Brushed nickel has a cool, silvery hue, making it ideal for pairing with cool tones. Colors such as soft blues, greens, and grays can create a serene environment that enhances the elegance of brushed nickel fixtures.
Be sure to avoid using acid, alcohol, or solvent-based cleaners. These types of cleaners can ruin or discolor the more delicate surface of the brushed nickel finish. Vinegar is a popular faucet cleaning solution, but should be avoided on brushed nickel.
Decorating with Warm Colours to Balance Brushed Nickel
To ensure a balance between warm hues, brass accents and the cool palette of brushed nickel, consider adding some warm-coloured decor to your kitchen.
Typically, you should use warm metals (like brass, nickel and copper) with warm hues (like whites, beiges, browns and taupes) and cool metals (such as chrome and silver) with cool hues (such as blues, greens and grays).
A: The short answer: Yes, you can! To add additional dimension you can mix metal finishes between your faucet, hardware, light fixture, shower handles, etc. A lot of designers play around with finishes in bathrooms and kitchens and in my opinion, it's just another layer to your design. 1 // Use no more than 3 metals.
Colors such as soft blues, greens, and grays can create a serene environment that enhances the elegance of brushed nickel fixtures. Consider using these colors on your walls or accents to achieve a calming atmosphere in spaces like bathrooms or bedrooms.
No, your bathroom hardware doesn't have to match. There is a common belief that if the metals in your bathroom are different colors or finishes, your bathroom will look tacky, unbalanced, or just plain chaotic. That couldn't be further from the truth!
Timeless Brushed Nickel
For those who prefer subtle sophistication, brushed nickel is a classic that never goes out of style.
While not required, matching fixtures can help a bathroom look more polished. Most bathrooms have a uniform style and use the same color palette throughout. The sink, faucet, towel bar, cabinet hardware, and lighting all fall within this category.
Soft, neutral tones like beige, white, and grey work well with brushed nickel, creating a calming and sophisticated look – perfect for an inviting kitchen. For a pop of colour in your design, consider pairing brushed nickel with blue, green, yellow, pink or red.
It's also not the best choice if you have stainless steel everywhere; the two finishes blend together too much, dulling the impact. While it's durable, brushed nickel isn't invincible. Over time, it may show scratches, especially in high-traffic areas.
Pair shaker-style white cabinets with brushed nickel cup pulls and knobs. Add warm wood accents, like a butcher block countertop or open shelving, to complete the look.
Satin/Brushed Nickel (Warm Undertone)
One of the most popular finishes, it is an available finish option for nearly every hardware design.
Brushed nickel finishes, which are rubbed with an abrasive while still at the factory to create their special look, are especially susceptible to damage from bathroom and kitchen cleaners that contain low-concentration phosphoric acid.
Similarly-hued metals work well together. For example, nickels and chromes pair well. But so do very different metals, like polished nickel paired with bronze. In this instance, it's good to combine a light metal with a dark one.
Yes, mixing metals is a popular design trend that adds depth and interest to your kitchen. Brushed nickel pairs well with a variety of metal finishes, such as brass, chrome tapware, or matte black. The key is to balance the finishes so that they complement rather than compete with each other.
Shiny chrome is the most popular bath finish and comes with an affordable price tag. Nickel has a warmer tone and a more exclusive pedigree. Stainless steel, still the leading metal in the kitchen, looks indulgent in the bath, too.
While it isn't necessary to match the frame to the fixtures, many appreciate a well-coordinated and streamlined look. There is such a wide variety of fixture finishes, it can be challenging to determine which finish pairs well with which frame style.
One of the questions our design consultants get the most when helping homeowners plan a bathroom remodel is, “Can I mix metal finishes, or do I have to stick to one?” The short answer is: yes, you can absolutely mix metal finishes in your bathroom!
Cool Metals
Bright and reflective, metals are sure to make a statement in your home. Moving away from gold and warm-toned metals, cool-toned metals like silver, chrome, steel, and aluminum are going to have their moment in 2024.
Polished Chrome: The Classic and Timeless Favorite
Polished chrome has been a staple in bathrooms for decades, thanks to its bright, reflective surface that adds a touch of elegance and cleanliness to any space. It's like the little black dress of bathroom fixtures: simple, timeless, and always appropriate.
From faucets and cabinet handles to towel bars, matching metals in your bathroom creates a cohesive, intentional look that most homeowners prefer. Switching out the hardware can make a bathroom vanity look new.
Top tip – never, ever, EVER mix chrome and nickel. They are both silver tones, but with different undertones, and they will look awful together. Here we mixed polished nickel and brass. Both have warm undertones, making them a great match.
Coordinated Look: One of the primary reasons people choose to match bathroom faucets with the hardware is to create a coordinated look. When all the elements in your bathroom, such as faucets, cabinet handles, towel bars, and shower fixtures, match, it can create a sense of cohesion and visual harmony.