Choosing new bathroom fixtures is worth getting right the first time. Here's a short guide with your options and advice from our designer.
A Cohesive Set
Before you start picking fixtures, keep in mind: don't mix and match across different collections. Your tub, toilet, bidet, shower, and sink should all share a consistent style.
The two universal requirements for any fixture are comfort and hygiene. Everything else - color, dimensions - comes down to personal preference. But don't skip on quality: individually and together, these pieces need to last for years, so pay close attention to materials.
Choosing the Material
Porcelain and vitreous china are the most common materials by far - but what actually separates them?
Vitreous china fixtures are porous and lightweight. They look great in nearly any interior and come at a reasonable price.
Porcelain pieces are heavier and pricier. They're easier to maintain, though - mineral deposits are barely visible on the surface, and temperature changes don't affect their appearance, which makes porcelain the better choice for unheated spaces.
A note from our specialists: neither material handles a heavy impact well - both will crack visibly, which is a real downside worth knowing about.
If you want something more distinctive than porcelain or vitreous china, these materials are worth a look:
Composite fixtures. Sturdy and stylish, with high cost as the main downside - though it's a fair trade. The material resists damage and harsh cleaning products, needs minimal upkeep since dirt doesn't cling to the surface, and has the look of smooth, polished granite.
Marble. A luxurious material associated with high-end status. It's sturdy, but its porous structure needs special care since it stains and dirties quickly.
Glass. Stylish and modern, and sturdier than it first appears - holding up as well as vitreous china or porcelain. It does need careful maintenance, though, with specialty products to keep streaks and water spots from building up.
Choosing a Sink
Sinks come in a wide range of shapes - a classic tulip basin, a cascading design, a wall-mounted model, or something sculptural. The most important factor: an overflow hole. Look for a sink with proper overflow protection, along with its own trap and mounting hardware.
Let the room's size guide you. In a smaller space, look at sinks designed to be built into the interior, or corner-mounted models.
Choosing a Toilet
A handful of toilet models are the most popular by far. If saving water matters to you, choose one with a dual/half-flush option - it uses only half the tank's water on the lighter flush, cutting water use noticeably.
For water that flushes evenly around the whole bowl, look for a rim-flush model - these stay cleaner for longer.
To avoid a lengthy plumbing-adjustment job, pick a toilet that's built to match your specific bathroom - and measure the angle of your drain pipe carefully before you buy.
Choosing a Tub or Shower Base
A tub or shower typically becomes the unofficial focal point of a bathroom. It needs to do its job well and look right in the space.
Materials worth considering:
Cast iron. A trusted, time-tested material. It holds heat longer than the alternatives, though cast iron itself is very heavy, which can complicate installation.
Steel. Considerably lighter and cheaper. Worth knowing: a steel tub heats up fast and cools down just as fast, and thin-gauge steel walls can flex under weight.
Acrylic. The most commonly used modern material - low-maintenance, holds heat well. The downside: it scratches easily.
How We Handle This as Part of Furniture Selection
This isn't just advice from us - fixture selection is a built-in part of our furniture selection service. We work directly with manufacturers across the full range, from trusted, well-built mass-market names like Kohler and Hansgrohe to high-end designer fixture lines for clients who want something more distinctive. Rather than pointing you toward a catalog and letting you guess, we handle sourcing as part of the same process that selects the rest of your furniture - so the bathroom actually matches the rest of the space, not just itself.
When buying fixtures on your own, pay attention to the manufacturer and the specs we've outlined above. Good fixtures always come with a quality guarantee - and if you're overwhelmed by the number of manufacturers out there, sticking with established global names is a safe bet every time.
