Can I Mix Hardware Finishes?

Similar Color

• "White" metals, or cool-tone metals, normally coordinate well together. So do "yellow" or warm-tone brass finishes. It is common for chrome, stainless steel, and smooth or brushed nickel to appear in the same bathroom or kitchen in new construction, so you can usually mix these cool-tone metals when renovating or decorating. Likewise, shiny brass, antique brass and gold tones can often be combined. However, use caution when two pieces of hardware are very different in style, such as a sleek tube-shaped pull and an early American "batwing" pull, even if they are the same color metal.

Similar Style or Lines

• In homes of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, it was common to mix silver, gold, pewter, bronze and brass using ornate utilitarian and decorative metal pieces of the time. The same is true for traditional homes today. In a room with traditional, ornate or antiqued hardware, fixtures or decor, mix silver or other cool-tone metals with gold or antiqued warm-tone metals of similar style. For contemporary or modern retro looks, keep the shapes simple and sleek and restricted to two metal tones.

Two-tone Hardware

• Some bathroom faucet styles are a combination of chrome and brass or another pair of metals. This makes it easy to use two different metal colors or finishes in the same bathroom. Such a combination is particularly helpful when retrofitting a piece of furniture that already has its own hardware, such as a dresser, to use as a vanity. Dual tones also can be found in other hardware such as light fixtures, towel racks, knobs and pulls.

Dark Neutrals

• In many cases, black or very dark hardware such as iron or bronze can be successfully mixed with either cool-tone or warm-tone metals. The key is to keep the shapes and lines simple, especially for a contemporary look. Fanciful or elaborate designs would mix better and be more at home in a traditional setting.