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may_flowers

Vanity ordered, help with faucet, lights, etc.!

Gracie
10 years ago

We ordered a 36" Kraftmaid vanity in a dark-stained cherry for our small guest bath. The counter is Giallo Ornamental. Wall paint will be a light gray-blue to pick up the flecks in the granite. Floor will be a light colored quiet tile. Shower curtain will be a blue-gray and brown pattern on a cream background. I am going for a feminine and traditional feel.

I like both faucet styles, but I'm thinking the crossed handles might add a little something extra. Which do you prefer? Sink is undermount.

I think I should use chrome pulls for the vanity since it's dark cherry and the faucet will be chrome. Can I use an ORB light fixture? I am not seeing a lot of chrome lights that I like. My thinking is that it will tie in with the vanity and brown flecks in the GO, and it will add another dark element to the room. It will be an over-the-mirror fixture with three lights.

I have no idea what to do for a mirror and will probably go frameless if I can't find anything. I don't want a heavy wood look. We have looked around locally and online with no luck so far.

Lots of photos to follow! Thank you for your opinion!

Comments (24)

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Door style in Kaffe cherry with GO granite. The GO seems to be a little lighter/less gold than others.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I love the colors in this curtain. My sister will make me a shower curtain, so I hope we can find something similar.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Salesperson advised we get a high arc faucet for ease of handwashing with undermount sink.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hope these photos are loading okay for you. Computers are not my forte.

  • enduring
    10 years ago

    With the levers, they are ADA where as the cross handles are not. That being said, in my tub where I have cross handles, I can turn the water off and on with my toes, if I need to warm up the tub water (without having to get up:)

    I don't know why a high arch faucet would make a difference with under mount or set in sink. The really high arch faucets are to accommodate a vessel sink if I am not mistaken.

    Color of finishes, a couple of my experiences:

    1) I think I have too many metal finishes, but with my cottage look it seems to be ok. I didn't plan this to happen.The sconces are chrome but the placement and scale is off to me. I picked my sconces first and I don't think I will do that again. But that may not be the reason, could be that I get a little tangential in my selections and lost the "vision". I will show you a picture of my mirror that you asked about a few days ago on another thread. It looks wonderful with my vanity but I am not happy with the sconces. I may, at a later date try something different with the sconces. But that is a luxury that may be imprudent on my part.


    2) I say choose no more than 2 colored finishes. I had chrome so the pewter color of the hardware and the mirror looks good with the chrome. I have a small amount of tans in my marble listello so I don't think bronze would look good in my room unless I painted the walls a warm color. But since you have browns in the wood and counter the bronze would probably work, I imagine.

    3) I think if you went with a dark sconce it will be no problem in my opinion. Take a look at olychick's bathroom. She posted it in the Hobokenkitchen thread on bathroom reveals. She has satin nickel faucet with what looks like bronze sconces and hardware.

  • pricklypearcactus
    10 years ago

    I personally do like high arc faucets for undermount or overmount sinks to make it easier to get hands or whatever (dog dish, cleaning bucket/bottle, etc) under the faucet. I like the feel of levers vs cross handles and I find them easy/comfortable to turn on. However if you like the look and don't mind the feel of cross handles, go for it. They're really lovely looking.

    Yes, you certainly can mix metals, as enduring has demonstrated. I think ORB and chrome look nice together. I personally am happy to mix chrome and brushed nickel or stainless as well. I don't see any reason why everything has to perfectly match if you like the materials together.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Enduring, I thought your mirror was bronze when you were considering it. Pewter is a nice alternative that works well in your bath. Chrome lighting fixtures seem to go naturally with white tile and marble, but I've got painted walls and granite. Really, I'd like to do a bronze faucet, but to get a finish that would wear well, I'd probably have to spend a lot more than what the chrome cost.

    We mixed metals in our kitchen--brushed stainless faucet and ORB knobs and pulls. I just wasn't so sure about the vanity because the lights, mirror, faucet, and hardware all line up. The faucet has matching towel bars and other accessories, so I can keep some continuity there.

    I'm not sure why she felt the faucet should have a longer reach, but I think it was personal preference. Maybe she has big hands which need more washing room! It does limit the styles that we could chose from in our price range, but I like the style she suggested. It's much fancier than what I envisioned, and I never thought to use the crossed handles.

