The Heritage bridge faucet with cross handles. Handmade in Marrakech and shipped factory-direct.
Interior designer Mariah Tapia had a clear vision for her kitchen: unlacquered brass, bridge faucet, pot filler, the full picture. "Having unlacquered brass in our kitchen has been a DREAM of mine," she wrote to her 126K followers. "It is a stunning brass that in my opinion, only gets better as it ages." What she does not mention in that caption is how long it took to find the right style, the right spout height, the right handle format for the way she actually cooks.
That decision layer is where most buyers get stuck. The finish choice is easy once you have done the research. The harder questions are the ones that follow: bridge or single hole, gooseneck or straight spout, with sprayer or without, cross handles or lever. These are not just aesthetic questions. Each one affects how the faucet installs, how the finish ages, and how it performs in a kitchen that gets used every day.
This guide covers every style of unlacquered brass kitchen faucet, what makes each one different, and how to choose based on your sink, your kitchen, and how you actually cook.
- Bridge faucets require two sink holes (or a deck plate); single-hole faucets need just one
- A gooseneck spout clears tall pots; a straight spout suits shallower sinks and more traditional kitchens
- A kitchen faucet develops patina faster than a bathroom faucet because it gets touched more often
- Cross handles and lever handles age at the same rate; the choice is ergonomic and aesthetic
- Unlacquered brass is 100% solid brass with no protective coating; what you see is the actual metal
The Bridge Kitchen Faucet: Why It Is Back
A bridge faucet connects the hot and cold handles with a horizontal bridge that runs above the sink deck. The style dates to the 1900s when two-handle faucets were the standard in high-end kitchens. It disappeared for decades as single-handle mixers took over, and now it is back, driven by the same renovation wave that brought unlacquered brass back into the conversation.
The appeal is not just visual. A bridge faucet separates hot and cold controls physically, which means more precise water temperature for tasks like rinsing vegetables or filling a pasta pot. You are not hunting for a midpoint on a single lever. Many people who cook daily find the two-handle format more intuitive once they are used to it.
Installation requires at least two sink holes, typically spaced 8 inches apart (standard US spacing). If your sink has three holes, the third takes the sprayer or gets covered with a deck plate. If your sink has only one hole, a bridge faucet is not the right choice unless you are willing to drill. It is worth confirming hole configuration before buying anything.
Having unlacquered brass in our kitchen has been a DREAM of mine. It is a stunning brass that in my opinion, only gets better as it ages. Faucet and pot filler: @insideastdesigns
The Heritage bridge faucet from Insideast follows the classic straight-leg design: two vertical risers connected by a horizontal bridge, with cross handles on each side. The Verdeau uses an arched gooseneck spout instead of a straight spout, giving it more clearance over the sink. The Bridgeford sits between both in its proportions. Each is made from the same 100% solid brass in Marrakech and arrives with the same unlacquered finish. The style choice is about your kitchen, not the quality of the metal.
Gooseneck vs Straight Spout: Which Suits Your Sink
The spout shape is the most visible difference between kitchen faucet styles, and it has a practical dimension most guides skip over: how deep is your sink?
A gooseneck spout rises high before curving down toward the basin. On a typical 10-inch-deep farmhouse sink, that height means you can slide a stockpot under the faucet and fill it without tilting. On a shallower 7-inch sink, you will barely notice the difference in clearance. The gooseneck also creates a longer water arc, which can cause more splashing if the basin is shallow. If your sink is under 8 inches deep, a straight spout is usually a better fit. If you are also sourcing the sink itself, the brass kitchen sink guide covers depth, sizing, and material differences in detail.
Best for deep sinks and farmhouse kitchens
The tall arch gives clearance for large pots and pitchers. Works particularly well with undermount and apron-front sinks where the basin is 9 inches or deeper. The arched profile reads as more dramatic at a distance.
Best for traditional kitchens and standard sinks
The straight spout sits closer to the sink surface and produces less splashing. It matches the proportions of standard undermount sinks (7 to 9 inches deep) and works well in kitchens where you want the faucet to feel restrained rather than architectural.
There is no wrong answer here, but you will rarely regret measuring your sink depth before deciding. Most farmhouse apron sinks run 9 to 10 inches deep, which is where the gooseneck shines. Standard undermount sinks are typically 7 to 8 inches deep, where the straight spout performs better. If you are replacing an existing faucet without changing the sink, the straight spout is the safer default.
