You'll probably get pictures because I've seen plenty mixed metals in this forum but till then, yes, you can mix them. That's what everyone keeps telling me. It's hard for me to accept this...I'm too structured (lol) My faucets are brushed nickel and my hardware on the vanity is orb. The hardware on the light painted surfaces will be brushed nickel. I almost chose to go with a orb light fixture and would have but there will be a total of 3 light fixtures in the bathroom and the other two are bn so I decided to keep all the lighting the same color, bn. A couple of theories given to me in this "anything goes society"...1) Light on light and 2) light (metals) at the top and dark as you go down. Don't know how spot on this is, I'm just reporting what I've been told. Monica

As I type this I'm pretty sure 10 folks will chime in and say\show they did it and it looks great (trust them not me as I'm going by my reaction not anything concrete). I think mixing finishes is not a problem and will look great ( I have seen many examples and plan to do it in my own remodel) but I'm not sure I would want to have a single chrome element and none anywhere else. Again that's not based on having actually seen it but is just a gut reaction. If you match the filter and the faucet it could be good and just pull in a chrome accessory or two.

I am not sure why you can't have a polished nickel single-handle gooseneck faucet. There are a number of manufacturers who make them. Just off the top of my head, without researching, I can think of Rohl, Hansgrohe, Kohler (particularly the Kohler Vinnata), and my favorite, Newport Brass. But there are others. Just do a search on various websites like faucets.com or homeclick.com. Here's a link to the Newport Brass single-handle pull-down kitchen faucet #94P in polished nickel. I really like their products. Though pricey, it's high-quality, and their finishes are top-notch. Sometimes Newport Brass has a long lead time though, but not always. But there are several other manufacturers who make polished nickel faucets. BTW, since you said you're not sure the difference bet. a pull-out and a pull-down, they are as follows: it's pretty much explained by their names. A pull-down faucet points straight down; many people feel they are more ergonomic to use. Some gooseneck pull-downs are very tall; you need to make sure you have the height clearance for them. I myself have a pull-out (the Grohe Ladylux Plus) which, well, pulls out instead of down. I don't find my pull-out to be un-ergonomic at all, and I like that it reaches across more towards the middle in my sink, rather than pointing down and closer to the edge. But that's just my taste. There are fans in both camps. HTH. Here is a link that might be useful: Newport Brass Kitchen Faucet #94P

A quick search on Houzz will show lots of pictures with mixed finishes. The first two below have ORB light fixtures and chrome/brushed nickel plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware. The last picture has chrome plumbing fixtures and ORB light fixtures and cabinet hardware. IMO all these combinations look good. I am typically a "matchy/matchy" person but wanted chrome plumbing fixtures in my house and prefer ORB light fixtures to chrome light fixtures for some reason. So I have spent hours looking at pictures with mixed finishes and reading design blogs/home building forums and have come to the conclusion that there are no "rules" on this and it is really a matter of personal taste.