ᐅ Experiences with black fixtures and limescale?

We have matte black Steinberg Series 100 built-in faucets in the bathroom and guest toilet. Thanks to our water softening system, we rarely have issues with limescale, although there are occasionally a few spots on the ceiling-mounted rain shower that we don’t dry off after each use. Careful handling is required during installation, as the coating is not very durable.

Whether black is seen as modern, trendy, "80s style," or something else doesn’t matter – personal taste is what counts. We find that the very simple shape, combined with the color contrast against the walls, creates very attractive accents. In the photo: the faucets in the guest toilet (with construction worker marks on the clay plaster wall..)

Black is a hassle, whether on a car, window frames, kitchen, or fixtures. I think it can work, but you really need to consider if the increased cleaning effort is worth it.

Certainly a trendy topic, like many things from the 80s...

We finalized the selections for our bathrooms last week, and I had been debating for a long time whether to choose a black faucet. I currently find them very stylish, and coincidentally, the underfloor faucet from Steinberg that hampshire mentioned would have been the exact one for the guest toilet. However, I prefer matte stainless steel even more, and I generally find these black/anthracite trend items a bit too cold and contrasting—especially black kitchens or anthracite-colored windows, which are definitely not my style. So, I was worried that I might tire of it in five years. That could fit well with your overall color scheme though, and if you really like it, why not?

Regarding cleaning... honestly, if that were the main concern, you probably couldn’t build many things anymore that are simply meant to look nice (like sash windows or country-style kitchens with panels, for example). What I would recommend to you: ask about the additional cost now (with black finishes it’s often outrageously high just because it isn’t widespread enough yet). A single basin faucet usually isn’t too expensive, but for the overall look to work, everything—towel holders, shower fittings, flush buttons, toilet brush holders, and so on—should be in black. According to our plumber, this once caused a client to have an extra €30,000 on the bill for two bathrooms, just for changing from chrome to black. And that didn’t even include the more stylish basin or the sinks that don’t look like they’re from the ’90s yet.

Okay, that’s intense. My preference for black wouldn’t go that far. Although I actually only want the fixtures in black. The flush button can be white as far as I’m concerned.

Personally, I am not a fan of following trends when it comes to house construction, as they fade quickly and you end up with a house that is stylish only between 2021 and 2025 and outdated afterwards. In my opinion, anything that is relatively or completely permanent should be kept simple and timeless.

I would also find it far too prone to dirt. However, in principle, I don’t think it looks ugly as long as it is well coordinated.

Bookstar schrieb:

Black is a pain, whether on a car, window frames, kitchen, or fixtures. I think it can work, but you definitely have to consider if the extra cleaning effort is worth it.

In my opinion, cleaning is given too much importance in Germany. As soon as we no longer meet our own standards, we get help for it. Of course, things should be clean, but many of my friends and acquaintances go overboard with sterile cleanliness and then wonder about bad moods, back problems, lack of free time, and allergies. Sure, you can design your house to be easy to clean — from my point of view, it’s enough to keep an eye on the total amount of impractical features rather than optimizing every single element.

If the sculpture gets dusty,
it still looks great.
Life without it would be dull,
boring, and lame.
😉