As we use our newly renovated kitchen more and more, I want to provide some updates along the way. I know I still need to share a full tour of the cabinets and how we have it all organized, so that is on my list. I’ll likely make a video showing a complete look at the before and after of the space and then a tour of the cabinets so you can get a true sense of the space. I know still images and drawings don’t always give a complete picture. Anyway, in today’s post, I want to share an update on our handmade unlacquered brass faucet.
I had my heart set on a brass bridge faucet to compliment the Edwardian feel I was going for. I reviewed a lot of different options from name-brand faucets that were over $1,000 to used faucets on eBay to handmade faucets from Morocco. Some decisions were very easy and quick to make, but I had a hard time deciding on the faucet. Since I was taking a splurge/save approach, I had to decide if the faucet would be a place to save or to splurge. After much debate with myself, I decided on the handmade faucet from Morocco that I purchased through THIS Etsy Shop. It was actually my favorite faucet regarding looks and, at around $400, it was closer to the “save” end of the budget range.
Now, before you pop over to buy the faucet, let me tell you the full story so you can make an informed decision. It does have a happy ending, but we had to take a few twists and turns to get there.
I knew buying a handmade unlaquered brass faucet from outside of the US was risky, and I have heard some stories of faucets from Morocco with missing parts, leaking, and then receiving zero customer support to make things right. I loved the faucet so much, though, that I was willing to take the gamble. The fact that I was purchasing it through Etsy and with a PayPal account gave me added protection. When I received the faucet, I had my plumber stop in to take a look at it and make sure it had all of the pieces he would expect for installation. I got the thumbs up from him and eagerly waited for the kitchen to be far enough along to install the faucet and test it out.
It was a glorious day when it finally went in, and it was every bit as lovely as I imagined it would be. The only problem is that it was a little bit finicky. It had “dead spots” when you turned the handles, where water would stop coming out. I could forgive that until after about a month, the water would shut off randomly after you turned the handle to the “on” position. You’d be in the middle of doing dishes and *chunk* the water would shut off. This was not so forgivable. The water running when the faucet is turned on is a bare minimum requirement for a faucet.
So, I contacted the seller and asked for a solution. They said they would send me replacement valves for the handles that I could easily replace myself and I was willing to give that a try. A few weeks went by and I didn’t receive valves or any additional responses from the seller. Because the timeframe was outside of Etsy’s guarantees, I was able to file a dispute and get a refund through PayPal. I also filed a complaint with Etsy. It was at this point that the seller reached out to me again, apologized profusely, and wanted to reach a resolution.
I believe that companies are always going to make mistakes because they are comprised of imperfect humans. And I also believe in giving companies a chance to make things right, so I was willing to work with them. They sent me several different valves to try along with a video on how to replace the valves. They were very easy to replace and that did solve the problem. The faucet works great now. Because we did come to a resolution, I paid them a portion back of the refund I received for the faucet. I felt like it was fair that I get a discount for the trouble, and they get paid for a product that was now working properly.
I did take the opportunity to encourage them to provide good customer service to their customers. A lot of people love the look of these faucets and would buy them if they knew they would work properly and be supported if/when issues arise. They assured me they would. (See below for another update from November 2025.)
Now that I’ve shared the full story, you might be wondering if I would buy the faucet if I had it to do all over again. While I don’t think this faucet is going to be for everyone, I love it and would buy it again. I absolutely love the look of the faucet and it works great now. That being said, I do feel like I need to keep a passive eye on it if that makes sense. Just in case, we have a water sensor under the sink to alert us right when a leak happens so we can shut the water off before it ruins the wood floor. That gives me some peace of mind and we would likely have one even if we had a brand-name faucet. It’s just an added bit of insurance when you have wood floors in the kitchen.
I do plan on using this faucet until the time comes to replace it and I hope that will be many years. It looks perfect in the kitchen and it makes me happy every time I see it and use it. We also like that the sprayer works independently of the faucet, so we can use the sprayer without turning the faucet on or while the faucet is on. It’s a handy little thing that happened because it was the only way our plumber could figure out how to install it.
