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 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 like stainless steel and chrome?

Black tapware has a lot of positives going for it, but do they 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! It’s an easy way to update your kitchen or bathroom with a more sleek and modern design.

Black tapware offers more than just its looks though.

Black Looks Great with Everything

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

All white bathroom? Black tapware 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 knowing that your existing black tapware will still look sleek with the new space.

It’s 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 black taps and fixtures.

Black Taps are Widely Available and Competitively Priced

A major bonus to add to the list of pros for black tapware is that it is both easy accessible in most plumbing supply stores and is even well priced compared to other finishes available.

You might expect to be 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 black tapware. You’ll be overwhelmed with choice if anything.

Cons of Black Tapware

While you might like the look of the black tapware trend, 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 looks fresh out of the package and newly installed, it won’t look like that forever. A major con for black tapware is that it will fade over time!

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

They Can be Damaged During Delivery or Installation

While the electroplated finish on your black tapware helps with its durability and strength, it isn’t totally resistant to damage. A plumber’s tools, if used in the wrong way, can even chip your taps.

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

You Can’t Use Regular Cleaning Products On It

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

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 white bathroom because of the contrast? 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 be looking 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 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. And with how readily available black tapware is, and how versatile it can be to fit any space or style, we don’t see it going anywhere any time soon.

The next time it’s time to upgrade that old leaking tap, would you jump on the black tapware design trend? Contact Metropolitan for expert tap installation services to transform your space into the current day.