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.
Satin Nickel is very popular with architects and designers for being softer and less harsh then Satin Chrome. As the satin nickel ages a patina forms over the nickel causing it to look slightly "cloudy" making the Satin Nickel an even softer finish.
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. Relatively inexpensive, it also matches nicely with most other accessories and fixtures.
Chrome is a highly reflective cool bluish toned silver. Polished Nickel is a highly reflective warm toned silver. Satin Nickel is a slightly glossy, brushed warm toned silver.
The brushed quality of the nickel can lend itself to a more traditional design, while chrome is seen as more modern.
Chrome is one of the most popular choices today for faucets, light fixtures, and showerheads since it has a very sleek and modern look. However, that doesn't mean that satin and brushed nickel are going out of style. It's simply a matter of what kind of feel and look you want to give your space.
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.
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.
Both satin and brushed nickel have the same basic properties: they're both shiny and reflective, but satin has more texture than brushed nickel. Satin also looks more like real metal, while brushed looks more like plastic.
The disadvantage to having chrome finishes in the bathroom is that it can be difficult to keep clean. Fingerprints, water spots, and streaks will show up more easily on chrome fixtures. This means you may have to spend more time wiping them down to keep the shiny look.
Brushed Nickel vs Chrome Price & Durability Factors
Often selection between brushed nickel and brushed chrome comes down to price and appearance. Each metal is essentially just as durable and noncorrosive as the other; however, chrome is generally more expensive and offers a cooler appearance than the nickel.
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.
Pick either shiny chrome or satin nickel—the two are similar in color but actually have different undertones and won't create a cohesive space when used side-by-side. Ditto with aged brass and shiny gold. Also, be careful of using the same lusters, like shiny chrome and shiny gold.
Satin nickel is a type of metal finish where the surface of the material has been treated to create a matte lustrous appearance. The appearance is similar to stainless steel.
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.
Polished nickel is not quite as mirror-shiny as chrome, but the high-polish variety offers a nice sheen.
Brushed nickel adds a low-key modern and sleek look to your kitchen since it's not as shiny as chrome. Plus, unlike chrome, brushed nickel withstands fingerprints, so you won't have to clean it often. If you're looking for an understated finish that will still make a statement, brushed nickel is the way to go.
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.
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.
A satin nickel finish has a smooth or velvety appearance with no visible abrasions. It's especially desirable as a finish for automotive interiors because it doesn't reflect light so it's less of a distraction for the driver. It also doesn't pick up fingerprints.
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.
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.
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