with hundreds and hundreds of faucet brand options in the world, have you ever wondered what fittings are used in the royal castles? or where you can get a faucet embedded with swarovski crystals and diamonds? maybe you’ve just casually wondered where you could pick up a 24 karat gold tub filler because, design.
at the delight of design, we, too, have asked and wondered these questions, so we decided to do some digging and compile a guide to the world’s highest-end plumbing brands. in no particular order, read on to discover the world’s most elite and exclusive plumbing brands!
treemme
(rubinetterie) treemme started out as a crafts foundry focusing solely on the creation of italian brass taps and quickly evolved into one of the top brands for contemporary luxury plumbing fixtures. based in tuscany, italy, all of treemme’s products are made and designed in-house and challenge every aspect of the currently conceived notions of modernism.
what we love about it: treemme’s products are some of the most unique fixtures that we’ve ever seen, and are literally what our dreams are made of. the majority of treemme’s fixtures don’t even look like plumbing, but more like wall sculptures. we want nothing more than to not only see but experience any one of these times-over award winning fixtures.
czech & speake
czech & speake is extremely well renown for not only their brass products, but for their shaving products and colognes/eau de parfums as well. still, they have managed to craft stunning and timeless fixtures since 1980 out of london. they provide the entire bathing experience, from towels to shampoos and soaps down to the actual plumbing fixtures. czech & speake has got you covered in luxury.
what we love about it: we can’t help but obsess over the breadth of offerings from czech & speake, but more so how amaze everything is. the brand has also mastered every style from 1800’s classical to 2020’s minimalist, all whilst retaining timeless quality that you’d never expect from a brand doing so much. oh, london. czech & speake bathing products are also the highest regarded in the shaving industry – this brand is oozing with old world england class, begging to be enjoyed with a glass of the world’s finest whiskey.
brizo
brizo is delta’s high-end subsidiary, spearheaded by designer jason wu. the overall brand aesthetic is highly contemporary and sleek – self-described as “a luxury fittings brand for those who understand that fashion isn’t merely about the clothes they wear” – and utilizes thick lines and severe forms in the majority of their collections. brizo is the most used brand by interior designers, as their fixtures are meant to be seen as “art” and “home fashion” more than just a functional fixture in a space. high home fashion.
what we love about it: the industrial styling of their collections are super cohesive and offer the ability to mix collections throughout a home while maintaining a streamlined aesthetic. they create trendy, high end collections for the modern homeowner who wants to own the hautest of everything. basically, if you want the trendiest home in town, you have to own brizo.
waterworks
waterworks was founded nearly over 50 years ago and the design of their fixtures has remained authentic, emitting a vintage and delicate yet industrial feel throughout every collection. waterworks has one of the widest segment offerings of all brands on this list, ranging from kitchen and bath faucets to tubs, surfaces and cabinetry. they’ve definitely carved out a large chunk of the luxury plumbing industry for themselves, and though honoring their 50-year-old heritage, is still a huge leader in modern design. they’re widely popular for their incorporation of industrial components such as levers and heavy metal work, all while making it classy and subtle enough to work into nearly any designer space. even more so, their tile and marble offerings are extremely extensive and could be a brand in itself.
what we love about it: we don’t want to say that waterworks put unlacquered brass, metal tubs, or industrial styling on the interior market, but they definitely mainstreamed both. waterworks managed to take the most basic faucet and make it a statement piece; something everyone just has to have.
rohl
rohl is one of the most renown international brands for luxury plumbing products. the brand is known for their delicate brass and traditional styled fixtures – their kitchen bridge faucet in particular. however, they carry a wide range of product styles. particularly popular in the uk and reknown for their taps, rohl stays true to their “authentic luxury” mantra and after maintaining their traditional style for nearly three decades, it’s clear that both the brand and the fixtures are nothing but pure, unadulterated luxury in its most authentic form.
what we love about it: rohl epitomizes delicacy mixed with beauty in the home plumbing sector and creates some classically stunning products. you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more timeless, classic fitting for nearly any space.
kallista
kallista is kohler’s designer subsidiary, composed of 28 lines done in collaboration with several extremely high-profile designers, including kelly wearstler, michael s. smith, barbara barry, and bjarke ingles. available in some of the highest end materials such as 24k gold and diamond-cut crystal, kallista is one of the most renown luxury faucetry brands.
