Agree, patty cakes.

Me too!

We are in the middle of remodeling our family room and the (new) sconces and the (new) cab hardware are brass. I can't remember the names of the finishes but it's that antiqued brass, like what you're talking about. I think it's going to look fab!

But you know, there are some pieces I like in the shiny brass finish, too. Never say never.

Heck yeah. Almost anything can look fabulous almost anywhere if you surround it with the right colors and things.

I even looked at the bright shiny brass things that hold my stair hand rail to the wall, and decided to leave them because they look so sharp with the shiny black railing and the stark white beadboard, offset by the hot cocoa walls. But I painted the shiny brass out in my kitchen, replacing it with ORB.

Always have loved antique brass, too, and haven't changed that.

Isn't a thing of beauty a joy forever?

We used antique brass for our door hardware and ceiling fans. The builder was horrified and tried to talk us out of it, but I stuck with it for a number of reasons. All my lights were going to be black, but DH didn't like the look of black door hardware. Because all the lights were going to be black, I didn't want to mix in ORB. I just didn't think I'd like those together. All of our paint and furniture choices were leaning to the warm side, so I didn't want to throw in the cooler tones of nickel or chrome. Some people, the builder included, may think it looks dated, but we're happy with the way it turned out.

Totally Confused

When we built our house in 1984, everything I picked was antique brass, including all hardware and hinges and doorknobs. I still like it and have no intention of changing it.

Our realtor made us change out all our shiny brass fixtures when we sold our house last spring but I do think the antique brass look can be very timeless. Here is a picture of a brass lamp that I just purchased and I don't think it looks dated at all. Is this the kind of brass you are talking about?

Oh yes, I think antique brass is timeless, classic and elegant. We have several antique brass Stiffel lamps and there are not going anywhere anytime soon. We also have an antique brass fireplace screen and that is staying also.

The brass chandelier in the DR is going. DH doesn't like it (go figure, he rarely has a decorating opinion!)

Our home is very traditional. I think the brass works here, but can see where it might not in a different style house.

Yes! This is our bathroom hardware. These were from JCP, but, unfortunately, the TP holder was discontinued when I ordered it. We also have shiny brass hardware on our entry door and french doors. Shiny brass has been out for so long, it seems to be coming back. I saw a post on Martha Stewart cabinets at HD that were shown with shiny brass hardware.

We just changed all of our door hardware in the old house to antique brass (from shiny brass)... I had no idea it was dated, LOL. I like it better than the pewter look everyone has going on now. The pewter looks like it needs to be in a more modern setting, whereas our furnishings are more traditional and the house is slightly "farmhouse" with the way the railings were designed.

Yes and yes. I put a lot of brass in my new kitchen (French range, French tap, brass potfiller). I love it. Mine is unlacquered, so shiny if I polish it, warm patina if I don't.

We still have the shiny brass around this house -- and frankly we can't afford to change it right now ....

I do have old brass lamps .... PLUS oil-rubbed bronze ones too ....

Our LR and DR are furnished very tranditionally. Lamps and furniture hardware are brass, so is the chandi. Because brass has been around for centuries, I'm confident and like the look.

Room-by-room we are changing door knobs and hinges to satin nickle, same with bathroom fixtures.

MIL and I were just talking about this. She has a lamp that she's owned for over 30 years in brass, and I would be proud to have it. I think it's timeless.

I have my great-grandparents brass lamp, which has a pierced brass shade. Last year I took it to a lighting shop that specializes in restoring old lighting fixtures, because I wanted to get it rewired. The guy at the shop offered me $400 for the lamp. The day I went to pick it up, another customer saw the lamp and thought it was for sale. She was very upset when she found out it wasn't and offered me a couple hundred dollars for it. At one point, I was literally clutching the lamp to me because I thought she was going to pick it up and walk off with it.

So some people think brass is still okay.

I think it's one of those things that's never completely out of style, in that you can usually find brass lamps and brass fittings in stores, but there are times when it's really, really in style and times when it's on the back burner. Kind of like toile. IMO, it's never really been out of style to the point where you couldn't find it if you looked hard enough, but recently, it's had a big resurgence.

My DR chandelier is shiny brass and I have no plans to change it. It was an expensive piece and I think, and this is all that matters, that it doesn't look cheap or outdated. I still love the look of it. If others, specifically one of my sisters, doesn't like the look of it then I suggest they eat at the kitchen table.

