You can paint the walls, put new tile on the floor and buy new bathmats, but if your faucet and showerhead are old and tarnished, your whole bathroom will look out of style. Kristin Bishop, product manager for Delta Faucet, shows Nancy Golden, host of DIY Decorating & Design, some great options for modern faucets. Before selecting a faucet, look at the placement and spread of your sink's current faucet. Most are centerset, with a spread of 4" or 8". Faucets come in a wide variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and in chrome, brass or porcelain. Lever faucets with easy-to-operate handles are a big favorite. Others prefer a single-handle faucet, which makes regulating water temperature easy. A good starter faucet with a chrome finish features easily operated lever handles (figure A) approved by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA-approved handles require less than five pounds of force to operate, making them a good choice for children and adults with handicaps. The combination of low price ($60 to $100) and easy operation makes this type of faucet a good choice. A combination chrome-and-brass finish gives a lever-handle gooseneck faucet a touch of class (figure B). Different finish materials add style to a bathroom and provide decorating flexibility, allowing accessories in either finish. A sleek single-handle brushed-chrome faucet (figure C) is relatively inexpensive and complements a contemporary bathroom. A mid-range ($150 to $180) polished brass faucet with porcelain lever handles is durable and beautiful, with an antitarnish surface that won't corrode or pit. In a higher price range ($300 to $350), a lever faucet in a satin-nickel finish ( figure D) makes an elegant statement in any bath. White faucets don't show water spots or fingerprints, as chrome and brass do, making them a good choice for a kid's bathroom.
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