The brass on the faucet has aged beautifully over the past few months, which is one thing I loved most about unlacquered brass. Our brass hardware is also unfinished, so both will age over time and add a nice patina to the kitchen. Since the house is over 50 years old, it felt right to select finishes that would start to feel old with time.
If you have to have everything shiny and spotless, then an unlacquered brass faucet finish will not be for you. For me, I think the patina is warm and homey.
So, if you’re considering a similar handmade unlacquered brass faucet, here are a few things I would suggest…
- Buy the faucet through a trusted marketplace like Etsy, and I have had an overall good experience with THIS Etsy shop. You have their customer protection programs behind you if something goes wrong.
- Buy your faucet shortly before you want to install it so you can test it out within the guarantee window. I ordered mine well in advance so by the time I knew there was an issue, I couldn’t do much through Etsy.
- Use a payment method that will also offer support for buyers. I was able to get a full refund through PayPal disputes (a portion of which I paid back when the company provided support) because I proved the faucet didn’t work properly and the company acknowledged that (through messages and by publicly posting my video.)
- Buy a handmade faucet that is a standard measurement. Mine is 8″ on center, which is typical of American-made faucets, so replacing it won’t be an issue in the future.
- Contact the seller before purchasing to see if they respond to customer messages and if the faucet will fit with standard fittings in your country. Again, THIS ONE does.
An update from November 2025: Our faucet has developed a drip from the spout, requiring a little wiggling to shut off completely. I reached out to the seller, and they were responsive and happy to help with resolving the drip. I had the chance to decide whether to get a new faucet or repair this one, and I chose without hesitation to keep this one. I still love it so much, and it’s worth giving it a little TLC when needed.
Are there any other update requests on the kitchen or any of our other projects?
30 Responses
The faucet is even more beautiful now that it’s aging! I just can’t express how much I’m enjoying this house renovation. Your vision for what a house can become is such a gift.
If I have one request it would be to see more full-room shots. I love the closeups and of course, they make sense when you are featuring a small area of a room, but I would love to see long shots of each room too.
It’s hard to get shots of the entire space since I can only get my camera back so far. Probably the best way to show more of the space is to make a few videos.
I am happy you got the valve issue resolved with your faucet and I do love the patina on unlacquered brass too. However, when you did a post on the faucet a while back, I was skeptical of ordering a faucet made overseas and how the warranty would work versus buying from a U.S. made company like Delta or Kohler. Thankfully, you had some protection from Etsy and although you had to go through some hoops, you got things resolved by the seller and was sent new replacement valves. I also want to warn everyone to beware of PayPal. We were hacked and caught it early and were refunded quickly but it was just a pain! We deleted our account and just dont use PayPal anymore.
I had a bad experience with PayPal and don’t use them.
I’m glad you had a happy resolution!
I would also add another thing to think about when considering unlaquered brass. Where I am, we have high naturally-occurring sulphur content in the air, which tarnishes brass very quickly- to the point where it is past the “aged” look and can get pitted and damaged. I absolutely love brass, but it’s not something I would choose for my house because of that. But I love to look at it in other people’s houses!
While the faucet looks beautiful, I would not trust it coming from another country for precisely the reasons that you have experienced. I guess I would rather pay more and at least have access to a major American company’s warranties, if they were better, that is. I’m glad you were able to get your issues resolved to your satisfaction!
I would like to see a whole-house “walking” tour, where you show the long views and floor plan layout of the house. It would also be nice to see the rooms that you haven’t yet overhauled.
On another note, I see that you now have a “100% Human Created Content” logo under your post (above the comments section). Is that now a “thing” to be part of? Or did you create it yourself? It is sad that we have to wonder these things from here on out.
I asked my assistant to make one so people know I write everything and take all of my pictures. Many sites use AI.
