Is Black Tapware a Fad or a New Classic?

Whether you’re scrolling through Pinterest or watching renovation shows like The Block, you can’t escape the trend that is matte black tapware. Black is the new black and it has made it big in modern bathrooms and kitchens across Australia.

Is black tapware a hugely popular yet fleeting fad that will eventually tire out? Or does it have the lasting power to join the ranks of timeless classic tapware finishes and styles like stainless steel and chrome?

Black taps have a lot of positives going for them. But do those benefits outweigh the downsides enough for it to last?

Pros of Black Tapware

Let’s get the obvious out of the way – black tapware just looks great! Whether it’s a bath mixer, a basin mixer or wall top assemblies, it’s an easy way to update your kitchen, laundry or bathroom with a more sleek and modern design.

There’s more to them than just their looks though.

Black Looks Great with Everything

No matter what design style or colour scheme you’re going for in your home, matte black tapware goes well with everything. Bold tiles, coloured marble or natural timber finishes – black goes with it all.

Got an all-white bathroom? Black taps will stand out beautifully against the white. Timber benchtops? You can’t go wrong contrasting natural features with the industrial look of quality matte black tapware.

If you choose to change up your kitchen and bathroom style any time soon, you can rest easy knowing that your existing black tapware will still look sleek with the new space.

Matte Black Tapware Is Easy to Maintain

Are you sick of seeing water marks and finger prints all over your stainless steel and chrome fixtures? Black tapware is resistant to these marks thanks to its electroplated finish.

Who knew that the pros of this design trend went further than just appearances? You’ll love the low-maintenance cleaning due to the electroplated coating on matte black taps and fixtures.

Black Taps are Widely Available

A major bonus to add to the list of pros for black taps is that they are both easily accessible in most plumbing supply stores and well-priced compared to other finishes available.

You might expect to pay a lot more for black fixtures compared to chrome and stainless steel, but there’s really no big difference!

To top it off, matte black tapware is about as abundant as other common metallic materials. You certainly won’t struggle to find matte black kitchen taps and tapware. You’ll be overwhelmed with choices if anything.

Cons of Black Tapware

While you might like the look and elegance of black bath taps in your bathroom, there are certainly some drawbacks to consider before you rush out and buy some.

It Can Fade Over Time

While you love how your black taps look fresh out of the package and newly installed, it won’t look like that forever. A major downside for black taps is that they can fade over time!

That nice black colour that you started out with a few years ago will eventually fade to grey.

Fortunately, there is a way to prolong the life of your black tapware. All it takes is wiping it down with a microfibre cloth. In a perfect world, you can keep the black tapware trend going strong in your home by wiping it down with a microfibre cloth every time you use it.

Every single time? That seems a bit excessive. Something is always better than nothing, so if you only wipe it down every time you remember to do it, you’ll help preserve the black colour and finish for longer.

Delivery Or Installation Can Cause Damage

While the electroplated finish on your black taps helps with their durability and strength, they’re not completely resistant to damage. A plumber’s tools, if used in the wrong way, can even chip your taps.

That said, with black taps trend being so popular, most plumbers know by now how to install them without damaging them.

Incompatible With Regular Cleaning Products

Among the cons of black tap products is that you can’t use regular synthetic or wax-based cleaning products. These will destroy the finish of your taps, especially on a matte black tapware range.

This means your regular cream cleanser or bathroom spray just won’t cut it for your black taps.

Thankfully, you don’t need to run out and buy a specialised cleaning product to clean your bathroom and kitchen tapware. All it takes is some warm soapy water!

Dirt And Grime Stands Out More

Remember how we were saying that black tapware looks great in a modern white bathroom because of the contrasting colours? Well, this contrast can be bad news for those who use makeup powders at their bathroom vanity.

All that loose residual powder that you’ve so expertly tapped away so you don’t apply too much to your face? It’s all over your beautiful black tap. And it contrasts so strikingly with its lighter colour that you might think you installed a speckled black tap!

For those of you who are messy bakers, you can expect your black tapware to look a bit greyish with all that flour that’s managed to accumulate on it too.

Luckily, all it takes to clean this up is a wipe-over with a microfibre cloth!

Black Tapware – Fad or Classic?

With all that said, is black tapware a fad? Or, like the Little Black Dress, will it stand the test of time to become a timeless classic?

As far as fashion is concerned, black has never gone out of style. With the wide availability of black taps, and how versatile they can be to fit any space or style, we don’t see them going anywhere any time soon.

Considering jumping on this design trend with your next bathroom space upgrade? Whether you’re replacing a leaking tap or going for a complete change, contact Metropolitan for expert tap installation services.