I recently became aware of two more retro bathroom faucets — the Metropolitan series from Elements of Design. Golly gee, they look very similar to my longtime favorites, the Mississippi faucets by Strom Plumbing/Sign of the Crab. I am not expert or patient enough to try and discern the quality / cost differences. Nor have I seen the Metropolitans in person. I have had two of the 8″ Mississippi sets in my bathrooms since about 2003, and I quite adore them. Note also, there are a variety of finishes and handles to mix and match. You also can get tub/shower sets.
Where to buy:
- To start, take a look on Amazon, where you might be able to spot the best prices — and disclosure, I get a spiff if you buy after clicking in from these Amazon links. For example:
- Here is the EOD’s Metropolitan 4″ Faucet
…
- EOD’s Metropolitan 8″ Faucet
- Strom’s Mississippi 8″ Faucet with Cross Handles
- Strom’s 8″ Faucet with Lever Handles
- Strom’s 4″ set
If you cannot find the finish or design that you via Amazon, then type the model number of the faucet (I put them in the main photo, above) into Google, and you’ll bring up these faucets from a variety of retailers.
- Original source of the Mississippi (haha): Strom Plumbing/Sign of the Crab catalog.
- Original source of the Metropolitan: Elements of Design bathroom faucets.
Get our retrolicious free newsletter.
These are great finds! We used a similar set by Newport Brass for our tub fixtures (of course we had to get the new valves as well). Here in California, we are not able to buy many of the vintage plumbing items, due to legislation pertaining to lead. I tried to find replcas of our American Standard fixtures, but alas, they were discontinued….
whoops! I should have typed “replicas”….I am just too enthused!
I’ve always loved those cross style knobs. But remember when they had no center faucet and the hot and cold were on opposite sides of the sink? Try washing your face in the morning getting some cold and hot water in your cupped hands! Lol
Amagash. Those look SO much like every single faucet handle in the dorm at my school….and all of the ones in the library too. Perfectly matches our 1950s multicolored tile . . . we have rooms with green bathrooms, blue bathrooms, tan bathrooms, white/off white bathrooms, red bathrooms – all in fantastic 1950s tile!
We used the Danze Brandywood fixtures in our recent bathroom remodel. Very similar to both of yours above.
http://www.danze.com/product_details.asp?g=2&mg=5&id=D304066
Hi Pam–being a bathroom novice, I wondered if you could tell me what the 8″ and 4″ refer to? I’ve scanned your other postings and i see you use the term “lav” and I wondered if there was a brief explanation?
OK–nevermind. I am being a big girl and searching faucet websites. 🙂
When you install a bathroom faucet, there are holes in the sink to feed the hot and cold pipes or tubes or whatever up to the faucet-handles. These holes are either 4″ or 8″ apart. The faucet needs to be designed accordingly. There are also single-hole faucets… and in old bathrooms and kitchens, you sometimes see 6″ spread.
Said another way: Look at a sink with no faucet installed. How far apart are the holes for the faucet installation? 4″? 8″? 6″? Is there only one hole. Depending on the answer you need a 4″ spread faucet, an 8″ spread faucet etc. etc.
“Lav” is shorthand for “lavatory”. I think a bathroom sink used to be called a lavatory sink. Hence “lav faucet.” Don’t ask me how I know this or whether I have it exactly right.
Are there any sources for a 3″ center, 3 hole replacement lavatory faucet. The currernt is a centerset, but if a mini-spread would work that’d be okay. I just can’t find a 3″ spread in either. Any suggested solutions? Thank you. Darla
Looks like the Strom Plumbing Mississippi 4″ set is unfortunately no longer being made… no longer shown on Amazon, nor on the company website. Really disappointed because it looked like the best match for the vintage American Standard shower faucet set in my bathroom.
Ack! I’ll put it on the list to research alternatives….