How to choose the perfect tapware for an elegant, timeless bathroom
Add the final touch to your bathroom with stylish, hardwearing tapware. We show you how to find the ideal combination
The importance of tapware in a bathroom décor
Anything but a banal functional detail, tapware and shower fittings can make a real difference to the overall look of what is often the smallest but perhaps most important room in the home. We believe that functionality shouldn’t come at the cost of form, which is why we developed the Spaghetti collection. With its combination of natural stone and gunmetal-finished brass, along with its slender world-first 20-mm cartridge, it is designed to add the ultimate finishing flourish to your bathroom or kitchen décor.
To each their own bathroom
When talking about bathroom tapware and fittings, the key word is customisation and in today’s world, there is no shortage of choice, with a vast array of materials, colours, shapes, styles and types. Mixer taps, monoblocs, sensor taps, one, two, three holes, freestanding, wall-mounted, deck-mounted, classic style, industrial style, the list goes on. With so many options, it is no surprise that choosing taps is often put into the “too hard” basket and left to the last minute in a bathroom renovation.
The truth is, however, that these seemingly unimportant elements need to be considered in the early stage of the overall project. This is not only because of the fact that they involve plumbing interventions that may need to be adjusted around them and vice versa, but also due to their impact on the final aesthetic.
They can be used to add contrast, but here you need to have an eclectic, light touch. If you are a fan of minimalism, opt for clean, squared shapes, and with stainless steel, the effect becomes even more pronounced. For a more vintage look, something that is currently much in vogue, you can play with soft, rounded shapes in more colourful materials.
And of course, it’s key to keep in mind that taps and shower fittings are used every day by members of the household and guests, meaning they need to be practical and able to stand up to wear and tear.
A home spa
Moving from basin and bathtub taps to the shower, once again you have a host of solutions, including standard shower heads in all sorts of shapes and sizes which can be installed flush with the ceiling, suspended from the ceiling, wall-mounted, with or without a handspray, the list goes on.
The shower mixer and dials also play a key role and these can be manual or electric, with the water temperature regulated via an internal mixer or thermostat, allowing you to set the perfect temperature.
The shower space lends itself to simplicity, so a flush shower tray and minimum presence of any profiles around the glass make a difference. With recent innovations in materials used for the structure holding the glass in place, frames have become almost invisible. Another element that can help create the sensation of a clean, uncluttered space are our Spaghetti mixer dials which are minimal, elegant and blend into the wall.
When design and technology combine
When great design and technology are brought together by skilled engineers and creatives, truly great things happen and once again, we turn to the Spaghetti collection by Elisa Ossino for Salvatori. It is the perfect example of how rethinking not only a category, but also its technical components can bear fruit.
Spaghetti is a complement to the texture of the same name which features an ultra-fine undulating pattern that reproduces the world's most famous pasta. The result of a meticulous artisanal process, the tapware echoes the style of the texture, resulting in an understated, contemporary look.
Natural stone combines elegantly with metal, either in the form of a circular insert on the handle or a plaque around the base of the showerhead. These flourishes can be customised, allowing clients to choose the same stone as that used on the wall, so that the handle is scarcely visible, or to choose a contrasting colour for an accent. The delicate fluted pattern that encircles each element, making it unique, has been created with a level of precision usually found in high-end watchmaking.
The collection's sophisticated aesthetic goes hand in hand with stunning innovation. Each piece is finished in an elegant gunmetal colour using PVD, an eco-friendly technology that creates a fine, uniform coating that is tough and long-lasting, making It more hardwearing than traditional alternatives.
Last, but not least, is an unexpected aspect that represents a major shake-up in the tapware sector, in the form of an extremely slender cartridge with a diameter of just 20 mm. The “easy fit” technology essentially allows the piece to be installed flush with the surface, maintaining an ultra-thin diameter from the base to the spout and resulting in a flawless effect for wall-mounted taps for showers, basins, sinks and bathtubs.
In conclusion, the role of tapware should never be underestimated when designing your bathroom décor, but as always, aesthetics needs to be balanced by practicality and functionality.
If you would like to talk to an expert about how to incorporate elegant tapware into your bathroom design, our team will be delighted to help.