Remember the days when everything – EVERYTHING – had to be matchy-matchy? Not just with jewelry and clothing, but also wood types and stain colors, as well as faucet and light finishes. In the past, if you had oak floors mixed with maple cabinets in your kitchen, or if your home was still completely laden in brass, you can bet you were the talking topic around the Bunco table.
While there are plenty of us who still prefer “matchy-matchy,” the era of self-expression (if we can call it that) has definitely made its way into home décor, architecture and design. Not sure where to start? That’s where we come in.
What’s Your Type?
First let’s go through a variety of finishes. What are their differences? Are there benefits to using one type of finish over another?
Matte Black We wanted to mention this one first, as it is quickly becoming very popular. It’s a bit more expensive and harder to find than most of the finishes, but it’s classy and easy to coordinate accessories.
Polished Nickel Darker than chrome but equally as versatile, polished nickel is a great option if you’re ready to switch things up. Though sometimes difficult to find, polished nickel is durable and easy to clean.
Brushed Nickel One of the most durable finishes, brushed nickel is easy to find and accessorize. It’s also easy to keep clean and doesn’t show wear. The price point is a nice middle ground – more expensive than chrome, but less expensive than oil-rubbed bronze.
Polished Brass While the shiny brass of the 80’s that adorned every fixture finish has faded to the background; it will never go out of style. More expensive than other finishes, polished brass is durable and easy to clean. You typically won’t find it as the major player in a home, but it has its place in today’s designs. If you’re going for eclectic, modern, or traditional, consider pieces of polished brass to compliment your space(s).
Satin Brass We love the evolution of polished brass into the satin brass finishes that have become quite popular. These finishes almost look like brushed gold and give off a rich, classy warmth that can make any room inviting. It is more expensive than some finishes and oftentimes hard to find. Like its polished brass sibling, it is durable and easy to keep clean.
Oil-Rubbed Bronze Though more expensive than chrome and brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze is easy to find and mixes well with other finishes. It’s easy to clean and easy to match with other accessories around a room. If you like traditional, Tuscan and Mediterranean styles, oil-rubbed bronze may be your finish of choice.
Satin Bronze This finish has properties of both copper and oil-rubbed bronze, but is often difficult to find, is more expensive, and can be to accessorize. We do love the subtlety and flexibility of this finish, as it flows easily with traditional, eclectic, and Tuscan styles.
Copper Though copper might initially require a bit more maintenance than other finishes, over time it will “adjust.” Though copper is often more difficult to style and accessorize, unlike other finishes, is has antibacterial properties that many have come to favor. Interestingly, copper looks great mixed in Farmhouse and Tuscan styles.
Chrome Highly versatile, easy to find and inexpensive, chrome is a very popular finish. It’s easy to clean, though does easily show water spots and fingerprints, which might make it an unpopular choice for homes with little fingers.
How Do You Like to Finish?
There are really no hard and fast rules for picking metallic finishes, but there are some guidelines that can help you determine what direction you want to go. Mixing warm with cool, not combining different finishes (polished and brushed) of the same metal.
We tend to gravitate towards what we find aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but budget, design direction and finish availability are also important. Also, important to consider, especially if you’re planning to eventually sell your home, is how the fixtures will add or take away from the value of your home.
That’s Where We Come In!
You don’t have to wade through all of these details and determine your perfect finish alone. We are here to help you every step of the way! We can help you decide which finish will best compliment the style and aesthetic that you want to achieve with your home’s design. We will help you decide which finish will be your main attraction and which will be your accent pieces.
Ready to design or re-design your home?