Used Newport Brass in my last renovation project because of the finish (weathered copper) and style (bridge faucet with side spray). Used Perrin & Rowe wall-mount copper faucets in the hall bath (redid the finish to provide patina to match copper sinks). Both excellent products, but preferred the P&R for the aesthetics.

Wow Glisson4, Rohl told me to go buy Semichrome!! No free tube here! it was about 2 weeks when my faucet looked like it had a rash! Small little spots all over the spout & the handles looked horrible. I tried to clean them up & nothing was working. I called Rohl & was told to polish it w/ Semichrome. They were willing to send me a new spout because they hadn't ever seen spots like that, but no new handles. I think my maid had sprayed Clorox cleaner on the counter & it got on the spout. So, keep the bleach away! The Semichrome got that off right away, however I really had to work on the handles to get them to look good. So, higher maintenance than most other finishes...but again, it sure it pretty!

I splurged and went with the brass. The wait won't be that big of a deal since everything else is so behind schedule anyway! Next round of questions: Should I do a small backsplash in butcher block? Our countertops will be exclusively butcher block and the backsplash white shiplap. I quite like the look of the wood back splashes in the DeVol and Plain English kitchens shown here. Yay or nay? If you like them, how tall and how thick should they be? Also in this one photo attached the backsplash is installed behind the counter rather than on top which is how I'd imagine doing it. Any idea which is preferable? I was going to do IKEA solid oak counters but have accepted that it really can't be a DIY job since I chose an undermount sink with curved corners and don't have the skill to confidently make that cut. We'll spend a bit more on having them and and finished, ready to install. I'm leaning toward Eastern Maple because it's hard and quite pale. That's a better choice than very old reclaimed fir I'd imagine, even if it has a cool backstory.

Forget that "living finish". That's a PC way to say "It WILL tarnish and look like hell!" I got pulls in my kitchen that are polished, solid brass with no lacquer, i.e. a "living finish". I had intended to have them lacquered locally before putting them on the cabinets but got talked into leaving them as they were, and they did look lovely and not as "plastiky". BIG mistake! They have deeply tarnished (unevenly, depending on where they are in the kitchen). Next summer, I will take them all off before I go on vacation and take them to the brass guy who will now charge me more and they must first be polished. It's not just like keeping display silver/brass/copper polished as these are affixed to other things and polish might harm them and rinsing is impossible. As for grey being "out" - well, does it work best with the rest of your house? It does in mine. I didn't choose it because it was a trend - I chose it because I liked it and white would not work and I don't like cream or wood cabinets. Stay away from blogs - lots of hot air from people who know nothing about design.