Mixing metals, home edition: Will brushed nickel and polished chrome look good in the same room?

[Kim N]

I have brushed nickel faucets, cabinet pulls, and doorknobs. I'm replacing light fixtures, and I fell in love with some polished chrome fixtures that are not available in any other metal. Will they look out of place among the brushed nickel hardware? I don't intend on replacing anything except light fixtures at this point for budget reasons. PS interior design experts, please help!

 

[Karl_K]

No they will clash

 

[Rfisher]

Would you feel comfortable in sharing a pic of the room from a perspective of where both could been seen?
I think that matters.
The decor of the room plays a part.

 

[Kim N]

Thanks for weighing in, Karl_K and Rfisher.

These are similar pictures to what the rooms in my house look like. The light fixtures I'm replacing are the vanity lights, the island lights, and the dining area light (which is right next to the kitchen).

 

[Rfisher]

If the individual style of the lighting fixture is complementary with the rest of the fixtures individual styles- and of course keeping the same quality level across the board -
I think it could work as looking as an intentional design choice, the shiny chrome and the brushed nickel finish.

I think there’s more nicer quality chrome fixtures now a days compared to years ago. That matters in this discussion.



Oops. I forgot to say I’m not an interior design expert

 

[Rfisher]

Thanks for weighing in, Karl_K and Rfisher.

These are similar pictures to what the rooms in my house look like. The light fixtures I'm replacing are the vanity lights, the island lights, and the dining area light (which is right next to the kitchen).

And if I’m seeing it correctly
The bathroom pic you posted -
The mirror frame looks like chrome?
Imagine that same vanity light style in chrome instead of brushed nickel in this photo.
Would you think it look that out of place?
Maybe you’d need a different non metal mirror frame then. Maybe not. But it all depends, and it goes back to intentional choice and fitting in the current space it’s in.
Not a ‘rule’ that exists in a vacuum.

I bet what you picked ( because you like it) will look lovely.

 

[Kim N]

If the individual style of the lighting fixture is complementary with the rest of the fixtures individual styles- and of course keeping the same quality level across the board -
I think it could work as looking as an intentional design choice, the shiny chrome and the brushed nickel finish.

I think there’s more nicer quality chrome fixtures now a days compared to years ago. That matters in this discussion.



Oops. I forgot to say I’m not an interior design expert

Thanks, Rfisher. That's what I'm hoping it will look like--an intentional design choice.

And if I’m seeing it correctly
The bathroom pic you posted -
The mirror frame looks like chrome?
Imagine that same vanity light style in chrome instead of brushed nickel in this photo.
Would you think it look that out of place?

My actual mirror has no frame. I don't think the same vanity light in chrome would look out of place, but I'm really bad at this, hence the thread!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I have brushed nickel faucets, cabinet pulls, and doorknobs. I'm replacing light fixtures, and I fell in love with some polished chrome fixtures that are not available in any other metal. Will they look out of place among the brushed nickel hardware? I don't intend on replacing anything except light fixtures at this point for budget reasons. PS interior design experts, please help!

i will be following with interest so please keep us updated with photos

we still have some of the origion odl bakalite door furniture in our house- but its old and worn out
we also have some chrome, some copper, its a bl##dy ugly hodge podge so before i left my old job i brought a house lot of antique brass ? .....hang on let me go check what its called ...ops cant get to thr box -Fluffa Duffa looks too comfy to ask her to move
anyway its a darker colour similar to the origionl bakalite
See i am just so over 20 plus years of brushed chrome that we would sell the most of at work
i also want the windowstays to match as they are also a hodgepodge, just wish i had brought them with my staff discount )

i would have loved to have gone with a pinky copper for the door handles but that wasnt available

anyway my delemia
See the Bruce room (a room where one's Bruce Springtseen memoribilia is kept) is going to have shinny chrome
but the style of door furniture i choose wasnt available in shinny chrom (f it was i i could have brought a passage set and mounted half of each colour on either side of the door) - but now im thinking i will have to take half of it to some kind of electro platting kind of place? and get it made chrome

 

[Kim N]

i will be following with interest so please keep us updated with photos

we still have some of the origion odl bakalite door furniture in our house- but its old and worn out
we also have some chrome, some copper, its a bl##dy ugly hodge podge so before i left my old job i brought a house lot of antique brass ? .....hang on let me go check what its called ...ops cant get to thr box -Fluffa Duffa looks too comfy to ask her to move
anyway its a darker colour similar to the origionl bakalite
See i am just so over 20 plus years of brushed chrome that we would sell the most of at work
i also want the windowstays to match as they are also a hodgepodge, just wish i had brought them with my staff discount )

i would have loved to have gone with a pinky copper for the door handles but that wasnt available

anyway my delemia
See the Bruce room (a room where one's Bruce Springtseen memoribilia is kept) is going to have shinny chrome
but the style of door furniture i choose wasnt available in shinny chrom (f it was i i could have brought a passage set and mounted half of each colour on either side of the door) - but now im thinking i will have to take half of it to some kind of electro platting kind of place? and get it made chrome

Thanks, Daisys. I'm curious to know if turning something into polished chrome can be done. Let us know how it goes. Maybe I can do the opposite.

 

[MamaBee]

I think you can mix it as long as you marry the finishes around the room. I wouldn’t let the fixture be the only polished chrome in the room. If you can find some accessories that have a mixture of both finishes..I think it would tie it all together.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thanks, Daisys. I'm curious to know if turning something into polished chrome can be done. Let us know how it goes. Maybe I can do the opposite.

i am absolutly sure it cam be done i just dont know the words for it
i also brought a big woodern framed mirror ( this room has to also double as a spair bedroom when it has to) in a satin silver finish ...i brought a can of shinny chrome spray paint
not sure how that will turn out but i have a 4l of paint stripper just in case!

 

[Kim N]

I think you can mix it as long as you marry the finishes around the room. I wouldn’t let the fixture be the only polished chrome in the room. If you can find some accessories that have a mixture of both finishes..I think it would tie it all together.

That is a great idea, thanks, MamaBee.

 

[Bonfire]

Mixing metals can looks really beautiful, but not different finishes in the same color metal. I wouldn’t mix shiny chrome and satin nickel in the same room. Chrome and nickel have different color undertones too. It will look like you weren‘t able to find the fixtures in the right finish. Maybe look for something in a different color family. Black is a great neutral to consider.

 

[Kim N]

Mixing metals can looks really beautiful, but not different finishes in the same color metal. I wouldn’t mix shiny chrome and satin nickel in the same room. Chrome and nickel have different color undertones too. It will look like you weren‘t able to find the fixtures in the right finish. Maybe look for something in a different color family. Black is a great neutral to consider.

Thanks, Bonfire. Yes, I see in the image that it makes it look like they're trying to match but failing. Do you think polished chrome would clash with stainless steel appliances as well?

 

[Bonfire]

Do you think polished chrome would clash with stainless steel appliances as well?

Yes

 

[Karl_K]

Do you think polished chrome would clash with stainless steel appliances as well?

yes
the best compliment to stainless appliances is brass or gold fixtures. 2nd best is black. Just my opinion.

 

[Kim N]

yes
the best compliment to stainless appliances is brass or gold fixtures. 2nd best is black. Just my opinion.

I'm leaning towards matte black at the moment. I'll have to start over with the shopping, but it seems like a classy neutral.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

this is why we brought white white-wear
the white version actually cost more in some cases