Cross Handles vs Lever Handles: A Practical Comparison
Cross handles are the traditional choice for bridge faucets. They look like a plus sign from above, offer a solid grip, and are associated with the classic kitchen aesthetic that makes unlacquered brass so appealing. Lever handles are a single flat arm that you push down or across to control flow and temperature.
| Feature | Cross Handles | Lever Handles |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic | Traditional, classic, Victorian | Transitional, slightly more modern |
| Grip with wet hands | Easier to grip at multiple angles | Requires pressing down or across |
| Patina development | Identical rate to lever | Identical rate to cross |
| Accessibility | Harder for those with limited hand strength | Easier for limited grip strength |
| Kitchen fit | Mediterranean, Victorian, farmhouse, country | Transitional, modern farmhouse |
| Customisation at Insideast | Available on all models | Available on all models |
The finish ages identically regardless of handle type. Both are made from the same solid brass, both develop patina at the same rate based on how often they are touched. If you cook daily and frequently handle the faucet with damp or soapy hands, expect the handles to develop the fastest patina on the whole fixture. This is not a problem. It is what gives a kitchen faucet its character after a few years of use.
With or Without a Side Sprayer
Handmade to match the bridge faucet exactly
The Heritage sprayer is made from the same solid brass as the faucet body, so the two pieces age together as a matched set. The sprayer cradle mounts in the third sink hole to the right or left of the main fixture.
A side sprayer connects to the faucet body through a third sink hole and sits in its own cradle to the right or left of the main faucet. When you lift it and press the trigger, it diverts water from the spout to the sprayer head.
The most common question is whether to get one. The honest answer depends on how you wash produce and how deep your sink is. If you regularly rinse large colanders, scrub pots with stuck residue, or rinse the sink basin itself, a side sprayer makes those tasks faster. If you mostly rinse glasses and fill pots, a sprayer adds complexity without much return.
With Side Sprayer
- Faster rinsing for large produce and pots
- Easier to clean the sink basin
- Requires a third sink hole
- One more item to maintain over time
- Adds to the kitchen's tactile brass presence
Without Side Sprayer
- Cleaner visual composition
- Only two sink holes needed
- Nothing extra to wear or replace
- Gooseneck spout compensates for reach
- Often preferred in more minimal kitchens
"Their pieces are 100% brass and are made in Morocco," wrote Kaley Cutting, who chose an Insideast bridge faucet and sprayer for her Victorian kitchen renovation. "They have an amazing collection of sinks, shower systems and hardware too." She used the sprayer; for her kitchen style and sink depth, it was the right call.
From a patina standpoint, a brass sprayer head develops its own character because it gets handled separately from the faucet. After a couple of years, the sprayer head will show more concentrated wear near the trigger area. Most customers who see this consider it an honest record of use rather than a problem.
The sprayer and faucet age as a matched set
A bridge faucet with side sprayer installed in Kaley Cutting's Victorian-era kitchen renovation. After two years of daily use the handles and sprayer head develop patina together, reading as one coherent piece rather than two separate fixtures.
@ourvintagevictorianhouse
How Unlacquered Brass Ages in a Kitchen Environment
A kitchen faucet is handled 30 to 50 times a day in the average household. That is significantly more than a bathroom faucet. More contact means more natural oils from hands, more exposure to water and soap, and faster patina development on the handles and spout base.
What this means in practice: within the first 6 to 12 months, a kitchen bridge faucet develops visible warmth and darkening at the contact points. The areas you touch most, specifically the handle knobs and the base of the spout, will show the deepest tone. Areas that rarely get touched, like the underside of the bridge, stay lighter longer. The result is a piece that looks genuinely used rather than uniformly aged. For the full month-by-month progression with real customer photos, the guide to what unlacquered brass is and how it ages covers every stage from installation day to two years.
This is not a flaw. It is the same process that gives aged leather its character, or hand-finished wood its depth. Cove House, one of the design studios that uses Insideast throughout their renovations, described their bridge faucet as "a living finish that develops patina over time and feels like a timeless addition to the kitchen."
Two things accelerate patina beyond normal use: harsh dish soap applied directly to the faucet (rather than to a sponge or cloth), and steam from a stovetop positioned directly next to the sink. If your range is within 12 inches of the sink and you cook with the burners running frequently, expect the spout tip and base to show more pronounced color change. That area gets both steam and direct handling, which is the most active aging environment a faucet can be in.
For daily care, a damp cloth wipe after use is all that is needed. Our complete faucet buyer's guide covers the cleaning method in detail, including what not to use. The short version: no abrasives, no harsh chemical cleaners, no CLR-type products.
Which Insideast Kitchen Faucet for Which Kitchen Style
The three main Insideast kitchen bridge faucet models cover the range of traditional kitchen aesthetics. Here is an honest breakdown of which one suits which space.
Straight-leg bridge, straight spout, cross handles. The most classic option. Suits Victorian, English country, farmhouse, and traditional Mediterranean kitchens. Pairs well with unlacquered brass hardware and a farmhouse apron sink.
Arched gooseneck spout on a bridge base. More architectural from a distance. The taller profile works particularly well on deep farmhouse sinks and in kitchens with high ceilings. Suits Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial, and transitional spaces.
