The plumbing fixtures that you choose for your kitchen or bathroom can alter the entire style of the room.  After all, a plain white sink and a ordinary bathtub don't really have a style, right?  Add elegant faucets with a high arch in a polished stainless steel finish.  You now have the beginning of a formal, possibly contemporary, look.  There are many other things to consider when choosing plumbing fixtures, too, such as finish, function and installation method.

Style.  There are lots of faucet styles from which to choose.  In general, those with clean lines and few details will convey a modern look and those with details such as fluting; banding and floral motifs are more traditional.  You can easily tweak either of these two categories to suit your taste by adding custom faucet handles.

Finish.  Most faucets are made of brass, which is then plated with one of four materials.  Chrome faucets are inexpensive, but they come across as rather plain and ordinary.  To lend a bit of style to a chrome faucet, you can purchase one which has been finished with colored enamel.  Keep in mind, however, that colored fixtures can quickly date a room.