Nero Tapware Serenity Range

Nero Serenity tapware with natural stone handles

Serenity is the Nero range that joins natural stone to metal. The handle is a disc of natural stone, set on a lead free brass body, so every tap carries a pattern of veins that no other tap has. The body is clean and minimal, with two spout shapes and two ways of working: a single lever mixer, or a classic set with a separate hot and cold tap. It is made in a wide set of metal finishes, and the range covers the basin, the wall, the bath, the kitchen and the shower.

People search for the range as Nero Serenity, Nero Serenity tapware and the Nero progressive mixer. This page covers the handles and finishes, the sizes and ratings of the mixers, the showers and the care of a stone handle.

The handle

Each handle is cut from natural stone, so no two are the same. Carrara is a cool white with soft grey veining. Rome Travertine is a warm cream with the pitted texture of travertine. Marquina Black is a deep black with fine white veining. A plain metal handle is also made, for a room that wants the spout shapes without the stone.

Hold the handle against your bench or your tiles if you can. Natural stone varies from one piece to the next, so the veining will not match a picture exactly, and that is part of the appeal.

The finishes

The metal body comes in chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, brushed bronze, brushed gold and gun metal. A smaller group is made in Rome Bronze and Tumbled Antique Brass, with a slightly aged look. Most finishes are PVD, a coating bonded to the brass in a vacuum chamber, which resists scratches and tarnish better than ordinary plating, and chrome and matte black are electroplated.

Choose the metal first and the stone second. Brushed gold and bronze warm up a Carrara handle, and a Marquina Black handle looks sharp on brushed nickel. Keep one handle and one finish across the room. The wider brand is in Nero taps.

Arc or edge, progressive or set

Serenity has two spout shapes. The arc spout is a graceful curve, a modern take on a gooseneck. The edge spout runs in straighter, more geometric lines, with a clean corner at the top. Pick the arc for a soft, classic room and the edge for a sharper, modern one.

It also has two ways of working. A progressive mixer has one lever: lift it for flow and turn it for temperature. A set has a separate hot tap and cold tap with a quarter turn ceramic disc spindle, which gives the traditional two-handle look. Use a progressive mixer where one-handed use matters and a set where the look matters most.

Basin mixers and basin sets

The height to spout is the number to check. At 130mm the spout suits an inset or undermount basin, and it must clear the rim of the bowl so the water lands inside it. The basin spout is sold alone for a basin where the handles are fitted elsewhere. The set has three pieces, so check the tap hole count and the spacing in the basin or the bench before you order.

Wall basin mixers and wall sets

Wall mounted pieces keep the bench clear. They are made in three spout lengths, and each is rated WELS 5 star at 5 litres a minute and works at 150 to 500 kPa.

Choose the 160mm spout for a wall hung basin close to the wall, and the 220mm spout for a wider bowl. The in-wall body goes behind the tile before the lining, so settle the spout length and the plate position while the wall is open. A trim kit only is sold for a wall mixer when the body is already in the wall. See wall top assemblies.

Bath and kitchen

The bath and kitchen pieces are made with a longer spout. All are rated WELS 5 star at 5 litres a minute, except the pull out kitchen set, which is rated 6 star at 4.5 litres a minute.

The pull out set stands 432.5mm tall, so check the space under a window or an overhead cupboard. It has a 200mm distance from the spout to the handle, so the handle sits well back from the sink. For a bath, check that the reach lands inside the bath. See Nero kitchen taps.

Shower systems

The progressive shower systems combine a single lever mixer with a hand shower on a spout. They come with a Serenity hand shower, rated WELS 4 star at 7.5 litres a minute, or a slim shower, rated 3 star at 8.5 litres a minute. The handle is 60mm with a 97.8mm depth, and the distance from spout to handle is 85mm. The shower mixer alone is a 60mm round plate, 81.5mm deep, with no WELS rating, because shower taps do not need one.

Showers

A twin shower or a rail suits a family, because the hand shower slides to the height of a child or an adult. A ceiling head drops a wide spray straight down, and a wall head carries it out from the wall. Check the arm length against the width of the recess so the water lands inside the screen. See Nero showers and shower arms.

Which mixer for which job

The handles and the trim kits can be bought on their own. A progressive metal handle is sold separately, and a wall mixer trim kit is sold without the body for a wall where the body is already fixed, so a change of handle or finish does not mean replacing the whole mixer. Check that a replacement handle matches the finish of the tap it goes on.

Planning a Serenity room

Start with the stone handle, because it is the decision you cannot change later. Choose the finish to suit it, then the spout shape and the mixer type. Settle the in-wall depth before the tiles go on, and choose the shower and the wall fittings in the same finish and the same stone.

The range suits a calm room with natural materials: stone benches, timber, plaster walls and soft light. A room with a lot of pattern fights the veining. Keep the surfaces quiet and let the handle be the detail.

Fitting and care

A plumber should install every mixer and shower. Wipe the metal with a soft cloth and warm soapy water, then rinse and dry. Wipe a stone handle with the same soft cloth. Natural stone can be marked by acids, so avoid vinegar, lemon, bleach, abrasive powders and harsh cleaners, and wipe up spills of any acidic liquid at once. In a hard water area, dry the tap after use, because water left on the surface leaves marks. Clean the aerator if the spray turns uneven.

Before you order

Choose the handle and the finish first. Check the spout height and reach against the basin, the bath or the sink. Check the tap hole count for a set. Read the rating on the exact piece, because the flow differs between a basin mixer, a kitchen mixer and a shower. Check the depth behind the wall for the in-wall body, and use one handle and one finish across every piece.