    Thank you!

  • enduring
    10 years ago

    May Flowers, I was originally looking at the "Dark Smoke" finish of the Hubbardton Forge mirror, it is more of a blackish steel color and not bronzy. I did get the Dark Smoke but the finish had a flaw so I returned it and got a replacement. But instead of the Dark Smoke, which I thought was too dark for the room I switch the order to the "Burnished Steel", which is a perfect match for the hardware on the vanity. I looks very good with the soapstone and vanity color. I just struggle with the sconces. A friend of mine said that the sconces may be too far apart and that is the issue as she sees it. I don't know.

    Edit to give more details about my finishes:
    I said I had too many finishes in the above post, and then listed only chrome and the pewter. I neglected to mention that the reason I have too many is because I also have:
    1) polished stainless steel grab bars, slight yellow compared to the chrome's blue cast.
    2) a polished nickel drawer pull, again too yellow, will go soon.
    3) a satin silver from Emteck for the lever entry door handle, more yellowish silver, but I already had this, so will stay and I love it.
    4) old rubbed bronze cabinet hinges on one free standing cupboard. Got these because they were as close to black as I could find since the pewter color wasn't available in the style I needed.
    5) black Emteck entry door hinges, had to go with an option that would go with the bathroom and the kitchen.

    So I guess that adds up to 7 finishes. Though chrome and the pewter color are predominate.

    This post was edited by enduring on Thu, Apr 4, 13 at 16:59

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    You were lucky it had a flaw then! Sounds like you have lots of little things to finish up. Where are you finding your hardware?

    I don't think your sconces are too far apart. I do think they look a little long and narrow. I wonder if a shade with a wider, more rounded base might help. More cup-shaped, if you know what I mean.

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    Mayflowers,

    Good to see you're progressing. I think we've been moving along at a similar pace. (Our Master is now fully gutted! whooee). Personally, I like the look of the cross handles, but would never consider getting them in my own BR. Both DH and I are beginning to feel the effects of arthritis in our hands, and levers are the easiest handles to maneuver. Also think of the added cleaning, four little posts to wipe around per handle, vs one on the levers.

    I don't think there's any problem with having an ORB light fixture, (though yesterday, the lady in lighting at HD told me, "No, they're going out of style", when I asked if the 3" LED pot lights came in ORB! LOL).

    You could really have fun with the mirror. Look in antique stores, places like Bombay, etc. and get a fabulous piece you love and will give that feminine, traditional feel you're going for. I bought a beautiful bevelled oval one at an antique auction many years, and several houses ago, and it has moved into several BR along the way. Sadly it won't be going back into our Master BR, but maybe my sewing room?

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Are you the one who is doing a 36" vanity with all drawers, raehelen? What else is going in your new bath? When will it be completed?

    I've seen arthritis mentioned in Kitchens when people ask knobs v. pulls. I have knobs all over my house! I guess I need to think about getting old--older--I'll be 58 this year and DH will be 69. But if we get arthritis, we won't be able to get up the stairs to use the bathroom anyway. We'll be taking sink baths in the powder room!

    We went to the two lighting stores here--one is Lamps Plus--and they have the same bath lighting that they had 8 years ago when we bought our dining room chandelier. That's one of the reasons I can't find anything--I'm ready for a new look in lighting, and a lot of the nice design is going into sconces, not fixtures for over the mirror.

    We have several antique stores in town, so I'll take a look. Oh, if only I could be so lucky! If we had to, we could buy a frameless oval at Lowe's and take our time looking for a unique mirror. We have guests coming May 31, so we'll need something.

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    Yes, that's me. Progress is actually being made. Finally found a carpenter to custom make my all-drawer vanity, which is now 40" (granite top will be 42")--- once we gutted BR, we measured to the inch to gain maximum storage space. I thought I had a carpenter all lined up, but he hasn't answered any emails in a month, so I went back to the drawing board. Just this morning have confirmed I will be getting my teak vanity! So excited. Have picked the granite slab, tile guy is picking up 2 boxes of my tile so I can compare the two colours in the BR space (though there is no lighting in there now), Light fixtures/sink/sink faucet and towel warmer and handles for vanity have been bought! Now, I'm trying to finalize decision for shower system...we are DIYing the whole thing (except for vanity), and after all the problems I was having getting someone to build the vanity, DH was even willing to build that. Thank heavens I've found someone, cuz I would like to be back in my Master BR before Christmas (and after my kitchen fiasco, I mean Xmas 2013!)

