Good morning! Mixing metals in the bathroom is a great way to add an interesting and contemporary look to a space. And in today’s post, I’m sharing some simple tips on how to mix different metals in the bathroom, along with a guide to what metals go together, images of bathrooms featuring mixed metal finishes, places to shop for bathroom faucets and fixtures in 2024, and more.
If you’ve been following along for a little while, you know we’re currently in the middle of a master bathroom renovation. As with most big projects, not everything has gone as planned.
With shipping delays, things are taking longer to receive than we expected, giving me too much time to analyze, overthink, and second-guess all my choices! But it’s been a good lesson in flexibility and patience. One thing I haven’t had second thoughts about, though, is incorporating a mix of metal finishes in our new bathroom.
I’ve spent hours gathering tips, ideas, and inspiration on this topic, and today I’m sharing everything I’ve learned. So if you’re currently planning a bathroom remodel or making choices regarding finishes and are looking for simple tips for mixing metals in the bathroom, I hope you’ll find some great ideas.
Is it OK to Mix Metals in a Bathroom?
Gone are the days of having to choose one metal finish for your entire home. It’s now very common to mix and match metal finishes–not only in the bathroom, but throughout the home.
Whether you’re going for a chic, modern, timeless, or classic look, mixing metals adds visual interest to your bathroom and is a look that will last through 2024 and beyond.
And, while you should feel free to mix metal finishes in your bathroom, most interior designers recommend selecting no more than three metal finishes for one room.
I also think it’s a good idea to stick with timeless finishes like chrome, polished nickel, and brass for permanent fixtures like faucets, shower heads, and lighting.
Then, use your secondary finishes on mirrors, drawer and door pulls, towel bars, etc.
Since it’s easier to change out cabinet hardware, mirrors, etc., you can always switch out those pieces for a different finish once your tastes change.
Which Metals Can Be Mixed in a Bathroom?
Metals come in warm and cool tones. Warm metals include brass, gold, copper, and oil-rubbed bronze. Cool metals include chrome, polished nickel, and brushed nickel. Black is considered either a cool-toned metal or a neutral and makes a great third metal to balance out your mix.
If you want to mix metals in the bathroom, I recommend mixing cool metals with warm metals to create a nice, eye-pleasing balance.
In general, I wouldn’t mix two metals in the same family, such as nickel and chrome, unless they’re far apart in the space and/or you’re also adding a warm-toned metal to the mix.
Metals also come in a variety of sheens and finishes, including matte, satin, brushed, polished, oil-rubbed, aged, and antiqued.
When mixing metal finishes, some designers recommend matching the sheen on your fixtures; i.e., if you’re using polished nickel and brass together, you would choose polished brass rather than brushed.
However, most interior designers agree you can safely mix shiny with matte–as well as warm with cool. I do, however, recommend placing your different finishes next to each other before they’re installed to make sure you’re creating a cohesive mix.
Can you mix chrome and brass fixtures in a bathroom?
It’s fine to mix brass and chrome fixtures together, as well as brass and nickel. As the two most popular metallic shades, brass and chrome (or gold and silver) go well together and can be combined to add stylish contrast in the bathroom.
However, as I mentioned above, try not to mix more than three metals in one space.
Are gold and brass finishes still in style?
While chrome and polished nickel bathroom fixtures are trending for 2024, brass–especially antique brass–is still in style, adding a luxurious touch to any room.
Brass works well in both warm and white spaces as well as rooms with darker tones. Use brass when you want your eye to be drawn to the fixture or metal finish.
In general, brass finishes are becoming more subtle and toned down, with more of an antique or aged deep golden look, rather than yellow, pink or shiny finishes.
One issue I’m running into with ordering brass cabinet knobs and pulls online is there’s no way to know what color and tone of brass you’re getting until you receive it.
Something that appears to have an antique brass finish online might actually have a yellow or pink cast in person. I’ve also ordered pieces that were described as brushed or matte on Amazon but which ended up having a satin or shiny finish.
So, unless you’re okay with ordering and returning a bunch of items until you receive the right shade of brass or gold, you might want to choose your brass pulls, faucets, lighting, etc., in person at a local store.
As an alternative, you could just go with chrome, black, or nickel faucets and fixtures, which are generally more consistent in color and finish.
But, as always, I recommend choosing fixtures and finishes that make you happy. So don’t stress if you cannot find fixtures in the exact same color and finish–similar tones go well together, also–especially if they’re not placed right next to each other.
Is chrome or brushed nickel more modern?
