I've researched polished nickel exhaustively -- till I'm exhausted anyway! I still absolutely love it like nothing else. I'm in the middle of two bath remodels. One is 70% finished; the other awaiting demo (need one working bath at all times). I put Kohler's Bancroft in polished nickel in the bath that is almost finished. Kohler's website says "Technological advances have led to the development of all types of finishes that are extremely durable. PVD (physical vapor deposition), the technology in use today, results in finishes that are even more resistant to abrasion than chrome plating. In fact, all KOHLER finishes exceed industry durability standards by more than two times." Kohler's Vibrant Polished Nickel is slightly darker than most other brands, but is definitely acceptable as a warm polished nickel color. I picked the Kohler for this bath since it was easily available (at our contractor's favorite plumbing supply and online), the price was right, and it fit pretty well with what I wanted in that bath. We're using the lav faucet and soap dispenser now and I'm very pleased. Here's a pic of it newly installed. We haven't used the shower/bath faucet yet. I'm using Hansgrohe polished nickel in the master bath. The color and finish are gorgeous. I have the lav faucet and take it out of the box occasionally just to drool. Hansgrohe states they use PVD, and the quality of the faucet seems wonderful. We haven't chosen the shower faucet yet. Go to the online plumbing stores and search for polished nickel. Faucetdepot has an easy search by finish. I bought from both Faucetdirect and Plumbtile, with no problems. I know this is long-winded, but I am having a love affair with polished nickel. My husband knows, and is being very understanding. You pretty much have to go online or to a high-end plumbing store, and know what you want. You aren't likely to find it at the big box stores, although I have purchased some polished nickel accessories at Lowe's that I love (knobs, hooks & toilet levers).

@jwillhouse - Your plumber has a vested interest in convincing you to buy things with a markup. I can assure you that the same part numbers are the same no matter where the faucet is ordered from. As for your contract with your plumber, is it a time and materials contract or cost plus contract? Your post notes that your plumber lists retail, wholesale, and a 15% markup. If it is a time and materials contract and the 15% is the mark up from wholesale to retail, then it is on the low end of markups. If it is a cost plus contract then the markup is on his actual cost less any rebates, so the 15% should get added to what he actually paid not the listed wholesale price. In a cost plus contract, the 15% is likely unavoidable as it is still a cost even if you buy it somewhere else. Many contractors in a time and materials contract don't allow you to supply your own items. --- While it is absolutely true that you can benefit from sourcing products cheaper from sources other than you plumber, we should recognize that to some extent it is a zero sum game. Most plumbers are not getting rich off a single family home, they are just finding alternative ways to present the profit they need to make. So while adding profit to a faucet may seem like a ripoff, if all the faucets were bid at cost the plumber would likely just charge more for the installation and you would be in the same position. It can still be an advantage to you to get your faucet at a cheaper price if your plumber allows, but don't fall into the trap of thinking you are getting ripped off just because the plumber adds profit there instead of somewhere else.

beth's is a good rule of thumb. Whenever I think about the quality of a tile I think of my really cheap Chinese black marble tile I bought for my powder room. I got it from Lowes and returned 2/3 of the boxes because tiles in them were made of seamed-together marble scraps. They would have been difficult to lay properly, impossible to cut. It took me 3 trips to get enough acceptable boxes. But I'd read the reviews, knew what to look for, inspected every tile in every box before I left the store, and in truth, once it's down, it's down. Cheap tile can be more difficult to work with than the good stuff. But don't confuse cheap with inexpensive. You're going to be using machine made, mass-produced ceramic subway tile. It'll be fine.

Thanks! The vanity is from Omega Dynasty line; the style is Tarin. It's natural walnut. The legs were made from a 4 x 4 piece of walnut cut 6" high. I debated whether to float it and the thought just freaked me out so I decided to do the legs. I requested that the drawers be on the left side because my plumbing is on the right side. I got a medicine cabinet from Kohler with walnut sides. The bathtub is original equipment. I have no idea who the manufacturer is but I like it because it's low and easy to step into. The glass door is frameless and I order it from a local glass and mirror company. The toilet is Toto Aquia. I need to get a toilet with a 10" rough-in instead of the normal 12" and there were very few choices. That being said, I really like the Aquia because of its height and narrowness. Fits right in. Towel bar and hand towel bar are Kohler Stillness. I was going for a cross between NY loft and midcentury (only because I liked both styles and got stuck like a deer in the headlights. Here are a few more pictures which should cover it all (small bathroom)