First, this is a free standing deep tub - one of those new acrylic modern looking ones - this will be a tub only - no shower.

I am told that my only choices that are code compliant are:
(a) a deck mount tub faucet that you mount on a horizontal surface either on the tub rim if it's wide enough to drill or put it on an adjoining horizontal tile/stone deck surface.

(b) Or get a Shower valve control and wall mount tub filler - but the plates for shower controls are huge and not very appealing look. This is why option B is not appealing.

(c) get a Floor mount tall faucet and put that near the free standing tub - we don't like the bulky look of the floor faucet though.

I don't mind having one control for hot/cold mixer but I want the look of a small control knob and a tub spout or 2 knobs and a tub spout. Is there a system that has one knob as mixer and one knob as volume so we could have that balanced look?
It's the huge shower valve plate we want to avoid.

I know that separate hot/cold handles are illegal on wall near the tub. But it's weird to me that if I built a half wall nearby and put in a Deck mount Roman tub filler system - they come with separate hot/cold handles. Yet this is not allowed for wall mounting.

Could someone please explain this to me?

and they said that I could not use a wall-mount faucet made for sinks because they fill the tub too slowly.

I don't care what kind of faucet it is on the wall - I just prefer a wall-mount that doesn't have that huge plate. But the issue is apparently since the Tub faucet must now by code have a thermostatic control valve - those only come in the type of wall mounts that look like shower controls with the huge round/square access plates in the front.

I too can also google for wall mount tub faucet. The question is whether the handle is legal anymore. Presently, I am told the tub must have a thermostatic control valve even if it is not a tub/shower combo and is just a standalone tub. And the ones that do have that required valve have huge plates in front to service the valve.

Tons of stuff sold online and in home depot but doesn't mean you can pass inspection with it.

How did we ever survive with 140 F water heaters and no thermostatic control in the faucets?

Oh, that's right ... It's for the children.

Plus my really big question is why do I have to have a single mixer handle for a stand alone tub but deck mount roman tub faucets with separate handles are still legal.