Chrome adds lightness and brightness to a space and is usually considered more modern than brushed nickel; however, chrome also works well with more traditional and/or vintage looks. Chrome is also the most popular bathroom finish for 2024, as it coordinates well with both light and dark color schemes.
Brushed nickel, also called satin nickel, has a more subdued, matte finish, lending itself to a more traditional look. Brushed or satin nickel also works well in both light and dark spaces and with just about any color scheme.
Polished nickel is similar to chrome in that it has a shiny, reflective finish. However, polished nickel fixtures have a deeper, warmer tone than chrome and therefore work best with darker color schemes.
Both chrome and brushed nickel are budget-friendly choices, while polished nickel fixtures are a bit pricier.
Is brushed nickel out of style?
Brushed nickel is a classic finish and is still an excellent choice for bathrooms. While it’s not one of the top metal finishes for 2024, it’s still a great option that won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
When we remodeled our guest bathroom, other than adding black pendant lights, I kept the original brushed nickel finishes, because I like the coherent look they bring to this space:
How to Mix Different Metal Finishes in the Bathroom
How do you mix metals the right way?
There are many different ways to mix metals in a bathroom so they will compliment each other, as you’ll see in the images below. In general, I recommend opting for one dominant metal and choosing one or two other metals as your accents.
To begin, let the existing metal finishes in your bathroom give you a starting point. Do you already have a lot of one metal finish in your space?
For example, if you currently have brushed nickel finishes in your bathroom, you could keep some of the brushed nickel elements and add in a bit of brass and/or black to create an interesting and budget-friendly mix.
To keep your bathroom looking cohesive, don’t mix too many finishes, colors, and styles in the same room. For example, if you mix both brushed and shiny metal finishes in one room, then try to keep the styles of the fixtures the same.
On the other hand, if you decide to mix styles; i.e., modern and traditional fixtures, in one space, then make sure all the finishes are the same.
Remember, even though mixing metals in the bathroom is popular right now, there’s nothing wrong with matching all the finishes and hardware in your bathroom. Matching metal finishes is an easy way to give a space a cohesive, thoughtfully put-together look.
Use Your Bathroom Vanity Color as a Guide When Choosing Metal Finishes
When choosing your metal finishes, take into account the color and finish of the bathroom vanity. Here are a few guidelines:
Dark blue and black vanities look gorgeous with brass faucets and cabinet pulls.
White and gray vanities pair beautifully with chrome, polished nickel, or brass fixtures for a timeless look. Our new bathroom has gray vanities, and I plan to use a chrome finish on all the faucets and light fixtures and brass on the mirrors and cabinet hardware.
And light wood vanities are often paired with black for a more modern vibe, but brass and chrome look amazing, too, as you’ll see in the spaces below.
Should Bathroom Cabinet Hardware Match the Faucet?
Traditionally, bathroom cabinet hardware was chosen to match the faucet finish, but that’s no longer necessary.
Although your cabinet hardware doesn’t have to match your faucet, I do think it’s a good idea to repeat the cabinet hardware finish elsewhere in the room–perhaps in the mirror or lighting. This helps tie the room together and create a cohesive look.
Inspiration for Mixing Metals in the Bathroom
The following images are filled with beautiful ideas and inspiration for incorporating mixed metal finishes in a bathroom.
I love the wall paneling between the mirrors, as well as the brass sconces, white oak wood vanity, and mixed metal finishes in this luxurious and elegant master bathroom design.
This light and airy primary bathroom combines polished nickel, polished brass, black and aged brass finishes in a fresh way for an elegant yet modern look.
Here’s a wider view of the tub, tile work, enclosed shower, and other bathroom finishes in this beautiful space:
This modern bathroom design features a mix of black light fixtures and cabinet pulls, chrome mirror frames, and brass faucets:
This beautiful bathroom features light wood cabinetry paired with chrome mirrors and faucets, and brass finishes in the sconces and pulls:
Curved brass mirrors add a feminine touch and help soften the straight edges and angles typically found in a bathroom. The polished nickel wall-mounted faucets also add a unique look to this beautiful space:
The brass sconces and drawer pulls in this bathroom add a sense of warmth and offset the cooler silver and marble elements:
A unique mix of black, white, chrome, and brass finishes combine to enhance this mixed metal bathroom design:
Love the mix of metal finishes in this beautiful bathroom. The cabinet color is Magnetic Gray by Sherwin Williams:
This chic modern bathroom design incorporates polished nickel finishes on the faucet, mirror, towel ring, and cabinet pulls, along with chic brass sconces:
Here’s a beautiful contemporary bathroom featuring brass finishes on the sconce and cabinet pulls, paired with a polished nickel faucet and mirror:
The striking light fixture, with its mix of black and brass, provides a focal point in this lovely small bathroom design. And a brass mirror pairs beautifully with the chrome faucet and black cabinet pulls:
Here’s a pulled together look featuring a polished nickel faucet, brass mirror, and black cabinet hardware and sconces, which contrast beautifully with the white vanity.
Coordinating brass mirrors and faucets, combined with brushed nickel cabinet pulls and white sconces, create a modern and stylish look:
This elegant bathroom features polished brass cabinet pulls and mirror, combined with polished nickel sconces and faucet:
A stylish master bathroom design featuring a light wood vanity paired with polished nickel faucets and brass lighting and cabinet pulls:
Oil-rubbed bronze faucets, mixed with black mirrors and cabinets pulls and aged brass sconces, create a chic and timeless bathroom:
A mix of antique brass sconces and cabinet pulls, black mirrors, and chrome faucets pair beautifully with a deep blue vanity:
Black cabinet pulls blend wonderfully with the polished nickel faucets and chrome light fixtures and mirror in this lovely bathroom:
Here’s a wider view of the stylish bathroom shown above:
Brass mirrors and sconces, mixed with polished nickel faucets and black pulls, create an elegant and timeless primary bathroom:
This beautiful bathroom combines antique brass sconces and cabinet pulls with polished nickel faucets and toilet paper holder and frameless mirrors for a cohesive look:
This unique primary bathroomfeatures polished nickel faucets, brass sconces, and a mix of brass and black cabinet pulls:
Brass sconces, mirrors, and cabinet pulls, combined with chrome or polished nickel faucets, illustrate a beautiful, yet subtle way of mixing metals in the bathroom:
This beautiful primary bathroom features different metals via a polished nickel faucet and brass finishes on the sconces, mirror, and cabinet pulls. Here’s a source for the statement chandelier.
A mix of different finishes, via aged brass cabinet pulls and light fixtures, polished nickel faucets, and satin nickel mirrors, combine to create a cohesive and eye-pleasing space, as shown in this stylish bathroom.
Last, but certainly not least, is this stunning master bathroom featuring a matte black light fixture as the accent metal, mixed with aged brass as the dominant metal on the plumbing fixtures, cabinet hardware, and mirrors.
It must be clear by now I love the look of mixed metals in the bathroom! In my opinion, mixing metal finishes makes for a stylish, timeless space.
Where to Shop for Bathroom Fixtures in 2024
Investing in a bathroom faucet, lighting, mirrors and cabinet pulls, regardless of the style and finish, doesn’t have to break the bank.
Below are a few of my favorite places to shop for bathroom fixtures, lighting, and decor in 2024:
Wayfair
Serena & Lily
McGee & Co.
Pottery Barn
Rejuvenation
Amazon
West Elm
Lowe’s
And here’s a selection of faucets, mirrors, door and drawer pulls, and lighting that can be mixed and matched in different metal finishes.
Bathroom Faucet Ideas
Bathroom Lighting Ideas
Bathroom Mirror Ideas
Cabinet Pulls and Knobs
Vanity and Linen Cabinet Ideas
Looking for more design and decorating ideas? Here are a few favorite related posts from the blog:
Beautiful Bathroom Ideas, Design Trends and Decor for 2024
Bathroom Mirror Ideas for Every Style and Budget
Our Master Bathroom Remodel: Before and After
Our Guest Bathroom Remodel on a Budget
How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets: Easy Step-by-Step Tips
2024 Home Decor Trends and Design Styles: 10 Ideas to Try This Year
Color of the Year 2024 + Top Home Color Trends
Modern Coastal Decorating Ideas for Your Home
A Simple Guide to Decorating with Transitional Style
Restoration Hardware Style: How to Get the RH Look for Less
Our Master Bathroom Renovation Reveal
How to Add a Touch of Nancy Meyers Style to Your Kitchen and Home
What is Coastal Grandmother Style? (and why I love it)
California Casual Interior Design: How to Bring West Coast Style to Your Home
The New 2024 Studio McGee Target Collection
Modern Kitchen Pendant Lighting Ideas You Will Love
A Simple Guide to Mixing Metals in the Kitchen
I hope you found this post informative and helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions about mixing metals in the bathroom. Have a wonderful day! xo jane
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