Choosing the right finish can completely shift the feel of a space. Whether you're updating kitchen cabinetry, refreshing a bathroom vanity, or replacing tired door hardware, the right metal can add warmth, contrast or softness without the cost of a full renovation. This guide walks through the look, feel, ageing process and care of our most-loved finishes, so you can choose with confidence.
A simple hardware swap is often one of the easiest ways to give a room a more considered, finished feel.
Compare Metal Finishes
Brushed Brass
Warm, refined and easy to live with, brushed brass has become a go-to for interiors that want softness without losing polish.
Look & Feel
Brushed brass has a muted golden tone with a fine texture that diffuses light rather than reflecting it sharply. It feels warm and welcoming, which is one of the reasons it works so well across both modern and more character-filled homes. Brushed and satin brass finishes are often chosen for their timeless look and their ability to sit comfortably between statement and subtlety.
The Mood
This finish brings warmth to white cabinetry, adds depth to timber joinery, and can make a newer space feel more layered and considered. It suits coastal homes, modern heritage interiors, and those softer contemporary spaces where you want a touch of quiet luxury.
Ageing Characteristics
Depending on how the finish is made, brushed brass may stay relatively consistent or develop a patina over time. Traditional satin or brushed brass can gently deepen with age, while electroplated or PVD versions are designed to offer a more even, non-tarnishing appearance.
Natural Variation
No two brass pieces will always look exactly the same, and that’s part of the appeal. Slight tonal shifts, brushing marks and light variation can all contribute to a more natural, less mass-produced feel.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
For general care, wipe with a soft damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Avoid harsh or abrasive cleaners, especially if you want to preserve the surface character rather than strip it back.
French Brass
French Brass brings a touch of European elegance with its warm, slightly distressed golden tone – perfect for adding subtle luxury to everyday spaces.
Look & Feel
French Brass has a richer, more golden appearance than standard antique brass, often with a soft lacquer or distressed finish that gives it depth and movement. It feels sophisticated yet approachable, striking that balance between decorative and understated.
The Mood
This finish suits spaces that want a hint of glamour – think butler's pantries, heritage apartments, or coastal homes with a French provincial influence. It elevates white shaker cabinetry, marble bench tops and linen textures beautifully.
Ageing Characteristics
Designed to maintain its lustre while developing gentle character over time. The distressed areas may darken slightly, adding to the lived-in elegance without becoming overly patinated.
Natural Variation
Expect subtle differences in the distressed pattern and golden depth from piece to piece – this variation is intentional and gives each handle or hinge its own personality.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Wipe gently with a damp microfibre cloth and mild soap. Dry thoroughly. Avoid abrasives to preserve the delicate distressed finish.
Antique Brass
Antique brass feels collected, grounded and full of character – ideal if you want hardware that adds depth rather than shine.
Look & Feel
Antique brass has a softer, more subdued finish than brushed brass, usually with darker undertones and an aged look built into the surface. It feels warm, familiar and a little more decorative without tipping into anything overly ornate. Antique brass is known for its rich tone and the depth created through antiquing processes that mimic age and wear.
The Mood
This finish suits homes with heritage influence, cottage character, French-inspired details or simply spaces that need a bit more soul. It pairs beautifully with shaker cabinetry, warm whites, natural stone and darker timbers.
Ageing Characteristics
Antique brass is often designed to evolve gently over time, with small changes in tone adding to its character. Some versions are lacquered or plated to keep the finish more stable, while others continue to patina with use and exposure.
Natural Variation
This is one of the finishes where variation tends to be part of the charm. You may notice darker areas, subtle shifts in tone or an aged effect that feels slightly different from piece to piece.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Use mild soap, warm water and a soft cloth for routine cleaning. Avoid abrasive products, and avoid over-polishing if you want to keep the aged appearance intact.
PVD Gold
PVD Gold offers a contemporary take on luxury with its warm golden tone and exceptional durability – perfect for modern interiors that want a touch of glamour.
Look & Feel
PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) Gold has a rich, even golden finish with a subtle sheen that's more consistent than traditional gold plating. It feels premium and polished without being overly brassy or reflective.
The Mood
This finish brings subtle opulence to contemporary kitchens, hotel fit-outs, or apartments where you want hardware to feel special without overwhelming the space. It works beautifully against matte black cabinetry, marble surfaces and warm greys.
Ageing Characteristics
PVD finishes are among the most durable available, designed to resist tarnishing, scratching and corrosion far better than traditional plating. The colour stays true over time with proper care.
Natural Variation
PVD Gold tends to have very little variation piece-to-piece, offering a uniform, high-quality appearance that's consistent across an entire project.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Wipe with a soft microfibre cloth and mild soap solution. Dry thoroughly after cleaning. Highly resistant to wear but avoid abrasive cleaners to maintain the flawless finish.
Matte White
Matte White offers a fresh, modern alternative that feels clean and airy – especially useful in spaces that need brightness without shine.
Look & Feel
Matte White has a soft, non-reflective surface that reads crisp and contemporary. It feels light and clean, making it one of the more unusual choices for hardware while still being practical.
The Mood
This finish works brilliantly in small bathrooms, laundries, coastal kitchens or anywhere you want to keep things feeling open and uncluttered. It pairs particularly well with natural timber, pale stone and greenery.
Ageing Characteristics
Matte White tends to stay fairly consistent over time, though it can show marks more readily than darker finishes. The matte texture helps disguise fingerprints better than glossy white.
Natural Variation
Slight tonal differences may appear depending on lighting, but overall it offers a clean, uniform appearance across pieces.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Clean with a soft cloth and mild cleaner. Dry immediately after wiping, especially in wet areas, to prevent water marks. Avoid harsh scrubbing that could affect the matte texture.
Chrome
Bright, polished and familiar, chrome is a classic finish that still earns its place in modern interiors.
Look & Feel
Chrome has a reflective, mirror-like surface that gives hardware a crisp and clean appearance. It feels fresh, functional and neat, which is part of its long-standing appeal. Chrome-plated finishes are known for being durable and for holding their brightness over time with occasional cleaning.
The Mood
This finish suits bathrooms, laundries, streamlined kitchens and homes that lean clean and contemporary. It can also work well in more traditional homes where you want a simple, fuss-free finish.
Ageing Characteristics
Chrome is one of the more stable finishes and is generally designed to remain bright rather than develop a patina. It won’t give you the evolving character of brass, but it does offer consistency and longevity.
Natural Variation
Because of its reflective finish, chrome usually appears fairly uniform, though it can show fingerprints, water spots and smudges more readily than brushed finishes.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Wipe regularly with a soft cloth and keep dry where possible. Gentle cleaning helps maintain the shine and avoid build-up from water or household residue.
Brushed Nickel
Cool, subtle and highly versatile, brushed nickel is one of those finishes that quietly works almost anywhere.
Look & Feel
Brushed nickel has a soft silver tone with a satin-like surface that feels calmer than chrome and less stark than polished finishes. It’s often chosen for its understated look and its ability to blend in without disappearing completely. Brushed and satin nickel finishes are valued for their durability and their suitability in busy spaces.
The Mood
This finish suits contemporary homes, Scandi-inspired spaces, modern coastal interiors and anyone wanting a softer alternative to chrome. It works particularly well with cooler palettes, greyed timbers, white joinery and stone.
Ageing Characteristics
Brushed nickel generally holds its appearance well over time and tends to be low maintenance. Some nickel finishes are lacquered, which helps protect the surface and keep the finish looking more consistent.
Natural Variation
There may be slight variation in brushing or depth of tone, especially across different product shapes or production runs, but overall it tends to offer a very even look.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
A soft cloth with warm water is usually enough for day-to-day cleaning. Dry after wiping, particularly in bathrooms or laundries, to help reduce water spotting.
Brushed Gunmetal
Gunmetal sits somewhere between black and silver, offering a moodier alternative that still feels refined.
Look & Feel
Gunmetal usually carries charcoal, graphite or pewter undertones, often with a soft brushed or satin finish. It feels contemporary and a little more nuanced than straight matte black. Australian design sources describe gunmetal as a sophisticated, versatile alternative to more standard finishes, with a subtle sheen that adds depth.
The Mood
This finish brings a moody, grounded feel to a space and works especially well with dark cabinetry, walnut tones, concrete, stone and layered neutral palettes. It’s ideal if you want contrast, but don’t want the sharper look of black.
Ageing Characteristics
Gunmetal finishes are generally chosen for their practicality as much as their appearance. They tend to wear well in day-to-day use and can be more forgiving than brighter finishes when it comes to fingerprints or surface marks.
Natural Variation
Because gunmetal sits in that grey-charcoal family, slight differences in undertone can be more noticeable depending on the light. Some versions feel cooler and more graphite, while others lean warmer and deeper.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Use a soft cloth and mild cleaner if needed, then dry thoroughly. Avoid abrasive products that may affect the finish texture or sheen.
Matte Black
Matte black is clean, graphic and confident – a strong choice when you want contrast without extra fuss.
Look & Feel
Matte black has a flat, low-sheen appearance that gives hardware a pared-back, architectural feel. It reads crisp against white cabinetry, soft against oak and tonal against darker joinery. Matt black hardware is widely used for the striking contrast it creates, especially on light or timber applications.
The Mood
This finish leans modern, but it can also work beautifully in more classic homes when used sparingly. It brings definition to cabinetry and doors, and can make a simple space feel sharper and more resolved.
Ageing Characteristics
Matte black is generally considered a hard-wearing finish, though the way it wears will depend on the base material and application. Over time, chips or scratches may reveal the brass underneath if the surface is damaged.
Natural Variation
Matte black tends to look more consistent than brass-based finishes, though slight differences in texture or sheen can still happen between batches or product types.
Caring For Your Brass Fittings
Clean with a soft damp cloth and dry after wiping. Avoid scratching the surface or using abrasive pads, as the finish can mark if treated too harshly.
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