Transitional proportions: the bridge is slightly lower, the lines are cleaner without losing the classic format. Sits between Heritage and Verdeau in feel. Suits transitional kitchens where the design is not fully traditional but still wants brass presence.
All three models can be specified with cross or lever handles, with or without a side sprayer, and in custom dimensions where required. Because Insideast manufactures everything in its Marrakech workshop, adjustments to spout height, handle style, and hole spacing are possible on request. This is not something reseller brands can offer.
I spent months searching for the right faucet, pot filler, knobs and appliance pulls for this kitchen. I came up short trying to find fixtures that all coordinated, and didn't look or feel like cheap gold. Ultimately, I chose unlacquered (raw) brass. I ordered my faucets from @insideastdesigns.
If you are unsure which model suits your kitchen, the most reliable shortcut is to look at your other fixtures and hardware. If your cabinet pulls and hinges are traditional or Victorian in character, Heritage is almost always the right match. If your kitchen has softer, more European lines, Verdeau tends to feel more at home. If you cannot decide, the Bridgeford works with both.
You can browse the full range at the unlacquered brass kitchen faucet collection on Insideast, or explore the bridge kitchen faucet collection specifically if you have already decided on that format.
If you are still deciding between kitchen and bathroom faucets, or comparing unlacquered brass to other finishes, the complete unlacquered brass faucet buyer's guide covers the broader decision in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Unlacquered Brass Kitchen Faucets
What is the best unlacquered brass kitchen faucet?
There is no single best unlacquered brass kitchen faucet because the right choice depends on your sink configuration, kitchen style, and how you cook. If you have a deep farmhouse sink and want a more dramatic look, the Verdeau gooseneck bridge is the right starting point. If you want a classic Victorian profile for a traditional kitchen, the Heritage bridge is the stronger match. If you need something that works across a broader range of styles, the Bridgeford sits between both. All three are 100% solid brass, handmade in Marrakech, and develop the same living patina finish over time.
Bridge faucet vs gooseneck: which is better?
A bridge faucet and a gooseneck faucet are not mutually exclusive. A gooseneck is a spout shape; a bridge is a faucet format with two separate handles connected by a horizontal bridge. You can have a bridge faucet with either a gooseneck spout or a straight spout. The gooseneck version (like the Verdeau) gives more clearance for filling large pots and reads as more architectural. The straight spout version (like the Heritage) is more restrained and classically proportioned. Which is better depends on your sink depth and the visual weight you want the faucet to carry in the space.
What style kitchen faucet is most popular right now?
The bridge faucet with cross handles in unlacquered brass has been the dominant choice in high-end kitchen renovations for the past three to four years, driven by the broader return to traditional and Mediterranean kitchen aesthetics. The gooseneck variant has grown faster in the past 18 months as farmhouse apron sinks have become more common. Single-hole faucets in unlacquered brass are also increasingly popular for smaller kitchens or renovations where drilling additional sink holes is not practical. All three formats are well-represented in current design publications.
How long do unlacquered brass kitchen faucets last?
A solid brass faucet made to traditional specifications will last 20 to 30 years with ordinary maintenance. The key word is solid: a faucet made from 100% brass throughout, rather than a brass-plated zinc body, will not pit, corrode, or lose structural integrity at the finish layer. The cartridges (the internal valve mechanism) are the part most likely to need replacement, typically after 10 to 15 years of daily use, and are standard ceramic disc cartridges available at most plumbing suppliers. The brass body itself outlasts the cartridges by a significant margin.
What are the cons of unlacquered brass kitchen faucets?
The primary trade-off with unlacquered brass is that it requires more intentional care than chrome or lacquered finishes. Harsh chemical cleaners, abrasive scrubbers, and strong dish soap applied directly to the metal will strip or accelerate the patina in ways that look uneven. The finish also ages visibly and continuously, which suits people who want a living finish but can feel like a disadvantage to those who prefer a static, uniform appearance. In very humid environments or near steam sources, patina development is faster. None of these are problems if you go in knowing what to expect. They become problems only when buyers expect unlacquered brass to behave like lacquered brass or chrome.
Do I need a plumber to install a bridge kitchen faucet?
If you are replacing an existing bridge faucet in the same hole configuration, installation is a straightforward plumbing task that many homeowners handle themselves. If you are switching from a single-hole faucet to a bridge faucet, you need two additional holes drilled in your sink deck or countertop, which usually requires a professional. The supply lines on Insideast bridge faucets use standard 1/2" NPT connections (US) or BSP on request for UK and European installations. Both are compatible with standard flexible supply hoses available at any hardware store.
Insideast designs and manufactures every kitchen faucet in its Marrakech workshop. No reseller markup, no minimum orders, and custom dimensions available on request. Browse bridge kitchen faucets or view the full kitchen faucet collection to see every style and configuration.
