My Honest One-Year Review of My Unlacquered Brass Rejuvenation Faucet Dupe

If you’ve been dreaming of an unlacquered brass faucet but can’t stomach the price tag of the iconic Rejuvenation bridge faucet, you’re not alone. After spending the last year living with an affordable Etsy dupe in my own kitchen, I’m finally sharing exactly how it’s held up, what surprised me, and whether I’d still recommend it today...

Twelve months ago, I did something pretty uncharacteristic for the bargain hunter you’ve probably gotten to know (and hopefully love) here on this little blog of mine.

In addition to opting for marble countertops (over something more practical like say granite or quartz) during my kitchen remodel, I also bought a fancy-a$$ faucet.

For your shopping convenience, I have included affiliate links in this post. As an Amazon and and LTK Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  

Old me would’ve never…ever.. considered spending more than a couple hundred bucks on a kitchen faucet. But… somewhere along the way, I fell down a deVOL Kitchens rabbit hole and became completely obsessed with the old-world charm of unlacquered brass bridge faucets.

Naturally, that led me straight to the iconic Rejuvenation version…and its nearly $3,000 price tag (which was a resounding hell no for me).

So when I eventually stumbled across an Etsy seller offering a remarkably similar unlacquered brass faucet here– complete with the matching side sprayer and filtered water faucet- on sale for $450, it suddenly felt like a bargain I could actually justify…

As you can see in the photo above, this is what the faucet looked like shortly after it was installed one year ago. If you’ve been following my kitchen renovation journey, you may also notice the countertops look a little different than they do in the rest of this post.

That’s because this photo was taken before my original Blanco Cacheiro marble unexpectedly oxidized and had to be replaced with honed Carrara marble. Thankfully, the faucet got to stay put, so every other photo in this review shows how it’s aged after a full year of everyday life…

One Year Later: Here’s How It’s Holding Up

Fast forward one whole year, and this is what my kitchen faucet set now looks like…

Despite one (completely unplanned) countertop replacement, countless family dinners, margarita-fueled dance parties, messy kid hands, and exactly zero babying on my part, I’m still genuinely happy with this purchase.

From a functionality standpoint, I’ve had zero issues with my unlacquered brass faucet set.

Everything still works exactly as it should, and it still looks beautiful (from a safe distance that is).

But before you buy one for your own kitchen (here is the affiliate link to my exact faucet) , I consider it my duty to show you how everything looks up close…

How Unlacquered Brass Ages…

If you’re drawn to the charm of age and patina, unlacquered brass will certainly give you both (especially on a kitchen faucet that’s constantly being splashed with water and God knows what else). But don’t expect it to age perfectly even…

While from a distance the brass finish simply appears softer and less shiny than when it was first installed, up close you’ll notice all the little signs of a living finish: water spots, fingerprints, and areas where the brass has naturally aged a little differently over time.

And what I learned in real time is the areas that get the most exposure to water and fingerprints develop patina the fastest and most noticeably, whereas areas that don’t get nearly as much daily wear have remained much closer to their original finish.

In the photo above, notice how the back side of the faucet still has a more uniform appearance simply because it isn’t splashed with water or handled nearly as often.

As much as it pains me to admit this as a Type A Virgo… I really thought the patina would bother me a lot more than it has.

Sure… I could’ve restored more of the original shine with the occasional polishing (hell…the manufacturer even recommends using either fresh lemon or a commercial brass polish like Brasso). But honestly? I just couldn’t be bothered.

Aside from rubbing it down with a lemon maybe four or five times over the last year (usually when I noticed a little green patina building up around the crevices), I’ve simply let it do its damn thing.

I will say…there was one point where I questioned my decision. Those first few months were probably the hardest because the faucet was still mostly shiny and even- making every new water spot seem glaringly obvious. It kind of goes through an awkward teenage phase before the patina has a chance to develop more evenly(but as warned- still not perfectly even).

While I have no idea what year two has in store for this faucet, it does give me a little peace of mind knowing the manufacturer backs it with a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects and functional issues.

If you’re considering taking the plunge, here’s the exact unlacquered brass faucet set I purchased on Etsy.

More than anything, though, I hope this review helps someone who’s been curious about what unlacquered brass actually looks like after a year of real life.

Most of the photos you’ll find online are beautifully styled designer kitchens or magazine shoots taken shortly after installation. I know I personally wanted to see the in-between…the fingerprints, the water spots, the evolving patina, and how it all came together over time.

So if you’ve been debating whether an unlacquered brass faucet is right for your home, I hope seeing both the pretty photos and the close-ups helped you make that decision a little easier.

This living finish definitely isn’t for everyone (and I’ve even decided I’d never put it in my kids’ bathroom).

But for our kitchen, I’m so glad I took a chance on this Etsy dupe. A year later, I still feel like getting the bridge faucet, side sprayer, and filtered water faucet for around $450 was an absolute steal. At the end of the day, I don’t think this space would have the character it does without it (water spots and all)!

Thank you so very much for spending some time with me this week! If you found this review helpful, it would mean the world to me if you could share with a friend or “pin it” on Pinterest..

Until next time, keep on designing a life that feels as good as it looks!