3 years ago when we made the decision to place brass tapware in our kitchen and laundry the option of having brass was a very costly decision so we put our thinking caps on to work out a way to afford our dream on a budget.
After attending many bathroom showrooms we came to the realisation that all plated tapware was basically sent to one of 3 factories to be electroplated in the colour of the clients choice. After receiving a quote of $1200 for a kitchen sink mixer we decided to cut out the middle man and hit Bunnings to buy a $99 chrome mixer and test our theory.
There were limited factories at the time that electroplated in brass and gold so it wasn't difficult to choose a factory to work with. I do know after posting this story many of you will be asking for the details of the electroplating company. Unfortunately the experience we had with the company was simply appalling and as much as we are happy with the end product we were not with the service and won't be referring our readers to work with them which is really unfortunate.
Regarding cost from memory I believe the electroplating of one tap was around $300 (sorry it was three years ago) and the finish was exactly what we had envisaged.
Of course after receiving a positive result we quickly headed off to Bunnings again and purchased another mixer for the laundry and two wastes (sink plugs). Funnily enough it then started a ripple effect. We then had our island bench pendant lights and laundry hanging rail plated and even invested in kitchen cabinet handles which we actually didn't end up using.
Would I recommend getting your own metals electroplated? With brass and gold tapware becoming more popular the cost has slightly dropped. In saying this I still do believe that having your own metals plated may be extra hassle however will save you money which you can then put towards other areas of your renovation.
*This post is not an ad and has not been sponsored.
Comments