OTHO, my kitchen light fixture was cheap looking shiny brass and I had the metal painted.

So, yes I like some brass, but not all, and yes it's still in use in my home.

I have a lot of antique brass and I like it and don't see it as dated. I also have some ORB and I think the two go together well.

My ceiling fan in the master bedroom is shiny brass, it's an original Casablanca fan from 1983. It's perfectly quiet and I still like it.

I love antique brass ( or matte brass as it is sometimes now called by people who weren't around to see it the first time). In some settings I like shiny brass, and believe it or not, some settings still call for gold plate, I don't have any of the latter, but my mother's home, which is beautifully French, uses that in the baths and it is tres chic!

You know what they say. .... Plus ca change....... And although I have one bedroom/ bath with ORB fixtures and lighting, I think the dark bronze
is already dating houses much faster than any brass ever did. Kswl's prediction is that "matte brass,". Or distressed brass or whatever they are
going to call it now, will be the Next Big Thing..

I do not like antiqued brass in most cases because the "antiquing" applied and not natural. However, I do like real antiqued brass along with shiny solid brass.

Yes, yes, yes! I like both antique and shiny brass, with a preference for shiny. I don't care that it's considered dated, I've loved it for decades and I know it will come back sometime. In fact, our local paper did one of those one-paged illustrated style features and it highlighted gold and brass items. I felt vindicated! The funny thing is that I like modern style more than traditional (though I do mix), but I'm still very fond of brass. I like copper as well and have some interesting antique copper vessels that mix well.

In fact, 15 minutes before I read this my DH and I were sitting in the living room and I said "if I followed instructions from the decorating programs and forums I'd paint our brass fireplace screen black--but I'm not going to, I still love the brass." He agreed.

I just wish it was easier to find modern looking brass lighting fixtures instead of everything being nickel or stainless. I'd love to find a nice modern brass pendant for my dining room.

Here is a link that might be useful: Boston Globe feature on brass

I've never liked brass, but we have a ton of it (the old shiny stuff) in the house we just bought last Spring.
It's just another of the myriad things we're struggling with replacing vs embracing!

Love that light fixture, torsade!

Red

We have brass door and window hardware (along with 2 of the 6 ceiling fans) in 2/3 of the house. It's antiqued with age. Chose ORB for the addition, but the kitchen has both ORB and antique brass (on the hutch). Shiny chrome faucets in the baths.

We have two Stiffel brass lamps bought in the mid 90's -- shiny brass. Over the years the brass has developed a crackled or crazed look to them -- any idea why and if this can be fixed?

I've never stopped using brass. In my opinion it's classic. I have both shiny and antiqued.

Torsade, your fixtures are gorgeous! I hope you learn to embrace them, but if you don't please store them in the attic so if the next owner of your home wants to use them again. I would love to have fixtures like that in our home. I can dream.....

We have the old/original shiny brass ceiling fixtures in our home. Wouldn't trade them! It is one of the first things that your eye is drawn to when entering. These are a couple of the ones in our home.

I like the real stuff.

For door knobs I'd personally rather have shiny fake brass than any type of silver.

I am older than dirt and have seen everything come and go.
In 1960 I had Early American furniture and brass.
1965 Danish Modern and brass.
1970 Traditional and brass.
2011 still Traditional and brass.
Nothing is as classy as heavy shiny real brass .
Never was fond of the antique brass . Shiny just looks happier.
Also patty cakes crystal lamps and crystal anything is classy and will always be around.

After banishing it from the last few homes we've lived in, I am kinda thinking about some antiquey real brass for the house we're moving into. I'm kind of loving antique gold (for picture frames, etc) too, paired with blues and greens. Adds some warmth and it is looking kind of fresh and nice to me again.

Yes. We found the original brass chandy from the dining room in the attic, had it rewired and hung it. I also have a collection of brass candlesticks, and a few other brassy things in that room. I used vintage brass hardware on our nightstands and a china hutch. I like it unpolished, so some is almost black, some is shades of brown, and it's all in various stages of shininess.

I did just replace the door hardware in one whole area of the house with nickel. What was there was a mix of styles of builder's grade fake antique brass that was just worn and dirty and gross. I like the look of the buffed nickel against the stained doors, so I'm happy with the new look, but if I had a box full of genuine old brass, I would have used that.

I like all of the "living" metals, as Pal put it. Silver, brass, bronze...anything that develops it's own look with time and use. The metals that are laquered or painted to look like that just aren't the same.

