The Swan Faucet, an Old Conversation Starter, Is Back

The swan faucet, that curved-neck bathroom fixture with wings, is making a splash on social media.

After years of design minimalism centering streamlined furniture, neutral paint colors, and wood everything, design maximalists are proudly sharing their over-the-top home adornments, including the faucet that was last popular in the 1950s.

Just look to actor David Harbour, of "Stranger Things" fame, who told Architectural Digest he demanded they be installed in his and singer Lily Allen's opulent, carpeted bathroom. Or homeowner Crystal Anthony, who shared her swan faucet-adorned powder room with the nearly 422,000 members of a Facebook group for maximalist interiors to raves.

Although they might seem ostentatious or gaudy to some, swan faucets will always be synonymous with luxury with roots dating to the French Revolution and Napoleon's first wife. Today they're not just reserved for classically regal homes, but also for those looking for a splash of life in a room that can otherwise be spiritless.

"I think it's funny," Phoenix resident and swan-faucet owner Amy Sky told Insider. "It's kind of a cross between glam and ridiculous that I love."

The swan faucet's history is rooted in luxury, and has grown to include eccentricity. Regardless of whether you're hot or cold on them, it's hard to deny that they will have you leaving the powder room with something to talk about.

Adam Sandler's "Billy Madison" established the swan faucet's importance in pop culture, but its history dates back long before 1995.

Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, who was married to Napoleon Bonaparte from 1796 to 1810, was infatuated with swans. It's well documented that her chambers were decorated with swan motifs and she even had black swans exported from Australia to her garden, Malmaison, in France.

In line with the Empress' fixation, the French began using swans as decoration in the 19th century, antiques dealer Emmanuel Hébert, who collects the avian-inspired bathroom fixture, told Insider.

"It was basically an empire's taste: birds," Hébert said.

As a way of mirroring that same taste in opulence, swans regained popularity during the Hollywood Regency period, a design era that ran from the 1920s through the 1950s. The aesthetic was inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for bold colors and metallic accents that promoted a sense of luxury.

In stepped luxury hardware and bath accessory titan Sherle Wagner, who founded Sherle Wagner International in 1945. Today, Sherle Wagner is still known for luxurious hardware finishes.

According to Marissa Geoffroy, Wagner's granddaughter and creative director of the company, the swan faucet was the second item the company produced.

Geoffroy noted that Wagner's earliest designs had strong historical references. As for the swan, the company wanted to flex its attention to detail by producing a unique product that stood out from others with complex elements, like feathers.

"They're made one by one," Geoffroy told Insider. "In order to maintain the level of quality that we demand and that our customers demand, you can't just start doing stuff the fast way."

The process to make a Sherle Wagner swan faucet is lengthy, Geoffroy said. And with a special piece like that, the price it commands is high.

Sherle Wagner faucets come in 19 finishes, according to its website, including the classic and popular 24-karat gold finish. Geoffroy declined to share prices, but Hébert believes they can cost $3,500 or more.

That faucet was relevant before "Billy Madison," a movie about a privileged scion vying to take control of his family's company, and is still relevant today because of what it signals: luxury.

"The 'Billy Madison' clip always makes me laugh," Geoffrey said. "It's a funny thing, but it's also emblematic of how this item has become synonymous with luxury."

The swan faucet as a luxurious fixture has stood the test of time, though these days, the offerings are a little different. Today you can find one on Amazon for $60.

According to Geoffroy, of Sherle Wagner, the average number of swans sold per year in the last three years has been double what it was for each of the preceding 10 years. Geoffroy credits the faucet's return to the spotlight with homeowners growing tired of the minimalism trend.

"I think on the one hand, opulence came back into style," she said. "I think a lot of stuff was starting to look the same. And I think, as a reaction to that, a lot of people went to the other end of the spectrum. People now are more daring in their choices."

Homeowners, like Anthony, simply like the way they look.

"I don't know that there was any real significance there," Anthony told Insider. "To me it's a breakaway from your standard faucet. I just wanted to do something different."

Anthony, with the help of her friend Rick Treadway, designed a powder room in her Somerville, Alabama, home around her gold swan faucet. She opted for pink wallpaper with birds on it to round the room out.

Now her guests leave the bathroom with something to talk about.

"You go in there and you actually enjoy your visit like you would in any other room," Anthony said. "It doesn't have to be just walls, a toilet, and a sink."

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