Both finishes have positive and negative aspects, so it isn't always easy to choose which will serve your home and family best over the long term. Brushed nickel is extremely durable and tends to keep its finish longer than chrome. It doesn't show fingerprints or water spots and is easy to clean.
Choosing chrome versus brushed nickel for the look alone is entirely up to personal preference. If you're going for a shiny, super-clean look, chrome is the clear winner. If you don't want that super shine, you may prefer brushed nickel, which is a softer-looking metal that complements stainless steel appliances.
The reflective, shiny chrome surface will show fingerprints and water marks more readily than brushed nickel. Chrome really needs to be towel-dried after cleaning in order to show its full shine, where brushed nickel will be less revealing of any surface contamination due to its less-reflective nature.
The main disadvantage of brushed nickel is that it is difficult to match to other fixtures. Because the process of making brushed nickel involves etching it with a wire brush, you may not be able to find the exact same finish in all of your finishing touches for your bathroom.
Both finishes have positive and negative aspects, so it isn't always easy to choose which will serve your home and family best over the long term. Brushed nickel is extremely durable and tends to keep its finish longer than chrome. It doesn't show fingerprints or water spots and is easy to clean.
Brushed nickel is one of the most durable finishes available, and tends to keep its appearance up longer than chrome. The finish is etched with a metal brush to create the matte sheen and then coated with a lacquer to protect it from wear.
Does this mean brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze are out of style? Nope. And in even better news, there's no need to replace all the metals in your kitchen all at once anymore. Because mixed metals in the kitchen create a curated look in the kitchen that is so 2023.
What's the difference? While they may 'behave' in very similar ways, the main difference between Nickel and Chrome is in their appearance – while both finishes have a silver colour, Nickel has a warmer, yellowish hue whereas Chrome is much cooler with blue undertones.
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.
In general, I wouldn't mix two metals in the same family, such as nickel and chrome, unless they're far apart in the space and/or you're also adding a warm-toned metal to the mix. Metals also come in a variety of sheens and finishes, including matte, satin, brushed, polished, oil-rubbed, aged, and antiqued.
The Winner: Brushed/Satin Nickel
Other easy-to-maintain finishes include solid brass, oil-rubbed bronze and other bronze finishes. Chrome and stainless steel are popular and very affordable choices, although they might require more cleaning.
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.
Light green is a popular bathroom paint color in 2023 because it delivers a soothing, refreshing ambiance. Inspired by nature, green paint colors like lime, olive, and chartreuse create an outdoor connection and lend tranquility to a bathroom.
Keep it Neutral
For walls and appliances, sticking to colors like gray, white, and black are recommended. Selecting these colors makes it easy to match with décor. In addition, white is especially popular in many bathrooms because of its clean aesthetic.
Topping the list of kitchen design trends in 2023 are faucet finishes such as nickel, chrome, black, and brass and options like brushed, matte, polished, satin, and dual-tone finishes. GRAFF's faucet finishes do more than reflect and set trends.
Electroless nickel plating is more resistant to corrosion. Hard chrome plating is generally tougher and more durable. Electroless nickel plating is best suited for hard-to-reach areas. Hard chrome offers a shiny, smooth exterior in contrast with nickel's glossier finish with a yellow hue.
Polished Nickel (top lever) has a warmer, yellowy tone, often likened to traditional sterling silver, whilst Polished Chrome (bottom lever) has a cooler, blueish shine. Therefore, Polished Nickel tends to work best in classic, period properties and Polished Chrome looks great in more contemporary settings.
Polished Nickel
Nickel Plating is again applied to a base metal and polished to a high shine. The colouring has a more yellow, deeper and richer tone than the Polished Chrome Finish. Many people refer to it as looking like traditional sterling silver.
Graphite nickel is 2023's finish du jour
Consider it the elegant glow-up of once-trendy matte black fixtures. This sleek charcoal finish is a close relative to blackened steel with its cool undertones, but with more edgy and sophisticated dimensions.
What Colour Doors Knobs Are In Style For 2023? In 2023, the most on trend colour door knobs are matte black, sage green, polished brass and aged brass metal finishes.
Earthy hues and natural textures
A key theme for interior trends in 2022 and set to continue into 2023 is bringing the outside in, and using materials such as wood, rattan, stone, cork and natural fabrics to establish a calming, indoor-outdoor feel.
Polished nickel is more expensive than chrome due to manufacturing process, at same time chrome is generally considered more durable than polished nickel. Overall polished nickel and chrome have unique characteristics that set them apart such as appearance, durability, maintenance, cost, and applications.
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.
Brushed nickel bathroom fixtures are durable and can withstand everyday wear and tear in the bathroom. The nickel material is resistant to corrosion and tarnishing, and the brushed finish helps to hide any minor scratches or scuffs that may occur over time.
And the winner is… Viva Magenta 18-1750. The much-awaited Pantone Color of the Year 2023 has just been revealed. Discover with Freepik how this strong and powerful color inspired by optimism, exuberance, and the strength of nature will be the trendiest color of 2023.