The Ultimate Guide to Selecting Hardware Finishes

About The Author:

Rachel Teodoro is the content creator at RachelTeodoro.com, a home and family blog that helps readers live well on less and encourages others to find inspiration in real life. Rachel shares practical tips and life experiences and spending time in her space is like sharing a cup of coffee with a new Seattle friend. Rachel has been a lifelong Delta Faucet user and loyal customer.

There are so many decisions to be made when you are remodeling, building, or updating a living space. After selecting the type of faucet, knob, or lighting fixture you are tasked with selecting the hardware finish and it doesn't take long to feel completely overwhelmed! I remember feeling accomplished when I'd finally settle on a faucet or a particular knob for a drawer but then I'd be asked to select the hardware finish and I'd feel like I was starting all over again! Selecting the right hardware finish can really elevate and personalize your space and this guide will help you make the decision that is right for your home without leaving you feeling overwhelmed!

We recently updated a guest bathroom and did a full kitchen remodel and selecting hardware finishes for the faucets, fixtures, and cabinet knobs wasn't an easy task. There were a lot of questions (Can I mix hardware finishes? Will the colors match my cabinets? Should my sink faucet match my refrigerator?) and I second-guessed myself a lot! I learned a few things in the process and I'm sharing this information in the hope that you will be able to feel educated and informed so that you can boldly and confidently select the right hardware finish for your home.

Before you can decide what hardware finish is right for your home, you'll need to take into consideration a few things.

Consider the Design Style

To make the best decision on what hardware finish is right for your home, you'll need to consider the style of your space. If your space leans towards a more modern style, you'll want to go with something cooler and sleeker like Stainless or Chrome. If you are drawn to a more traditional style, you'll want to stick with something warm like Champagne Bronze or Polished Nickel.  Some faucet finishes can work for multiple styles and act like a neutral like Matte Black. 

How Do You Know Your Design Style?

This is a big question for me. I often know what I like and what I don't like, but if you asked me if I liked a traditional style or a modern style, the answer would be yes. Both are very different styles and yet I like elements of both of them! 

The thing that helped me during the design process was making a Pinterest board. I went through thousands of images online of kitchens and bathrooms and created a Pinterest board for each. As I went back, I looked at trends that were sticking out to me from the images that I had pinned. I found that there were several images that I pinned more than once and those were generally the designs and styles that I was the most drawn to. I started examining elements of those to narrow down what it was about those images that caught my eye. 

Complement Don't Compete

You'll also want to take into consideration the other finish colors that will be in your space. You want to compliment finishes not compete. I carried around a backseat full of samples from flooring to paint to the cabinet chip color for months. This makes it easy to compare how the colors and tones in your space go together before making a large purchase you might regret later.

Want to read more about home design trends with staying power? Check out this post.

Know What Hardware Finishes Are Available

Before you can make an educated decision on what hardware finish is right for your space, you need to know what finishes are available. After selecting our cabinet color, countertops, and flooring in our kitchen and bathroom, the next design selection that we made was our faucets. I knew without a doubt that I would be using Delta Faucet in our home. I have been a loyal customer for decades and love the large selection and innovative products that are available. 

Want to read more? Check out this post on how to choose bathroom faucet finishes.

There are a wide variety of hardware finishes for faucets that can be used to coordinate with other finish selections you'll be making from lighting to cabinet hardware. The finish is an additional design element that you get to work with and it helps to have an understanding of the potential options. Here are some of the hardware finishes that are available in faucets and accessories.

Kitchen and Bathroom Faucet Finishes

Matte Black

One of the most versatile finishes available is Matte Black. Matte Black bridges the gap between design styles. It can be moody and edgy, warm and bold, classic and neutral, or sleek and modern. It's a timeless choice that will make a lasting impact. 

Delta's Matte Black kitchen and bathroom faucets have matching accessories like air switches and glass rinsers, towel bars, and robe hooks. 

I selected a Matte Black faucet in our guest bathroom and I've been impressed at how easy it is to keep clean. A black hardware finish is perfect for a high-use area, especially one with kids because it's less susceptible to fingerprints and doesn't show dirt and scrapes as quickly as some other shinier finishes.

Want to read more about selecting Matte Black fixtures for your bathroom? Check out this post.

Champagne Bronze

It was an easy choice when we were selecting our kitchen faucets to go with the Champagne Bronze hardware finish. I was looking for a warm classic color choice that would help elevate our space. It felt fancy but not stuffy. 

Champagne Bronze can easily be paired with other metallic colors, like stainless steel, making it an easy choice for mixing metals in your kitchen in particular.

Stainless

This hardware finish offers a more contemporary look to a space. If mixing metals feels a bit bold to you, the safer option would be to go with a Stainless finish especially if you have Stainless appliances or sinks. 

Stainless steel is used on appliances and on sinks because it is a workhorse that will stand up to all kinds of messes and high-traffic use. It's also versatile and will match a variety of kitchen styles.

Chrome

Chrome is a bit of an edgier finish. It's extremely shiny and works well with cool colors. It can easily be combined with a Polished Nickel finish to add contrast to a space.

Black Stainless

Black is timeless and generally trend-proof. It complements a variety of decor styles and generally looks good with darker appliances. Black Stainless generally has a cooler tone and looks more metallic than Matte Black.

Polished Nickel

This hardware finish has a more traditional feel with a warmer tone. It has an elevated contemporary feel with a pale gold finish. It is shinier than the Champagne Bronze.

Venetian Bronze

Venetian Bronze is lighter and smoother with warm tones. If you are looking for a more traditional or rustic feel, this is a good option. 

Oil Rubbed Bronze

While similar to Venetian Bronze, Oil Rubbed Bronze has a more chocolaty brown color with copper undertones. Depending on the space it's in and its surroundings it can sometimes take on the appearance of black.

If you'd like to learn more about the faucet finishes available, check out this post.

Delta Faucet is constantly seeking out innovative solutions for common pain points. These are a few of the Delta Innovations worth noting when considering a hardware finish.

Lumicoat

One of my favorite Delta Innovations is Lumicoat. Lumicoat finishes repel liquid and resist water spots. They are guaranteed to resist mineral buildup and hard water stains easily wiping clean with a soft cloth, no cleaners or chemicals are needed! 

Lumicoat finishes are available in Chrome, Polished Nickel, Arctic Stainless, Champagne Bronze, and Black Stainless. 

SpotShield

Similarly, Delta SpotShield technology resists water spots, but it also repels fingerprints and smudges. It's a smart solution for finishes that often are a magnet for spots like Stainless. This Innovation also offers antimicrobial protection which can reduce odor. 

As I started making decisions for our home remodel, this was a question I asked more than once! We kept our stainless steel appliances and I wanted to make sure that the Champagne Bronze faucets I selected for our kitchen wouldn't look out of place. In fact, I have Matte Black sink accessories flanking my Champagne Bronze faucet, again, another design choice I second-guessed but now I'm glad I went with it. Our countertops are black, so the Matte Black accessories blend right in while the Champagne Bronze faucet gets to be the star of the show!

Mixing finishes is actually a great way to add interest to a space and ensures that your space won't feel too sterile with only one finish dominating. Not all finishes play well together. Color is one of the most important aspects of design and you don't need to be an expert to understand warm and cool undertones. 

All that to say if you want to use one cohesive finish, do it! Mix metals or don't. It's your space and you should love where you live!

If you want to read more about mixing metals in the kitchen, check out this post.

There are so many beautiful finish choices available to help you personalize your space. With all this information in hand, you can confidently move forward to make the right choice for your home.