How to Mix and Match Bathroom Hardware Finishes

When it comes to hardware, we emphasize function over aesthetics, but appearance is equally important. Hardware acts as jewellery for your home, and it has a major influence on creating the right tone of a room, even if it does not take up much space. When you are investing in the best glass shower enclosures, simply getting a functional hardware is not enough.

Gone are the days when people would stick to just one colour and style for all of their hardware. Using different colour combinations and experimenting with new styles can give a unique personality to your bathroom.  Let’s learn about some ways to mix and match bathroom hardware finishes.

Mixing Hardware Finishes the Right Way

Mixing the metal finishes of your bathroom hardware creates a more refined look, and gives your bathroom space more dimension. Doing it right is easier said than done though. In the past, maybe installing a functional item that blended with the rest of the room would have been enough, but today’s homeowners want to express their personal style through their interiors. To do so you need to pay attention to the smallest of details.

1. Select Your Metals

Depending on the resilience of the material and the type of design you want to achieve, you first need to learn about the characteristics of metal finishes. Once you choose the best finish for your bathroom hardware, you need to properly use them to accentuate the beauty of your bathroom. Whether you like brass, copper, brushed nickel, rubbed bronze or polished brass finish, learning their features will help you make a choice.

Of course it all comes down to personal taste. For example, the warm undertones of nickel finish go better with brass and gold than a chrome finish.

2. Choose a Dominant Metal

When mixing and matching, you cannot simply put all the metals in one room, especially in a closed area like a bathroom. Therefore, the best thing to do is to choose one dominant metal finish. For instance, if you have a chrome shower head, then it is better to stick with a chrome look for the main fixtures. Choosing chrome for the shower and brass for the tub may not be the best idea.

This is because unlike brass and other warmer metal tones, chrome is much simpler and a classic dominant metal finish. The most interesting thing about this particular finish is that it has only one variant. Therefore, you will always find hardware pieces that match the polished chrome finish of your existing hardware.

3. Add a Few Accent Metal Tones

The truth is that metal finishes go in and out of style every few years. That is why it is advisable to mix and match the latest metal accent tones to maintain a trendy and balanced room.

The rule of thumb for mixing metal finishes in the bathroom is to never use more than 3 different tones. This way, you can create a visually appealing space that does not look jumbled.  Some of you may prefer using two metal finishes, and that is fine. Just don’t use more than three.

Another rule for mixing is to match cooler metal tones with warmer ones. Wondering which is which?

  1. Chrome, nickel, and to some extent black metal finishes are considered cooler tones

  2. Warmer metal tones consist of brass, nickel, gold and copper

Here you can play a bit with tones and mix polished chrome with brass, for example.

4. Use Each Metal Tone Twice

This step is most important for the dominant metal you use in the main fixtures of your fancy glass shower; the showerhead, spout and sink faucet, to name a few. You can also use the same tone on the towel bars, toilet paper holder, and hand towel hooks. Clearly, the dominant tone will be easily noticed.

As for accent metal finishes, use them for the sconces and vanity hardware, such as knobs and pulls.

5. Try to Maintain a Balance

Depending on the brand, different metal fixtures may appear differently. Also, you need to understand which fixtures you can apply different metal tones to and which you cannot. For instance, if you have chrome as a dominant metal in your bathroom, then using a polished brass finished custom mirror is not a good idea.  However, having vanity hardware and sconces in different metal finishes instead of a mirror and sconces will look better. This rule applies to warmer metal accents too. It is not that you cannot use different finishes for the same metal but try to keep them separated as much as you can to avoid any noticeable difference.

Even the best glass shower enclosures cannot be of any help if you mess up the décor with the wrong hardware finishes. Mixing metal finishes is an art, and you need to understand what looks good and what does not. In the end, it is all about creating a visually appealing space and avoiding clutter. When mixing metals, start with pieces you are certain about and use them as a guideline for the rest of your bathroom hardware. By changing small details, you will be able to give your private space the look everyone will envy.