Is chrome back and is brushed nickel out?
Which metal finish is more popular for 2017, chrome or brushed nickel?
Whereas chrome used to be considered the "cheap" option for kitchen fixtures just a few years ago, it's now more popular than ever in higher end homes.
Chrome Versus Brushed Nickel
With the surge in new homes with chrome fixtures, hardware, and lighting, we asked Andrea to explain the trend:
"My philosophical answer is that with most people's view on the world today as GLOBAL, somehow almost everything that ever was will have to remain available for those who like it--we can't suddenly bully poor old brushed nickel just because its not as shiny as chrome :) that just wouldn't be nice or fair!
Plus many people feel comfort in the fact that their brushed nickel kitchen faucet matches so nicely with their stainless steel appliances.
Here's an example of a chrome sink faucet paired with a stainless steel sink and brushed nickel pot filler in the same kitchen:
Manufacturers are going to have a tougher and tougher time nailing down which direction to go in when it comes to metallic finishes but they are still banking on the color association of America to be correct and those folks still do their very in depth research of the market in order to advise manufacturers as to what color to make their new products appealing to millennials.
I see nothing cast in stone for 2017 as far as chrome versus brushed nickel, however, very notably, brushed nickel doesn't best pull off several of the interior household looks or styles that continue to be popular: farmhouse, rustic, modern, and updated traditional. All of those looks, regardless of how new and fresh they are today, are based on periods from both the 19th and 20th centuries during which brushed nickel did not exist.
So, what finishes are picking up in popularity for 2017?
Copper Kitchen Fixtures
Yet what is worth mentioning this year is the continuation of copper--just touches of it will do a lot and its being shown as a companion metal finish to every other finish out there so you're free to throw it in wherever you like: a bar sink, some pendant lights, cabinet hardware, a few bar accessories or kitchen accessories to display."
Here are some Raleigh new home photos with examples of copper finishes. Each kitchen uses only a touch of copper, mixed with a variety of other metals and finishes.
Copper Pendant Lights (with Brushed Nickel and Stainless Steel)
Copper Hardware on the Island Cabinets
Copper Sink in the Island, Copper Cabinet Hardware
More on Bronze Kitchen Trends:
Pairing Oil Rubbed Bronze with Stainless Steel
Can I Pair a Bronze Faucet with a Stainless Steel Sink?
Matte Gold Kitchen Finishes
Secondly in the metal finishes is a luxurious looking MATTE GOLD. Matte gold with clean bright white and fresh plants says modern, edgy and hip and matte gold with matte black says confident and accomplished. Both copper and matte gold look outstanding with the deepest navy's and warmest slate grays.
So yes, chrome is very back, but no, brushed nickel is not out. At the same time do feel free to add some copper or matte gold if you want to be most current.
Read more about the chrome vs brushed nickel debate, here.
- Andrea Enns, Interior Design Expert
New Home Design Trend Questions: