I have a Rohl ORB in the kitchen - it has a living finish, so it's worn over the past 6 years. Doesn't bother me in the least and adds to the charm of our new "old" home. I used RH Bistro ORB in the MBath. They are made by Newport Brass. There is no discoloration whatsoever after the same amount of time. Obviously, not a living finish. We have hard water, but deposits have not been a problem. I just clean weekly and remove any I see building up. The powder room is also by Newport Brass in ORB, no problems there either. This post was edited by allison0704 on Sun, Jan 27, 13 at 7:14

We're going to put oil rubbed bronze hardware on our wood doors, but we are building a log syled home (not a primitive interior but a more refined farm look). We are putting mostly all pocket doors in, so it'll be whatever the nicest pocket door hardware is. We're still in the process of building, but getting close to being finished. I wasn't trying to discourage anyone from mixing oil rubbed bronze items with chrome, or any other finishes in a room. I mix and match all the time, as I buy what I like when it comes to curtain rods, lights, etc. that I like. It all always works and looks personal and homey. It's sort of like when I enjoy wearing a silk blouse with a pair of jeans. What I meant was if you have a certain shade of ORB on a sink, and that is near another matching sink, or a bathtub, etc. that if you ever need to replace the faucet it may be hard to make them blend to satisfaction. It sure is a shame to feel one has to replace other things not broken if they don't like how the differing finishes work. However, that might not be an issue with many people. And even though that has happened to me before, the chance of ever having that happen is probably low and would happen so far down the road you would want a total change by then anyway. I'm not a matchy matchy person, but when I tried to imagine if I had to mix and match the ORB faucet fixtures I didn't like it. I'm actually considering a vanity light that has oil rubbed bronze even though my faucets are chrome. All the magazine pictures show the vanity light metal matching the faucet. I don't think that is necessary. It all boils down to going with what your gut is telling you what YOU like. You need to feel happy every time you walk in the room. Just double check the warranty on the finish. Some companies won't warrant that. Sandy

I agree on the stainless. I like the Cruette, although personally I prefer a faucet with a single, deck-mounted control, like in your current setup (but I also like the pull-down). I have had a Delta Leland for ~4 years and have loved every minute of it! Maybe someone else can chime in on how well the Cruette works. WRT to moving the faucet to the side, I would be more concerned about how it functions, than how it looks. With your existing set up do you fill a pot with water by holding it in your left hand and using your right to control the water? Would moving the faucet make that harder/easier/no difference? Will you still be able to fit larger items under it if you move it to the back corner?

Only do that if you don't want to pick something special as your hardware. Use plain knobs and pulls. Using dark against dark makes everything blend in and you do not notice the details so there is no point in spending a lot of money on hardware that won't get noticed. If you want to keep the same color tones as an ORB faucet, then pick brass (yes, it's BACK!) knobs and pulls. It will be a bit brighter and still have the right undertones to use with ORB. Maybe a brass light fixture too? (NOT bright brass, "living" brass like you'd find if you found a fixture at an antique store)