what we love about it: kallista exudes luxury from every facet. each and every line is carefully considered and the craftsmanship is impeccable. our favorite part of the lines is their respective design stories, such as how the tuxedo line is all within a wedding theme; modeled after flatware, an emerald cut diamond, and a wedding bell. the details and considerations put into the lines by the designers tell a story, and add an exceptionally special touch to the brand overall.
devon & devon
devon & devon was founded in 1988 by two italian architects and has a full range of offerings including vanities, surfaces, and faucetry. they’re widely known for their colored and classical cast iron and forgery. all of their products are exquisitely crafted with traditional styling, mixing playful contemporary vanities with traditionally crafted and designed brass.
what we love about it: devon & devon has such an “italian luxury” feel and styling to every piece that they create. each and every one of their pieces are works of art, staying true to classic italian styles with a contemporary touch that makes it perfect for modern interiors.
agape
agape is a 40+ year-old, luxury brass company out of italy. the brand aims “to shift the bathroom from functional space to emotional centre of the home, becoming a dynamic and rejuvenating environment devoted to personal wellbeing” with their fixtures, focusing on highly contemporary and simple, minimalist forms.
what we love about it: the simplicity of agape’s forms are astonishing and make us wonder about technology and design in the bathing space. their fixtures are not only “cool,” but they’re sculptural and relatively intuitive for use.
mgs
mgs is a swiss plumbing company primarily known for their fixtures that combine beauty with the durability of steel – specifically their signature black stainless – to “create modern works of art in place of traditional and forgettable kitchen and bath fixtures.” they said it best themselves in that they offer an “array of flawless styles and cutting-edge design perfect for setting off the beauty and serenity of the world’s most exclusive homes.”
what we love about it: mgs has extremely unique finishes and beautiful designs that don’t try to be anything that what they are: simple forms made with impeccable craftsmanship and cutting edge technology. their fixtures are appropriate for only the highest end homes. talk about fixture swag!
maier
maier is a spanish company founded in 1989. they are noted manufacturers of the highest end plumbing fittings, outfitting generally contemporary styles in diamonds and swarvoski crystals – the epitome of luxe. maier transforms everyday plumbing fixtures into extraordinary pieces of functional jewelry for the home.
what we love about it: maier is one of the most unique brands we’ve encountered and offers some of the highest end fixtures on the market. these fixtures are what dreams are made of, without being gauche or tacky. diamond encrusted faucets? I mean, come on.
webert
webert is a luxury italian plumbing company. designed, sourced, and fabricated out of italy, all of webert’s fixtures exude high italian style. one of webert’s most important considerations involves the ecological impact of their fixtures on the environment, from their production practices through the sourcing of their exceptionally exquisite materials.
what we love about it: webert is at the cutting edge of technology, design, and functionality but also places a huge focus on their economical impact. we can’t argue with stunning fixtures that exude italian design that are also environmentally conscious. i mean…
vola
based out of denmark, vola is a luxury faucetry currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. originally known for their minimalist and simplistic designs, vola was the original designer of the single-control, remote wall mounted lav, and is well renown for their multiple color offerings.
what we love about it: vola’s initial innovation of the wall mounted lav was what launched their initial massive success, and their extensive line of colored faucets was what kept them unique. we are obsessed with the contemporary, sleek styling that vola offers but still adds a playful punch with a kick of color.
maison valentina
maison valentina is a company based in portugal, focusing on the haute couture of bath products. creating bespoke product to “offer the same comfort and luxury that you are able to feel in any other division of the home, keeping at the same time the best exclusive design and bold pieces.” maison valentina is what we consider to be the most eclectic, artistic of the luxury bathroom brands on this list.
what we love about it: need we say? the uber-dramatic uses of black + white + gold make us swoon and daydream like crazy. a gold plated bathtub? sure, why not. maison valentina offers things literally only maison valentina could and does offer, and we. love. it.
drummonds
newport brass
newport brass is an american-made, family-owned company that was founded as an extension of plumbing brand brasstech in 1989. they rapidly grew to be known as a leader in high-end fixtures due to their excellent selection, designs, and quality, offering over 30 different finishes in their seemingly endless product offerings.
what we love about it: newport has one of the widest ranges of finish offerings for nearly every one of their fixtures, which enables you to have a completely customized space – without sacrificing quality.
jaclo
jaclo was founded in 1901 in the us and has been a leader in the plumbing industry ever since. technically offering “decorative plumbing products,” jaclo’s products extend from shower trim to faucets to supplies, drains, grab bars and more. highly customizable, they offer a huge selection of finishes and the option to mix finishes on nearly any product.