The faucet is gorgeous! Glad it worked out.
Related, how is you Ilve range? I’ve seen mixed reviews on this brand and am in the market for a new range.
PS-A walkthrough of the range would be a wonderful post! Thanks.
Yes, I’ll do that!
Thank you so much!
I read your blog posts on my iPad and I am wondering if any other iPad users have the same recent issue that I have. The ads on your blog keep popping up and changing and every time they do, the blog jumps to the bottom of the page to the comment section and as I move up to continue to read the article the ads keep popping me back to the bottom. The last month or so, I have not been able to read a full article of yours on my iPad. This is the only site that I have a problem with this. While I was writing this, I paused and the site jumped to the bottom, I had to scroll back up to continue my comment
I always have a problem with this site. It will always jump back to the beginning and I have to scroll down to find my place to continue reading. Happens every single time and usually multiple times before I can finish reading.
Ditto 😢
Ah, sorry about that. Ads can sometimes cause that jumping and I know it’s annoying. As the commenter said below, an ad blocker is really the way to go if it’s too bothersome.
Hi. I Never see ads on this site or any others because I use an ad blocker. Unlock is the name of the one I use.
Sometimes I need to turn it off to fill out forms for subscribing or whatever, but mostly I don’t ever do anything.
I know a blogger doesn’t get paid for ads not seen, but I support site in other ways such as referring articles to friends and buying from Marian’s links.
The other option for me is to simply not read the site any more as I won’t subject myself to frustration of ads. Also, I practice what I preach and tell people on my own sites to use ad blockers if ads are too distracting.
Let me let my ad managers know to see if this is something they can fix. That is annoying and they shouldn’t interfere with reading the post.
I have really loved it so far. I think the problem with ranges that are not standard US models is they are hard to have repaired when something goes wrong. That would be the biggest downside to the Ilve.
Love your brass faucet! Thank you for sharing your experience. Can you please tell me what water sensor you purchased for under your sink?
I have one by SimpliSafe that connects to our security system. I’m sure there are water sensors that can work with other smart home systems or just with your phone, though.
Tracy on March 11,2024 at 3:52
I love your faucet and everything about your kitchen,You make great choices and take such thought in them.
Thank you for all the wonderful pictures of your home. Thank you too for updating your font, so much easier to read!
I have been wondering since seeing recent post with pictures of the outside, if your new home is on a corner lot and if your front walk goes out to the street or to the driveway? Most of all glad to hear you are feeling better!
Yes, we’re on a Y in the road, so it’s more of a peninsula lot than a corner! 😂 Our sidewalk connects the front of the house to one road and our driveway to another.
LOVE this look in your home! I think the unlaquered is so charming. I have my kitchen faucet and cabinet knobs in it as well and the patina is so fun to watch. I know I can always clean with brasso to make shiny again and start all over again if I want. It’s the best of both worlds! Can you please share what water sensor you have? I have wood floors in my kitchen and would also like to get one for the basement. Thank you!
Marian, I was wondering if you have considered continuing the crown molding on the upper cabinets around the rest of the kitchen?
I did but the walls were too wonky! It just wasn’t going to work without substantial customization.
I would be interested to know what water sensor you use under the kitchen sink. Thank you!
I have one by SimpliSafe that connects to our security system. I’m sure there are water sensors that can work with other smart home systems or just with your phone, though.
I’ve really enjoyed your posts about your kitchen renovation and choices, etc. We’re replacing our kitchen cabinets and getting all lower drawers, plus adding one more upper and lower unit. I look forward to your post about organization inside of your cabinets and drawers, e.g. useful in-drawer or in-cabinet storage containers/gadgets…what has worked well and perhaps things that haven’t lived up to their advertisement.
Thank you for being up-front about problems or issues you’ve had even after making informed choices.
Wow. Very helpful post! Thank you for taking the time to really go into this topic. You’ve pretty much given a blueprint for ordering one of these. One of the most useful posts I’ve ever read on a blog!