Method of decorating an expansive surface of a metallic faucet spout or other plumbing fixture

A method of providing a sharply defined, ornamental design on an expansive surface of a zinc, brass, or stainless steel faucet spout or other plumbing fixture, the method comprising steps of

• (a) providing an initial finish on the expansive surface, the initial finish contrasting in color with what is beneath the initial finish,
• (b) causing a mask to adhere to selected portions of the expansive surface, by means of an adhesive, leaving the expansive surface with unmasked portions where the mask does not adhere to the expansive surface,
• (c) treating the unmasked portions so as to remove all of the initial finish from the unmasked portions, thereby to cause the unmasked portions to contrast in color with the initial finish when the mask is removed, and
• (d) removing the mask,
• wherein the expansive surface is plated with at least two plating layers, which include a penultimate plating layer and an ultimate plating layer contrasting in color with the penultimate plating layer, and wherein step (c) is performed so as to remove all of the ultimate plating layer from the unmasked portions of the expansive surface, and so as to expose the penultimate plating layer on the unmasked portions of the expansive surface, and whereby the ornamental design is defined sharply by color-contrasted portions of the expansive surface.