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Polished or satin nickel for bathroom?

bluekitobsessed

15 years ago

I'm starting on the remodel of a downstairs 3/4 bathroom. The rest of my house has satin nickel hardware, and I like satin nickel generally. However, would I be better off with polished nickel fixtures and hardware in the bathroom? The shiny blingy look just feels appropriate in a bathroom, and I think I'll have an easier time finding fixtures in polished nickel. However, I've heard that it's better to keep one color/style hardware throughout the house. My first purchase will be a faucet, so I need to decide fixture/hardware color early.

Details of the proposed remodel: white wood open vanity (RH Chamfered), blue/gray granite countertop, beadboard or subway tile on bottom half of wall/darker blue paint on top half, white subway tile shower, light fixtures to be classic Rejuvenation, other fixtures to be found at RH outlet, haven't decided floor yet but some kind of light tile, generally looking for cottage/beach/casual feel rather than high maintenance.

I've cross-posted on bathrooms, but I thought you might have some good ideas also. Thank you!

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Comments (6)

justagirl
15 years ago
IMHO, since you're going for the cottage/beach/casual feel, I'd go with the satin finish.
bestyears
15 years ago
I just put satin nickel in two bathrooms. I wouldn't worry about having 'an easier time' finding polished nickel. There was plenty of selection. I have to say, I love the polished nickel. Very, very easy to keep nice looking. Mine is Delta Leland, btw, if you are interested.
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Just another note.... If you have shiny chrome fixtures and can't or don't want to match light fixtures to chrome then don't. If you try to match another shiny material it looks like a wanna be. Go with silver but make it a brushed - something similar but in fact different in its own right and it won't look like a wanna be. Just like the finish on the silver mirror in your picture it is brushed not polished and shiny like the fixtures.
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We aren't doing a full remodel so the tub and shower plumbing isn't being changed. That is chrome. I love the shower head and afraid new ones wouldn't provide as good a shower. Lighting is already purchased and that is brushed nickel. The sink faucet, accessories, and vanity hardware will be replaced. Also a quartz top (Viatera Minuet or similar) and new sink. I thought chrome for faucets is a more durable finish. So right now if I go brushed nickel with everything new, the tub shower will still be chrome. The other thought was just plumbing in chrome and all else brushed nickel. Those are the 2 options I am thinking but open to more ideas and feedback on these. Thanks.
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I'd match the faucet because that's what's more visible to match against the medicine cabinet. (The light will either be too dark to see if it matches or too bright to look at and see if it matches, depending on if it's on or off.) It's quite possible that the differences would never be noticed because the finishes are pretty close and the medicine cabinet has so little metal visible.
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Yes, I think you can mix it. I don't think you would have any problem at all doing that. ....silver is silver. ... is silver. I have a brushed satin double sink, and a shiny Delta faucet....never thought twice about it... It's silver. It works. It's paid for. LOL And your lights are not near your kitchen faucet. I have a ceiling recessed light above my kitchen sink(recessed into over head cabinets that hang down 30 inches from my ceiling)...it only came with a white square frame at the time... I have cut glass ceiling 'salad bowl' style kitchen fixtures, with shiny brass edge and middle mount to match my other ceiling fixtures in my open den. It all works to make light for my family. Shiny, Brushed, Silver, Gold, Crystal, Glass, it all makes a house. And the tax man thinks it's a castle! LOL
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brutuses
15 years ago
If it's better to keep one color throughout the house, I and thousands of others are in big trouble. LOL I believe either would be just fine. It sounds so pretty. Don't forget to post photo's of your finished project.
clax66
15 years ago
We chose P&R faucets in satin finish. We love it. Keeping it clean is easy - I don't worry about water marks like I used to get all the time with shiny chrome finish.
parma42
15 years ago
I'm with bru, you've been spending too much time on the Kitchens forum, that place scares me, lol. (I'm just kidding, please don't take offense) :) We have a little more of a laissez faire attitude around here when it comes to matching. Of course you do have igloo over there to shake things up.

Get the finish that pleases you the most.
babs711
15 years ago
I've never heard it's better to have the same finish throughout a house. I don't think that matters one bit. We have brushed nickel in our master bath and polished chrome in our kids bath. The kids fixtures are so much harder to keep clean b/c the polished finish shows water spots so much worse. I vote brushed or satin for that reason alone. I wanted that crisp shiny look of the polished chrome against the white counters and tub/tile in their bathroom. But if I had to do it over again, I'd go with satin/brushed just for the cleaning factor.

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