Back to black bathroom decor: 'Let’s not run from the dark — but recognise its demands'

Not even Martha Stewart can convince Kya deLongchamps that darker tapware and finishes are a fading trend

Buff down your shower’s black detailing regularly and avoid heavily framed in black enclosures; Hinge and inline shower door with side panel, matt black, from €1033, Deluxe Bathrooms.

Matt-black finishes (taps, shower-heads, rails, wastes and shower enclosures) — we couldn’t get enough of them. Black was smart, sexy, edgy. 

It sat up against our cloud-grey tiling in the bathroom, and in contemporary lines offered a gentle industrial vibe to a kitchen sink. Black provides really good accents. It dwells happily with any other colour and material, woodgrain, composite or stone.

Why are so many commentators on social and print media muttering that our love of the dark is fading in the face of classic warmer metals — brushed brass and a new rage for brushed nickel and bronze? 

A recent article by design maven Martha Stewart on her much-loved online platform marthastewart.com included bruising phrases like “builder grade” and “commonplace”, suggesting that black is overused, economical (in the worst way) and too available. Those criticisms could be applied to any shiny, typical tap after all. So, what happened?

First of all, there’s that contrast — the deep, graphic, all-consuming blackness of matt black. This is now considered stark and overstated in many bathrooms and even kitchens, unbalancing a colour scheme increasingly tilted towards a calm tonal treatment.

Mechanical-age style has receded to luxury accents — wheel turns, analogue numbers on thermostats and lightly steampunk, chunky brass-and-enamel levers. Matt-black taps don’t offer the “bling” of other tapware that’s described as bathroom jewellery.

Worse still, (especially in a slightly tacking matt finish), coloured tapware has undeniable maintenance issues. Hear me now: we’re not talking about a single, quality black tap in the kitchen. Go for it.

How to tackle dirt and grime

Bathroom fixtures, taps and, in particular, large showering systems with revealed rails and exposed valves in black are the real point of contention. There’s the same amount of dirt and grime left smeared on any tap, turn, rail or trap after a week’s use in a bathroom or shower room. 

However, black is unforgiving in revealing the presence of hard water scale and soapy residue. It catches in the microscopic texture of the matt finish and sits up in a highly visible grey veil that would add an almost imperceptible mist to smooth, plated chrome. This grot can be polished or rinsed off, but it’s an unwelcome nuisance chore.

If you have hard water, rinsing the black elements off at the end of the shower simply doesn’t work, as the calcium and any other minerals present in the water just show up again, fogging the black-coated metal as it dries. Unless you install a filter/water-softening unit on the supply serving the taps, this annoyance could prove chronic.

More serious still — budget-level, matt-black tapware can be damaged quite easily. It doesn’t stand up to rough treatment, and most especially, harsh cleaning routines. Unlike the electroplating or solid materials used in conventional taps, painted black tapware is just that — spray powder-coated. 

If you’re scrubbing away with an acidic or bleach-based cleaner to remove limescale and soapy rubbish, and the power coating is poorly applied, you could tarnish it at best and, in the worst-case scenario, grind the colour coating right off the base metal.

This handsome housing will take a simple swap with a microfibre cloth to remain in perfect condition; Triton Amala brushed black and brass, DuElec 9.5kW shower, including shower-head, from €294.

Lemon and vinegar eco-friendly mixtures? Nope. Even electroplated shiny taps are vulnerable to scuffs and scratches if you attack them with bleach or a gritty texture like a scrubby sponge. The plating is very thin and relatively fragile on any tap, whatever its finish. 

The only solution to all these issues is to clean your taps, rails and traps after use with a soft, clean microfibre cloth, and never use anything but mild soapy water to deal with accumulated grime.

The best way to clean black bathroom fixtures is with dish soap, warm water and a soft cloth or sponge, says shower manufacturer Mira. The gentle formula of dish soap won’t damage the finish of your black fixtures and does a great job of removing dirt and grime. 

Use a soft cloth to wipe down your fixtures with the soapy solution, including taps, showerheads and hoses. Then, rinse them with clean water to ensure no soapy residue is left, as this can cause staining on your fixtures.”

So, is black just out for new-builds and bathroom flips? I don’t think so, and clearly the bathroom industry is still confident in its black ranges— particularly in showers.

Hinge and inline shower door with side panel, matt black, from €1033, Deluxe Bathrooms.

Black, like any deeply coloured surface, will reveal muck more easily — so yes, more regular swipes with a microfibre cloth are required to keep black taps looking at their designer best. That said, hard water will ruin the appearance of any tapware or shower elements.

Accumulating in a crystalline mess — it can damage the plating, never mind stealthily clogging the inside of your pipes and showerhead. I would think twice about any colour, including black, if you have hard, chalky water that you have no plans to filter.

You get what you pay for in taps and showers. If you buy cheap, thinly plated taps — they will pit and blister within a year or two. If you buy cheap, power-coated black taps, they will get damaged with even light abuse. Not every black rain-shower is falling to bits and shedding colour.

Go for quality brands with double electroplating and scratch resistance as standard. A warranty is comforting, but to make a claim, you will have to show that you didn’t vandalise the tapware or other elements with inappropriate cleaning. 

Would I push someone towards a shower enclosure with extensive, heavy or Crittall-style frames in black? No. It’s that bit bigger, and too much bother to polish up. The stark quality of black is best tamed by trimming its use to considered fixtures and accessorising on the dry side of the room.

For hardware and a lick of thin framing for LED mirrors, I still love the black option for its dynamic drama. It’s really gorgeous against mid-toned wood on cabinetry in pulls, handles and wrought-iron shelf brackets, elevating bathrooms and kitchens with a heritage note. Let’s not run from the

dark — but recognise its demands.