Torsade!! That fixture is exactly what I've been looking for!! I need something interesting to go in our entryway to replace that very boring nipple-looking flush mount the PO's installed.

Mary Lu, those are beautiful!

I have very little brass in the house, but enjoy it very much. I replace our inconsequential hall light with an unpolished brass chandelier many years ago, and it just "makes" the space.

I'm happy to read that i'm not the only one who doesn't think of it as dated, but classic and timeless. My chandeliers are brass and most of my lamps, but pretty antique brass lamps are getting harder to find, unless you're willing to spend $300. I also love painted tole lamps, but they're fairly pricey too.

As oceanna has said, 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever.' ;o)

thanks justgotabme. We love them too. All main rooms, even the main bath have a version of this type of fixture. Some are more simple, but still in keeping with our old home (12 foot ceilings).

Main bath

Yes I like antique brass and shiny brass too! Although I do have some satin nickel in my home, all and all I'm getting sick of that look. So, I'm mixing. If you love brass now is a good time to buy, I just bought two simple but nice brass side tables with glass tops that I'm going to pair and use as bunching tables instead of a one piece coffee table, cost $300 for both on ebay and I love them.

The more I hear the TV decorators insist on silver/pewter the more I think they are getting paid to get us to change for change sake and spend money. I grew up in a military household and silver metal screams US AIR FORCE, base housing, builder grade CHEAP in my head. No way would I have changed all the hardware in my home to sell it. That is just silly and I do not believe it would have killed a sale. It really is about the age you grew up in and what you had and what says "new" in your world. I am a warm tones person "an autumn" back it the day, and I will always prefer and keep the brass in my home. I totally agree on the black, hate it. Torsade I LOVE your fixtures. I would love to have those in my halls. I couldn't tell if those were the ones you want to get rid of or if they were the new ones you swapped in. ;)

Yes I like brass and don't worry at all about using it if that's what I like or feel will work best. I like all the metals, in the right context. Vive la difference!

Thank you, Arcy! Those came with the house, and are a feature that we don't know if we'll keep or change out eventually. They cast the most beautiful light.
I've always been most attracted to the silver/pewter finishes, but this house is full of brass!
Which makes me wonder from a military standpoint, if officer housing had brass fixtures (top brass???)?

Have lots of brass. Stiffel brass lamps in my LR. I think brass is traditional and timeless. One way to "update" a brass lamp if you feel it necessary, or have extra $$ to spend would be to buy different shades.

While I love the ORB finishes on many things in our home, I believe the ORB is more of a trend, tho. Just a feeling, but I don't think we will be seeing true antique ORB in 100 yrs.

I asked this on another post a few days ago but don't believe they saw it. What is ORB?

Fripper, ORB stands for oil rubber bronze. I'm posting an example, but there can be a color variation, usually darker, depending on the manufacturer. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: ORB

I still have brass

I have a big honkin' 12 light solid brass chandelier I bought for a fortune back in 97. It was a gift from my Dad. I think it is probably too big for the room and table, but it is traditional and very well made. I may buy a smaller non brass one, but this one will go into the attic.
I also have the solid brass sconces my Parents gave us on our first wedding anniversary, some 30 years ago. They stay.
Its an old house 1923 so all of the doorknobs are glass and real aged brass or metal of some kind.I wouldnt think of changing them.

Aged/matte brass is beautiful.

Shiny Brass screams Home Interiors and makes me cringe. (I was a child of the 80s/90s, and my mother was a Home Interiors groupie... brass wall mounted butterflies and mailbox paintings still make me cringe)

Come to think of it, I don't like "new" metals at all. I don't like new copper, but swoon over a beautiful patina. etc.

I recently brought an aged brass plant basket upstairs to hold a hyacinth plant. I loved the look of brass in my room again, and I couldn't believe how it warmed up the room. I've decided to buy an aged brass floor lamp for the kitchen. Like Cooperbailey, I had a very expensive solid brass chandelier in the dining room. I replaced it but stored it in the basement for the future. :)
Dee

Glad to know i'm not the only one who doesn't like the *new* brushed nickel. Most of my lamps are vintage and if they weren't antique brass, they are now! I also have several crystal chandeliers, as well as crystal lamps w/crystals, which *never* go out of style!

Torsade, marylu, and others, I enjoyed seeing your brass! It's about what you love. ;o)

torsadem

I love your light fixture.

~boxer