what we love about it: while many luxury plumbing brands nowadays offer an endless offering of finishes, jaclo somehow seems to offer even more, and it’s the one brand that we can always rely on to provide truly decorative plumbing (supplies, p-traps, etc.), instead of just the faucetry. we also adore jaclo’s grab bars and think they’re the best in the business – in any finish.
la cava
la cava is an italian company based out of chicago, primarily known for their extremely contemporary, minimalist high end vanities and tub offerings, as well as their brass fixtures. a newer company founded within the last two decades, they have an exceptionally wide range of product offerings for the minimalist. their mission statement, “the foundation of each civilization is its love for the arts,” shines through each of their quality fixtures.
what we love about it: la cava has some of the coolest modernist forms in both brass and vanity shapes, allowing for some extremely innovative interior/k&b design. we also love that it’s american made with an italian flare.
dornbracht
considering themselves “the global market leader in premium fitting production” and a brand that has “exerted considerable influence over the cultural importance of design, architecture and technology in the bathroom,” dornbracht is a 60 year old german company with a near-cult following. their highly contemporary fixtures have an uber simplistic vibe and ultra-modern aesthetic that utilize ground-breaking technology at the same time.
what we love about it: everything about dornbracht is so simple yet unbelievably complex and groundbreaking. they have several iconic forms (personal favorite, tara), and utilize shocking imagery with super high contrast in their marketing to appeal to consumer. the products themselves are not only aesthetic and high-quality, dornbracht also has some insane spa-type system offerings.
waterstone
american company waterstone is the manufacturer of what is arguably the highest end kitchen faucets available, or at least semi-widely distributed throughout the luxury plumbing sector. founded just in 1999, it’s one of, if not the newest independent brands to make a name for itself on this list.
what we love about it: waterstone is as simple as it gets – kitchen faucets in high design and high finishes, made in america. there is 100% transparency behind the waterstone product and brand, and that makes it one of our favorite overall brands (that, and the products are stunning).
axor
axor is the designer subsidiary of hansgrohe primarily featuring contemporary fixtures, mostly focusing on customization and individuality in the showering space. similar to the following of hansgrohe, axor has an extremely dedicated follower base.
what we love about it: everything about axor screams luxe. from the handmade product to the one-of-a-kind, bespoke finishes, there’s no brand that can replicate the quality, aesthetic and customization quite like axor.
lefroy brooks
lefroy brooks is a notoriously high-end, classical line of fixtures that is heavily era-based. founded in the early 1900’s, each addition to the brand has a specific place and meaning, making lefroy one of the most thoughtfully curated fixture lines. recently picked up for distribution by restoration hardware, they’re now more of a household name more than ever.
what we love about it: lefroy stays true to every era throughout its development, never veering too far from any time period in which the collection was developed. each fixture exudes timelessness and quality, making the fittings feel right at home in their spaces.
dxv
dxv is american standard’s high end/designer subsidiary, infamous for being the first plumbing brand to utilize 3d printing to fabricate a faucet – a $17,000 one. they’re one of the better known, mid-line luxury plumbing brands on this list, and tend to err on the contemporary-transitional style of design. dxv has managed to elevate all the offerings of its parent company american standard, from vanities and toilets to faucets and kitchen sinks.
what we love about it: though their products are more mainstream, we like the breadth of offerings dxv has. as basic and necessary a brand as american standard, it’s a challenge to break free of that the contractor market they’ve cornered and carve out a place for themselves in the luxury plumbing sector.
perrin & rowe
perrin & rowe is a subsidiary of rohl, based in the uk. their main focus is mainly around the manufacture of kitchen and bath taps (unfortunately not code in the us). their forms are similar to rohl’s in their delicacy and intricacy, but have almost an even more refined and classical touch.
what we love about it: perrin & rowe’s fixtures are absolutely classic and we are so in love. it may be that they’re manufacturing taps, something literally foreign to us, but we love how all of the designs are so elegant yet user friendly & welcoming.
barber wilsons and company
founded in 1898, barber wilsons is one of the oldest tap manufacturers around. two brothers – the wilsons – started created faucet taps in north london after doing much plumbing work on their own. staying true to the traditional styling of classic taps and elegant brassware, barber wilsons was officially named the choice of the queen of england for shower fittings.
what we love about it: we can’t argue with the classicism of the oldest tap manufacturer, or the queen’s literal choice. barber wilsons and company is everything that is a traditional, classic fixture, made by the literal best in the business.
