Bathroom Fixture Finishes: Chrome, Nickel, Brass and Black

The metal finish in a bathroom appears on more pieces than most people count: the faucet, shower head and trim, tub filler, drain, towel bars, robe hooks, toilet lever, cabinet pulls, light fixtures, mirror frame and the shower door hardware. Together they form a line of metal around the room, and they are touched and splashed every day. This page compares the finishes for looks and upkeep, explains how to mix them, and covers the problem of matching finishes from different makers. Faucet types and configurations are on bathroom faucets.

The finishes compared

Relative cost varies more by product line than by finish, so treat that column as a general pattern. How a finish is applied matters as much as its color. Some finishes are applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD), a process that bonds a thin metal coating to the part; others are plated, powder-coated or painted. Ask what process a finish uses and read the maker's warranty for what it says about finish wear.

Water spots and our water

When water evaporates from a fixture, the dissolved minerals stay behind as a faint white mark. How visible that mark is depends mostly on the finish color: white marks disappear on chrome once wiped and on brushed nickel almost entirely, and stand out on matte black and dark bronze.

In practice, any finish stays good-looking in a Vancouver bathroom if you wipe it dry now and then and clean it with mild soap and water or the cleaner the maker recommends. What damages finishes is abrasive pads, powdered cleansers and strong acid descalers left on the metal. Spotting on shower glass is a related problem with its own answers, covered on shower glass and doors.

Choosing a finish for the room

• White and light bathrooms. Any finish works. Chrome and polished nickel keep the room crisp; brass warms it; black adds a graphic outline. See white bathrooms.
• Wood vanities. Brass and bronze echo warm wood; black suits walnut and white oak with a modern look; nickel sits comfortably with almost any wood.
• Green and blue tile or vanities. Warm metals such as brass are a common pairing; polished nickel suits navy and blue-gray.
• Busy hall and kids' baths. Brushed finishes hide fingerprints and spots between cleanings. Matte black in a heavily used shower needs more frequent wiping to stay even.

How the finish fits the rest of the palette is covered on bathroom color schemes.

Mixing metals

Mixed metals look deliberate when there is a clear rule behind them:

1. Water-carrying fixtures in one finish. Faucet, shower head, shower trim, tub filler and the shower door hardware should match each other. They are seen together and a near-miss is obvious.
2. A second finish on a different category. Light fixtures, mirror frames or cabinet pulls can be a second metal, applied consistently to that whole category.
3. Two finishes, not four. A third metal in a small bathroom starts to look accidental.
4. Contrast clearly. Brass with black, or nickel with brass, reads as a choice. Chrome with polished nickel, which are close but not the same, reads as a mismatch.

Small items such as drains, the toilet lever and the shower door hinges are easy to forget and are often only available in a few finishes. Check them before committing to an unusual finish.

Matching across product lines

Finish names are not standardized. One maker's brushed nickel may be warmer, darker or more textured than another's, and two makers' gold or brass finishes can differ noticeably in color. Even within one maker, finishes from different product lines or production years can vary slightly.

• Buy water-carrying pieces from one product line where you can: the faucet, shower valve trim and tub filler.
• Get physical samples. Finish chips or a small piece from each line, compared side by side under the bathroom lighting.
• Order everything together. Buying accessories a year later risks a slight color difference.
• Check that the shower valve trim matches the valve body you are installing. Trim and valve are often bought separately and must be compatible, which is one reason the valve is chosen before tile. See shower valves and controls.

What to check before you buy

• Is every piece you need available in the finish, including drains, levers, hinges and the tub filler?
• What finish process is used, and what does the warranty say about finish wear?
• What cleaners does the maker allow, and which void the finish warranty?
• Does the faucet meet Washington's flow limits? Washington's plumbing code limits residential lavatory faucets to 1.2 gpm at 60 psi (WAC 51-56-0400), lower than the WaterSense figure of 1.5 gpm. The finish does not affect this, but the faucet you fall in love with still has to comply.

The kitchen guide's hardware and fixture finishes page covers the same finishes for kitchen faucets and cabinet hardware. JDI's designer helps you compare finish samples during design, before anything is ordered; our Vancouver bathroom remodeling page explains how selections fit into a project.