9 Bathroom Tapware Finishes: Your Crash Course
Learn the pros and cons of nine popular tapware finishes for a beautiful bathroom design
Choosing a finish for bathroom tapware often stumps people. What’s the difference between brushed and polished nickel? What are the benefits of satin brass versus satin bronze? Fear not. Here’s a crash course in tapware finishes that will elevate your knowledge in less time than it takes you to brush your teeth.
1. Polished brass
An all-time favourite. Polished-brass tapware can give a bathroom a vintage or contemporary look.
Advantages: It’s easy to clean and easy to find. Polished brass is a durable finish that’s easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: It can be more expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Polished brass has come back in style in recent years, so it looks great in contemporary, traditional and eclectic settings.
An all-time favourite. Polished-brass tapware can give a bathroom a vintage or contemporary look.
Advantages: It’s easy to clean and easy to find. Polished brass is a durable finish that’s easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: It can be more expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Polished brass has come back in style in recent years, so it looks great in contemporary, traditional and eclectic settings.
2. Satin brass
A nice twist on polished brass, the brushed-gold look has a lot of class. It’s bold without being too showy.
Advantages: Satin brass offers a nice accent colour without the polished look. It’s also durable. Being a matt finish, it won’t show up fingerprints and water spots.
Disadvantages: It can be more expensive. It’s also difficult to match accessories and other fixtures to satin brass.
Styles it works with: Great settings include traditional, modern and contemporary bathrooms.
A nice twist on polished brass, the brushed-gold look has a lot of class. It’s bold without being too showy.
Advantages: Satin brass offers a nice accent colour without the polished look. It’s also durable. Being a matt finish, it won’t show up fingerprints and water spots.
Disadvantages: It can be more expensive. It’s also difficult to match accessories and other fixtures to satin brass.
Styles it works with: Great settings include traditional, modern and contemporary bathrooms.
3. Oil-rubbed bronze
A great aesthetic alternative to standard chrome and brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze gives the bathroom a more traditional look and feel.
Working on a budget? if you don’t want to purchase all the matching accessories and you have other brass items in your bathroom, such as an old light switch or cabinet knobs, you can always use a brass darkening solution to make all your hardware match.
Advantages: Durable, easy to clean and easy to find. It’s also easy to match oil-rubbed bronze with accessories and other fixtures. It won’t show water spots or fingerprints.
Disadvantages: It’s more expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Oil-rubbed bronze goes hand-in-hand with traditional, Tuscan or Mediterranean styles.
A great aesthetic alternative to standard chrome and brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze gives the bathroom a more traditional look and feel.
Working on a budget? if you don’t want to purchase all the matching accessories and you have other brass items in your bathroom, such as an old light switch or cabinet knobs, you can always use a brass darkening solution to make all your hardware match.
Advantages: Durable, easy to clean and easy to find. It’s also easy to match oil-rubbed bronze with accessories and other fixtures. It won’t show water spots or fingerprints.
Disadvantages: It’s more expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Oil-rubbed bronze goes hand-in-hand with traditional, Tuscan or Mediterranean styles.
4. Satin bronze
Satin bronze has a nice, smooth finish that’s in between copper and oil-rubbed bronze. Its subtle colour gives this finish more flexibility for different bathroom styles and settings.
Advantages: Durable and easy to clean and maintain, this is a great alternative to copper and a lighter option than oil-rubbed bronze. Water spots and fingerprints won’t show.
Disadvantages: It can be harder to find and more expensive. It’s hard to match accessories and other fixtures to satin bronze.
Styles it works with: Traditional, eclectic and Mediterranean.
Satin bronze has a nice, smooth finish that’s in between copper and oil-rubbed bronze. Its subtle colour gives this finish more flexibility for different bathroom styles and settings.
Advantages: Durable and easy to clean and maintain, this is a great alternative to copper and a lighter option than oil-rubbed bronze. Water spots and fingerprints won’t show.
Disadvantages: It can be harder to find and more expensive. It’s hard to match accessories and other fixtures to satin bronze.
Styles it works with: Traditional, eclectic and Mediterranean.
5. Copper
Copper is unmistakable and bold. It gives the bathroom a rich feeling, especially when mixed with more subtle materials, such as marble on a vanity benchtop.
Advantages: Copper has natural antibacterial properties. It’s fairly easy to find and also has the ability to ‘heal’ itself: over a short period of time, a scratch in copper will become darker and eventually blend with the patina.
Disadvantages: A shiny copper finish might require a little more maintenance than brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and chrome, but if you let it age naturally, copper will develop a beautiful patina. It’s harder to match accessories and other fixtures to copper, and it’s not as durable as other finishes.
Styles it works with: Mediterranean, farmhouse and, of course, industrial styles.
Copper is unmistakable and bold. It gives the bathroom a rich feeling, especially when mixed with more subtle materials, such as marble on a vanity benchtop.
Advantages: Copper has natural antibacterial properties. It’s fairly easy to find and also has the ability to ‘heal’ itself: over a short period of time, a scratch in copper will become darker and eventually blend with the patina.