zuchetti. kos
we can’t put it any better than zuchetti themselves: their products are “designed to energize and enhance the room architecture where they are placed. the goal is to give a sense of well-being and clarity to the everyday aspects of domestic living.” a zuchetti. kos area is an area for excellence in every sense of the word.
what we love about it: the ultimate brand for contemporary luxury, zuchetti has it all. they’re masterful in incorporating luxe materials into their fixtures, and making the sleek appear sleeker…and cooler.
california faucets
each and every fixture turned out by california faucets is made-to-order out of huntington, california – hand finished, hand manufactured, and designed by hand. california faucets’ motto is “yes,” meaning that they have no limitiations in customization options; mix and match finishes are a readily available option and will arrive at your door, made-in-america, by american workers.
what we love about it: the quality of cali faucets in conjunction with the design and customization ability is unparalleled and we love it. no stock here, but no waiting times either. what we love most? made in america, amen!
gessi
gessi is an italian-based company, well-regarded for its craftsmanship, eco-considerations, and uber contemporary designs. manufactured and designed in gessi, italy, gessi’s mission is “to make everyday life more pleasant with objects of extraordinary beauty and functionality.”
what we love about it: gessi’s products are about as one-of-a-kind as it gets. through and through, they care about both form and function, making the seemingly impossible come to life. their products really are works of art.
aquabrass
self-described as “unconventional, audacious, and exhilarating,” aquabrass is a montreal-based company with an extremely contemporary aesthetic. they manufacture spa showers, kitchen fittings, and bath fittings, as well as tubs, vanities and more, mixing metals with earth-based stone and woods to create an earthly elemental blend in their products.
what we love about it: their styles are modern and fluid, and are the kind of fixtures you can look at and still be inspired by, even by a form as simple as a line. we also adore the injection of color into some of their collections.
samuel heath
an english company, samuel heath is merely two decades young and has everything you would expect to see from a well-seasoned and heritaged plumbing brand: quality, aesthetic, innovation, and story. samuel heath aims to “delight the senses” both aesthetically and functionally, and so succeed they do.
what we love about it: samuel heath always seems to take a standard or “done” shape and elevate it in a way that far surpasses luxurious. they make classic forms contemporary, and contemporary forms timeless.
thg
thg is a french company based in paris that focuses itself on the usage and incorporation of high-end materials into their faucets to challenge the idea that a faucet is solely a functional piece of plumbing and change it into a piece of (functional) jewelry for the home.
what we love about it: we love how thg incorporates plumbing into extraordinary materials, instead of incorporating extraordinary materials into plumbing fixtures. their fixtures make for a magical union and change the act of faucet usage into an experience – not a chore.
watermark
manufactured in brooklyn, ny, watermark is about three decades old and has a faucet of every type on the design spectrum, ranging from extremely traditional to single-knob contemporary and industrial.
what we love about it: watermark has one of our favorite styles, element, which seamlessly incorporates an earthly material into the single remote faucet knob, and has a matching finish on the thin laminar filler. we love the wide breadth of designs they offer, as well as the unique incorporation of industrial designs.
herbeau
self-described as both “the couture of the kitchen” and “the couture of the bath,” herbeau is a quintessentially classic plumbing brand, and their 1857 french roots can still be seen through their classic and one-of-a-kind forms. the manufacturing standards to which they held themselves to at the highest of manufacturing standards.
what we love about it: an herbeau faucet sticks out as an herbeau faucet and is truly “couture” in both style and craftsmanship. we feel like we’ve been transported back to the 1800’s when using one of these fixtures and that’s the most special part about it.
graff
graff is an american company based in milwaukee, wi, known for their contemporary shapes and proud history of vertical integration in manufacturing. graff’s claim is that their fixtures “pay homage to the most precious natural resource of our planet,” and we can’t help but agree when we see the contemporary, organic shapes that their fixtures take.
what we love about it: not only is graff fully american made (with a couple foreign acquisitions), but their shapes are both fantastically contemporary and traditional; very few brands can pull off both.
if you didn’t think you needed a platinum, diamond encrusted faucet before, you’re probably second-guessing yourself right about now.
thankfully the holidays are just around the corner, and it may not be too late to add a lil somethin to your list!
we expected to see some outrageous (and stunning) stuff, but some of these brands still managed to leave us speechless. did anything knock you off your feet? sound off in the comments!
x – mk