Let's talk about plumbing!
When we first started making selections for our home, I thought of the plumbing (and light) fixtures as the jewelry that dresses up the spaces. So much of our interactions in the home center around water features, and thus the fixtures become focal points in the space. For our family, making sure these touch points in our daily lives were quality and beautiful were super important and in certain rooms, totally worth splurging a bit to get something we will love forever and something that will last.
We were SO lucky to have an amazing partner to help with all the selections - Crescent Plumbing Supply. They have a stunning showroom here in Saint Louis, MO where I was able to go in and see everything in person and actually touch all the finishes. They even had my bathtub on their floor so I was able to climb in and make sure it was a perfect fit! And their designers are so knowledgeable and were able to help me think of all the little details.
Kitchen Island
The kitchen island is the main focal point of our open concept first floor, so the sink and faucet were a big choice for us. The faucet is one I have loved for a long time - a Newport Brass bridge style faucet that lends the perfect amount of vintage aesthetic when paired with the clean line farmhouse sink.
This faucet was a splurge for us, but the quality is exceptional and I have been amazed that the finish doesn't show water spots. We opted for the lever style for the hot and cold handles rather than the turn style - I realized one day while cooking with raw chicken that having the ability to just bump the lever with a clean elbow is a must!
Since this style faucet does not have a pull down sprayer, we also added the hand sprayer on the side. A choice I am super happy about, especially with such a large sink that needs to be rinsed regularly.
The clean line, rounded edge, farmhouse sink is a Kohler classic. We have a matching, smaller one in the pantry and both are made of a cast iron base so I don't have to worry about breaking them. They have held up super well over the past couple years and clean easily!
Powder Room
We have two dogs and a kid who love to go outside and get muddy and swim in our pool (not in the order hopefully). So having a powder room right next to the backdoor with a multipurpose dog-wash was a must.
I fell in love with the Purist collection in the Crescent showroom and it's still my favorite bathroom fixtures in our home. The gold is the perfect shade and somehow doesn't show water spots.
Dog Wash
The dog wash gets used every single day - usually for rinsing muddy paws, but also for rinsing anything too big or gross to put in the sink. It is elevated to make it easier to bend over and get the pups (or kid) in and out of and has a gorgeous hand shower wand that matches the clean line Purist faucet on the vanity.
This is where having an expert help with selecting the parts you need. Our dog was is a custom configuration with the hand wand, the hook and the on/off knob...not your usual off the shelf setup. Erin S. at Crescent took care of everything and even made sure the drain cover matched!
Laundry Room
Form meets function in the laundry room with the super durable Kohler composite farmhouse sink and the Moen faucet with it’s convenient pull-down sprayer. The single handle makes it super easy to flip on and off when your hands are dirty and you don’t want to touch anything. And let me say - that sink has seen everything from tie dye to rust (I accidentally left something in there for a week) and it always washes right off! I loved the Moen faucet so much that we have it in the prep kitchen as well.
You may notice we have mixed different brands and shades of brass throughout the home. My general rule for this is to keep the color tone similar within a room (we kept things a warm brass color) and have similar or the same finished texture. We have the brushed brass look on everything from the doorknobs to the faucets.
Emma's Bathroom
We used the Purist collection in our Daughter’s stunning bathroom. The fixtures for both the faucet and shower trim are the perfect shade of gold and clean lines to keep the aesthetic light and airy. And don't forget the toilets - I kept things super simple, but there are a lot of options these days!
The shower trim in this bathroom is my favorite in the house. I love how unique and simple the water spout is. And the tub is extra deep so Emma can take baths in here and be comfortable. Even the overflow drain cover matches.
Oh and don't forget that you will need the matching toilet paper holders, towel rings and any other towel bars to match and all those are purchased through your plumbing supplier!
Primary Bathroom
The primary bathroom was the first room in the house I made selections for and the plumbing fixtures take center stage. The Kallista tub is a gorgeous and exquisite statement piece in front of the floor to ceiling window with the subtle but unique chandelier above. We chose the Flara Collection by Moen for the faucets for their affordability, warm gold tone, and clean lines.
The primary bathroom is the grand finale for our plumbing tour and my favorite room in our home. It's the one room that doesn't need much additional decor and the architectural details are the stars of the show. The gold fixtures stand out against the all the white and add warmth and a bit of sparkle.
Our walk in shower has a simple showerhead and a handshower. The hand shower makes cleaning the walls and glass so easy and as a chronic migraine sufferer, it has been perfect for when I need to sit in the dark on the seat with the water running.
Complex bathrooms are spaces I highly recommend having help when trying to figure out what plumbing parts you will need. I was surprised when we were building by how many bits and bobs we needed to order that weren't even going to be visible in order to make the configuration I wanted work. So be sure to ask an expert!
Hope you enjoyed the tour!
Still have questions? Feel free to message me, or click the link below to ask the experts at Cresent Plumbing - they have my house file and if you ask them for the exact part numbers, they can help!