Disadvantages: A shiny copper finish might require a little more maintenance than brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and chrome, but if you let it age naturally, copper will develop a beautiful patina. It’s harder to match accessories and other fixtures to copper, and it’s not as durable as other finishes.
Styles it works with: Mediterranean, farmhouse and, of course, industrial styles.
6. Polished nickel
If you like a smooth, shiny finish but are tired of chrome, try polished nickel. It’s darker than chrome and, with different levels of lighting, it can appear to change slightly in colour.
Advantages: Easy to clean and a durable finish. A great alternative to brushed nickel.
Disadvantages: It’s often more expensive. It’s also harder to find matching accessories or fixtures for polished nickel.
Styles it works with: Like chrome, it looks great in a variety of settings: modern, contemporary, traditional and eclectic.
If you like a smooth, shiny finish but are tired of chrome, try polished nickel. It’s darker than chrome and, with different levels of lighting, it can appear to change slightly in colour.
Advantages: Easy to clean and a durable finish. A great alternative to brushed nickel.
Disadvantages: It’s often more expensive. It’s also harder to find matching accessories or fixtures for polished nickel.
Styles it works with: Like chrome, it looks great in a variety of settings: modern, contemporary, traditional and eclectic.
7. Brushed nickel
The soft metallic look of brushed nickel has stood the test of time.
Advantages: This is one of the most durable finishes; it has a tendency to keep its finish longer than oil-rubbed bronze and chrome. It doesn’t show wear, fingerprints or water spots. It’s easy to clean, easy to find and easy to match with accessories and other fixtures. It’s relatively inexpensive too. Brushed nickel tends to be pricier than chrome but does not usually cost as much as oil-rubbed bronze.
Disadvantages: Does not coordinate well with stainless steel; it blends in instead of being a statement piece.
Styles it works with: Almost every style.
The soft metallic look of brushed nickel has stood the test of time.
Advantages: This is one of the most durable finishes; it has a tendency to keep its finish longer than oil-rubbed bronze and chrome. It doesn’t show wear, fingerprints or water spots. It’s easy to clean, easy to find and easy to match with accessories and other fixtures. It’s relatively inexpensive too. Brushed nickel tends to be pricier than chrome but does not usually cost as much as oil-rubbed bronze.
Disadvantages: Does not coordinate well with stainless steel; it blends in instead of being a statement piece.
Styles it works with: Almost every style.
8. Chrome
Chrome is a popular finish because of its versatility.
Advantages: It’s generally the most inexpensive finish. It’s a very easy finish to clean and maintain. It’s durable, easy to find and easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: Shows water spots and fingerprints.
Styles it works with: Almost every style.
A Plumber Reveals: Why You Should Be Wary of White Tapware
Chrome is a popular finish because of its versatility.
Advantages: It’s generally the most inexpensive finish. It’s a very easy finish to clean and maintain. It’s durable, easy to find and easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: Shows water spots and fingerprints.
Styles it works with: Almost every style.
A Plumber Reveals: Why You Should Be Wary of White Tapware
9. Matt black
Matt-black tapware is increasingly popular in the bathroom because of their ability to match other items, such as vanities and accent pieces. If you want to make a classy statement, or you are just doing a small renovation that doesn’t involve changing all aspects of your bathroom, matte black may be the perfect finish for you.
Advantages: Easy to clean. Does not show dirt, fingerprints or water spots. It’s easy to coordinate a matte black faucet with bathroom accessories.
Disadvantages: It’s hard to match other fixtures to it, hard to find and expensive compared with more popular finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Modern and eclectic.
Your turn
Which tapware finish is your favourite in the bathroom? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need more insider knowledge for your bathroom’s materials? Take a look at 10 Zellige Tile Styles That’ll Add Character to Your Bathroom
Matt-black tapware is increasingly popular in the bathroom because of their ability to match other items, such as vanities and accent pieces. If you want to make a classy statement, or you are just doing a small renovation that doesn’t involve changing all aspects of your bathroom, matte black may be the perfect finish for you.
Advantages: Easy to clean. Does not show dirt, fingerprints or water spots. It’s easy to coordinate a matte black faucet with bathroom accessories.
Disadvantages: It’s hard to match other fixtures to it, hard to find and expensive compared with more popular finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Modern and eclectic.
Your turn
Which tapware finish is your favourite in the bathroom? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need more insider knowledge for your bathroom’s materials? Take a look at 10 Zellige Tile Styles That’ll Add Character to Your Bathroom
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If you’re new to selecting finishes, it’s a good idea to buy all your other fixtures and accessories in a matching material and finish for a cohesive colour. Some finishes are a standard colour, such as chrome and most brushed-nickel finishes, but not all finishes from different companies look the same.
To ensure you are getting the exact same finish on all your bathroom tapware, buy all your fixtures and accessories from the same company. When picking out additional fixtures, show your designer a sample to match.
Find a bathroom designer near you on Houzz to help choose a colour and materials palette for your renovation