Kitchen hardware finishes can define the look of your entire kitchen. Although small, they are a feature that holds a lot of importance. The color and finish of the metal hardware you choose impact the kitchen’s look. These are also some of your kitchen’s most used and touched aspects.
Kitchen Hardware Impact
Like all aspects of your home, there are many styles to choose from. Modern, classic, traditional, vintage, high-end, and rustic are some of the many. But once you have the cabinets, tile, paint, and appliances in, one of the last steps is choosing which hardware you want to finish off the look.
There are endless options for your style, but even after that, there are finishes. But there is no need to get overwhelmed. One of the first considerations is whether you want bold contrasting statement hardware. This look would include something like a black finish on white doors, which would create a very bold look. Or you may want your hardware to be more subtle. The same black knobs on mahogany cabinets would be more secondary and less noticeable. Taking your cabinet color or wood is step one in the process.
Mixing It Up
Before we get into the many finish choices, it’s important to know that you can mix and match finishes throughout your kitchen. Having stainless steel appliances doesn’t mean you can only have silver-finished hardware. Some pairings work better than others, but know that you are not locked into just one hardware finish or combination due to other pieces in your kitchen.
Types Of Kitchen Hardware Finishes
Kitchen hardware with a polished finish is highly shiny and reflective. Although matte is a popular finish in bathroom hardware, it is still an option for your kitchen. However, brushed and satin finishes have less gleam and better hide water stains and fingerprints.
- Polished brass is the most traditional of finishes. It has a classic gold color and a highly reflective surface.
- Antique brass has the same golden tones as polished brass but is darker and has an aged vintage appearance.
- Satin brass is a rosier gold with a brushed look that is not overly antique but high-end.
- Brushed nickel is another classic and timeless style. Its satin silver coloring is very common in many hardware styles and pairs well with appliances and other household fixtures.
- Pewter finishes are cool-toned brushed finishes that work well with more decorative cabinetry.
- Polished chrome is the silver alternative to gold-polished brass, with a shiny finish and timeless look.
- Polished nickel is quite similar to polished chrome in its silver appearance. Still, it has a warmer yellow tone as opposed to the cool undertones of chrome.
- Brushed chrome looks like it pairs well with stainless steel, which has the same industrial look.
- Copper, also known as the trendy rose gold, has been gaining popularity, blending the reds of copper and yellow of gold to meet in the middle. This color comes in brushed or polished.
- Bronze finishes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer in terms of name and look. Some lean more brown, while others are more black, with a worn effect showing brighter layers coming through.
- Matte gray is a modern take on pewter—softer and less antique-looking but still a dramatic and sophisticated choice.
- Matte black is a popular choice, as black is a classic neutral that pairs with everything. It’s bold and dramatic, and it’s always in style.
Putting It All Together
If the hardware you are leaning towards has sample options, there’d be no better way to know how it will look in your kitchen than to try it! Using samples or seeing various finishes in person can determine how the kitchen will come together.
Once you’ve made your final decisions, Clover Construction will happily assist with any installation. Whether you need hardware holes drilled or just some assistance with the labor intense tediousness of screwing all the hardware in, we’re here to help!