    P.S. I'm 'only 56', and having to go down 2 flights of stairs to shower, arthritis often hits the fingers/thumbs before the knees!

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I wish you a fiasco-free bath remodel! I appreciate the advice you've given me. I'm jealous that you have everything decided on! Nice that you found some extra vanity space too!

    A decorator who has an office at the flooring store came out, and she recommended sticking to chrome for the light because it looks so good with the wall color. She said the faucet with the lever handles is a better choice because they're a transitional style.

    I have looked at so many lights and found one that I like. However, it has squared lines, so now I'm wondering if I should find a faucet with the squared lines because it's easier to find a faucet than a light. Towel bars come in squared and rounded mounting hardware, so maybe I should be consistent with my finishes. Is the curvy shade enough to make it work with the curvy faucet?

    I've reposted the faucet below the light so you won't have to scroll up.

    This post was edited by may_flowers on Sat, Apr 6, 13 at 9:34

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Faucet.

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    I would say no. I think the square rods send you off in another direction from your original vision. If lighting is truly the hardest thing to find in your town, have you considered looking online? Most lighting stores should be able to order just about anything from the lines they carry. There are SO any choices out there, even HD carries LOTS of lighting!

    When I renoed our first BR, I actually started with my faucet (Just cuz I got it at HD for a super deal), and then matched EVERYTHING to it! LOL I ordered nearly everything online (and 4 years ago from Canada, not so easy to do). My vanity handles (vanity was custom made to maximize storage- lots of drawers, and pullout shelf under sink) came from Germany, towel bars, paper holder, robe hooks from US, and shower from Great Britain! My light fixture was actually supposed to be a temporary fix (DH hates it), but the one I really wanted was just too expensive, this one came from a local Canadian Tire,(not sure what you have in US that is the equivalent to a Tire and auto store that carries just about everything 'cept groceries!)

    I looked at the finish, and lines of my faucet, and tried to echo that thin round rod in every other fixture. Probably no one else would notice, but I love it everytime I walk into the BR.

    DH hates the shades on this fixture...tried to find replacements, but lost interest after a while...once you're no longer in the midst of reno angst, some of the details become not so critical anymore...LOL

  • enduring
    10 years ago

    I agree with Raehelen that the faucet and light fixture are going in separate directions. I'd keep looking. Are your set on the faucet style, could you change it out to match the fixture?

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Unfortunately I don't see many I like in chrome, except for a few at Hud$on Valley Lighting and Re$toration Hardware. The one above is from Hinkley Lighting, which is sold through Ferguson's. We'll go there next week.

    Here are two more traditional styles from Ferguson's.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Like either of these? I'm letting the scalloped valance and side moldings on the vanity direct me into a more traditional look. That bathroom has a linen closet with a traditional door and traditional molding.

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    I only see one light in your post, white lampshades are turned up and may be hexagonal?

    That one goes much better with your fixture.

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Lightingdirect is a better resource. Thanks! Have you ordered from them?

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    I haven't ordered from them, but they are part of build.com which has been very helpful to me trying to set up a shower system. I like their search function too, it seems very intuitive and functional.

  • lillo
    10 years ago

    I am too redoing my MB in two weeks and int the process of buying faucets , lights , etcetera . I am using lighting direct to buy my vanity lights . I am going chrome too , I chose the Crystorama light fixture from their Paris flea market collection . They have a wide variety of lights that could match your faucets, check the sea gull lighting 4058 , it's beautiful and has the same curve as your faucets. I see that in your choices you are choosing a straight bar between the lights. I think you need to look for a curvy handle for each light better, like the style I suggested for you , It matches the curve in your faucet spout . Good luck

  • Gracie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, lilo! That has nice lines and the shades are interesting! Fergusons carries Seagull, so I might be able to see it this week.

    I'm also going to look at Hinkley Lighting. It's an old family business and made in Ohio. I liked the one above with the square bar, but they have a few others I could live with. I wish I could love everything we select, but I know you have to compromise to get the job done.

    We also ordered a sample of mosaic tile for the backsplash. Really love it, but whether it works with the granite is another story.