’s overall style, they can also provide interesting (and fun!) contrast, a decorating move Elebash put to the test in the adjacent carriage house’s guest quarters. “We love bringing in elements that are a little unexpected to spots where we can be more playful,” says the designer, who paired a polished nickel faucet with round wooden knobs on the doors and drawers.

Whichever route you decide to go (matchy-matchy or high-contrast), be sure to pick plumbing fixtures that you’re content to invest in; you’ll be living with them for years to come.