Brushed nickel is more of a subtle, softer looking finish. It has a slightly brushed appearance with a semi-satin finish. Some customers think of a brushed nickel finish as looking more like stainless steel and, therefore, it can tie in with stainless steel kitchen appliances very nicely.
There are several finishes available for brushed nickel fittings. Silver, gold, and copper are the most frequent hues utilized in brushed nickel finishes. If you want to add a special touch, it is possible to have a distinct color for each product.
Brushed nickel fixture coating is semi-satin, so it isn't very shiny or matte. It has a non-reflective texture and dull appearance. Brushed nickel finish is a classic finish that is often used on metal products, such as appliance pulls and door handles.
Brushed nickel gets its slightly matte appearance from being treated with a wire brush. We're seeing more and more clients navigate towards a brushed nickel finish, and for good reason. This finish has a luxurious, almost hand-crafted aesthetic that hides water spots and fingerprints well.
The most obvious difference between satin nickel and brushed stainless steel is their appearance. Satin nickel has a softer, matte look, while brushed stainless steel has a more polished look.
If brushed nickel is at the top of your list when selecting new cabinet hardware or faucet finishes for your kitchen or bathroom, I think you can rest easy if you make this your selection as it is a great choice. It is a timeless finish you will continue to love through the years, as many other trends come and go.
Satin Nickel and Brushed Nickel are usually almost identical. If you are shopping for faucets, light fixtures, and cabinet hardware, it can be difficult to find products with the exact same finish name.
Brushed Nickel is a cool-toned metal finish found in many lighting collections, from modern to traditional, but the brushed quality gives it a subtle warmth. Neutral color schemes, such as ivory, light brown, beige or slate, blend well with brushed nickel fixtures and create a soft yet contemporary effect.
Satin nickel has a softer, matte, lustrous appearance, while brushed nickel has a slightly textured finish. If you're going for a more modern, understated look, satin nickel might be the way to go. But brushed nickel could be a perfect choice if you want a rustic, industrial feel.
Yes. Brushed nickel and chrome are both considered silver. Chrome is a bright silver while brushed nickel is a soft, muted silver. Chrome is cooler while brushed nickel is warm silver.
Brushed nickel, also called satin nickel, has a more subdued, matte finish, lending itself to a more traditional look. Brushed or satin nickel also works well in both light and dark spaces and with just about any color scheme.
Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel differ in that Brushed Nickel has more of a textured, brushed over appearance whereas Polished Nickel has a smooth, high shine appearance. Delta's Polished Nickel also has warm undertones of pale gold, whereas Brushed Nickel has cooler silver tones throughout.
Brushed nickel, on the other hand, has a natural yellow (or whitish) appearance. This slight yellow hue is often seen as a warmer color than chrome's blue. Varieties of Brushed nickel fixtures often come with a wider variety of finishes than brushed chrome.
Brushed nickel has a muted shine, while chrome tends to be brighter and more reflective. One significant difference between brushed nickel and chrome is the look of the metals.
Comparing chrome, brushed nickel, and stainless steel
In terms of color, chrome is the brightest silver and it reflects its surroundings like a mirror. Brushed nickel is warmer in color, and stainless steel is in between the two.
In a test of durability, stainless steel will always come out on top. This is because stainless steel kitchen hardware is composed of solid metal, as opposed to chrome and brushed nickel plating.
Brushed nickel is more resistant to fingerprints and smudges, while polished nickel is more likely to show fingerprints and smudges.
Metals are meant to be mixed, so don't worry too much about whether they'll “go together” and instead make sure each finish is a thoughtful addition to your space. That being said, if you have several metallic tones that look very similar but not identical, it'll look like a mistake. Contrast is key!
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.
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.
O'Brien suggests mixing brass and dark bronze, brass and chrome, or brass and nickel, but never mix nickel and chrome. Also, he cautions that there is a limit to how many metal finishes you can mix together in one room. “There should be a main finish choice and maybe one accent,” he says.
Iron, oil-rubbed bronze and any other very dark oxidized metal should be considered a neutral and looks so so pretty with metals like gold, nickel, brass, stainless steel, and brushed metals! If you like metals consider adding some dark, flat-looking metals to your decor!
A brushed or satin nickel faucet will blend in with a stainless steel sink much the way a stainless steel faucet would. They usually have a more muted finish than stainless steel and don't show water spots as easily.
Yes, there is. Fortunately, there are a lot of brands like Krylon and Rust-Oleum that can create and imitate authentic brushed nickel paint. These brands usually have an array of hues that can match brushed nickel or at least close to it. Typically, they fall under metallic, metallic silver, or satin nickel shades.