A Guide to the Best Bathroom Faucet Finishes
Learn the pros and cons of 10 popular finishes in terms of durability, price, appearance and more
Michelle Lauren
1 July 2017
Michelle Lauren is an Award Winning architectural designer, she has won multiple awards for many of her designs. Michelle’s passion developed around her extensive travel and she sets new standards across the design industry. Her designs incorporate the strength of ancient architecture, the beauty of contemporary concepts and the mindfulness of sustainability to create artistic designs with balance and functionality.
Michelle Lauren is an Award Winning architectural designer, she has won multiple... More
Choosing a bathroom faucet finish 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 faucet finishes that will elevate your knowledge in less time than it takes you to brush your teeth.
Keep in mind that most faucets have a lifetime warranty when it comes to finishes, so if you have an old favourite faucet that’s looking drab, try calling the manufacturer to see what the warranty policy is.
If you’re new to selecting finishes, it’s a good idea to get all the other fixtures and accessories in a matching 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, buy all the fixtures and accessories from the same company. When shopping for additional fixtures, take a sample with you to match.
Polished brass
An all-time favourite. A polished brass faucet helps give the bathroom shown here a vintage look.
Advantages: Easy to clean and easy to find. A durable finish. Easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: More expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Polished brass is actually coming back in style, so it looks great in modern, traditional and eclectic settings.
Browse through more images of bathrooms with polished brass fixtures
If you’re new to selecting finishes, it’s a good idea to get all the other fixtures and accessories in a matching 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, buy all the fixtures and accessories from the same company. When shopping for additional fixtures, take a sample with you to match.
Polished brass
An all-time favourite. A polished brass faucet helps give the bathroom shown here a vintage look.
Advantages: Easy to clean and easy to find. A durable finish. Easy to match with accessories and other fixtures.
Disadvantages: More expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Polished brass is actually coming back in style, so it looks great in modern, traditional and eclectic settings.
Browse through more images of bathrooms with polished brass fixtures
Satin brass
A nice twist on polished brass, the brushed-gold look has a lot of class. It’s bold without being too showy. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot more of this colour in bathroom remodelling.
Advantages: Offers a nice accent colour without the polished look. Durable. Being a matte finish, it won’t show fingerprints and water spots.
Disadvantages: It’s hard to find and more expensive. It’s also difficult to match accessories and other fixtures to satin brass.
Styles it works with: Piggybacking off the success of polished brass, this satin counterpart is going to be increasingly popular. Great settings for it are traditional, modern and contemporary.
A nice twist on polished brass, the brushed-gold look has a lot of class. It’s bold without being too showy. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot more of this colour in bathroom remodelling.
Advantages: Offers a nice accent colour without the polished look. Durable. Being a matte finish, it won’t show fingerprints and water spots.
Disadvantages: It’s hard to find and more expensive. It’s also difficult to match accessories and other fixtures to satin brass.
Styles it works with: Piggybacking off the success of polished brass, this satin counterpart is going to be increasingly popular. Great settings for it are traditional, modern and contemporary.
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 plate or cabinet knobs, you can always use a brass darkening solution to make all the 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: More expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Oil-rubbed bronze goes hand in hand with traditional and Tuscan or Mediterranean settings.
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 plate or cabinet knobs, you can always use a brass darkening solution to make all the 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: More expensive than other finishes, such as chrome and brushed nickel.
Styles it works with: Oil-rubbed bronze goes hand in hand with traditional and Tuscan or Mediterranean settings.
Copper
Copper is unmistakable and bold. It gives the bathroom a rich feeling, especially when mixed with a subtler material, such as marble on a countertop.
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: Tuscan and farmhouse. And, of course, steampunk.
Learn how to use metallic hues at home
Copper is unmistakable and bold. It gives the bathroom a rich feeling, especially when mixed with a subtler material, such as marble on a countertop.
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: Tuscan and farmhouse. And, of course, steampunk.
Learn how to use metallic hues at home
Satin bronze
Satin bronze has a nice, smooth finish that’s in between copper and oil-rubbed bronze. Having a subtler 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: Hard to find and more expensive. It’s difficult 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. Having a subtler 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: Hard to find and more expensive. It’s difficult to match accessories and other fixtures to satin bronze.
Styles it works with: Traditional, eclectic and Mediterranean.
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 in colour.
Advantages: Easy to clean. A durable finish. A great alternative to brushed nickel.
Disadvantages: More expensive. It’s hard to find matching accessories or fixtures for it.
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 in colour.
Advantages: Easy to clean. A durable finish. A great alternative to brushed nickel.
Disadvantages: More expensive. It’s hard to find matching accessories or fixtures for it.
Styles it works with: Like chrome, it looks great in a variety of settings: Modern, contemporary, traditional and eclectic.
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. Brushed nickel tends to be pricier than chrome but does not 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. Brushed nickel tends to be pricier than chrome but does not 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.
Chrome
Chrome is currently one of the most popular finishes 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.
Chrome is currently one of the most popular finishes 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.
Matte black
Black faucets are becoming increasingly more 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.
Want to create a mesmerising monochromatic bathroom?
Black faucets are becoming increasingly more 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.
Want to create a mesmerising monochromatic bathroom?
White
Looking for a clean, brilliant finish? Go with a white faucet as a contrasting statement piece or something that blends beautifully in an all-white bathroom. The white finish comes from durable plastic or porcelain.
Advantages: Easy to clean. Does not show water spots or fingerprints.
Disadvantages: Porcelain fixtures are more fragile than metal, which makes them more prone to chipping. Porcelain can be expensive, too.
Styles it works with: Farmhouse and modern.
Read more:
10 Droolworthy Bathrooms on Houzz
Tell us:
Love your faucet finish? Why? Please tell us about it in the Comments below.
Looking for a clean, brilliant finish? Go with a white faucet as a contrasting statement piece or something that blends beautifully in an all-white bathroom. The white finish comes from durable plastic or porcelain.
Advantages: Easy to clean. Does not show water spots or fingerprints.
Disadvantages: Porcelain fixtures are more fragile than metal, which makes them more prone to chipping. Porcelain can be expensive, too.
Styles it works with: Farmhouse and modern.
Read more:
10 Droolworthy Bathrooms on Houzz
Tell us:
Love your faucet finish? Why? Please tell us about it in the Comments below.
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I am renovating a traditional mid century modern house and want it to look like everything fits with that style. At the moment, the bathrooms are original 1962 with whay looks like old chrome taps but they are dull and I don't like the shape. Is brushed gold tapware OK or should I go for brushed nickel or something else? Do I need to have the kitchen tapware matching the bathrooms? I was aiming for a simple spouts. Please help as I don't want the bathrooms to look like 2022 in 10 years time. I want them to look like they belong in a 1962 house. Thanks!!
They are the absolute worst customer service I have ever had . They send wrong parts and don’t stand behind the consumer. They are unpleasant understaffed and those that work there can’t follow directions. Never use them you can get high end products from dozens of companies
@ K W which brand and finish did you pick? what is your experiance?