Anyone looking for a perfect match in cyberspace should bypass eHarmony and Match.com and head straight to California Faucets. The company, renowned for its comprehensive collection of solid-brass fixtures and hardware, has just launched an online tool that lets you build your own custom design, mixing spouts and handles of varying styles in a choice of 25 tough-as-nails PVD finishes. Pair a swooping modernist waterfall spout with more classically articulated handles, or mate two subtly different strains of a more historicist look.
Apparently, there are 2 million combos at your disposal, and–as in real life dating–some couplings are better suited than others. For kicks, I mixed a really traditional spout with super-streamlined handles and vice versa (expecting such pairings to look totally schizo) and was surprised to see just how many such arranged marriages totally worked—a testament to the designs’ smart proportions.
Addictive fun aside, the virtual faucet creator is a helpful tool for navigating the murky waters of choosing bath fixtures—something few of us think about until we absolutely must, and then we have no idea what we’re looking for. The tool thinks like we do: you pick one design and then say to yourself, “Gosh, if only the handles were X-shaped instead of flat levers…” Click and voila! Or you fall in love with a certain profile, but want a slightly warmer finish—click from satin brass to 24-karat satin gold.
Alas, you can’t buy directly from the website, but you can save or print your chosen design and trot over to one of California Faucet’s dealers. Many popular finishes are stocked for quick delivery, but even the more esoteric ones typically ship within 2 weeks.
Talk about a turn on. —Jen Renzi
An example: so, first I took the above and changed the finish….
Then I swapped out the handles for something a little different, and opted for satin brass:
Here’s another design I played around with, mixing spout and handles from two different collections…
And lastly went for X-shaped handles and changed the finish to something dark and moody:
Technorati Tags: Customizable design, modern bath hardware, contemporary faucets, traditional bath fixtures, California Faucets
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