In July, I opened up one of my shelter magazines and was struck by this bathroom ad filled with brass hardware, lighting and faucets.
Proof brass is here to stay
If you’ve had your doubts about whether brass was timeless and here to stay, here’s proof.
When brass first came back on trend in the early 2010s, many were still scarred by the shiny brass of the 80s that they were still pulling out.
I remember so many clients in those days flatly declined any brass recommendations.
Here’s the thing. If brass went through the 10 year trend cycle and was officially OUT? There’s no way it would still be featured in a magazine ad along with the trendy finishes of 2024, patterned marble with pale oak.
Black? Not so much
It’s also interesting to note that there is not a stitch of black in this bathroom. Also it’s beige (pink beige to be exact to relate to the area rug), which is more proof that things are warming up!
Again in July, House Beautiful posted an article, Top 10 Kitchen Trends of 2024, and this kitchen (below) was right at the top. Notice the faucet is a combination of black and gold. Likely to tie in with the black windows. I think the black perimeter countertop is all they needed here and the faucet would be just as well matching the rest of the plumbing, do you agree?
Brass looks vintage
And because the theme that ties many of the decor trends right now is warm and vintage, brass fits right in.
My timeless tip
I would still generally recommend keeping faucets in a silver finish. It’s the most versatile and can be layered with other metal finishes. I covered mixing metals here. Because really, who wants to change out their plumbing fixtures to change up the look?
Here’s my timeless chrome faucet (below) in my last home along with chrome and glass hardware.
If you are choosing finishes yourself and you’ve never done this before, keep it simple and work on being creative with paint colours and decorating.
Don’t try to think outside the envelope
Details are what make or break any renovation project so the more simple and boring your envelope is, the happier you’ll be with the end result.
What do I mean by your envelope? I mean everything that is glued down and installed like flooring, tile, countertops, etc. If you keep it simple, versatile and timeless as possible, your future self with thank you.
Get creative instead with paint (the easiest finish to change), furnishings, textiles and decor. Hardware and lighting are generally pretty simple to change out. Plumbing is a bit trickier (you’ll need a plumber).
Maria’s Kitchen Refresh 5 Years After the Renovation
You’ll notice in this kitchen refresh that all I had to do was basically change out the roman shades, pendant lighting and paint the island and the kitchen felt new again.
Did you know we have a kitchen refresh package? For when you can’t renovate. See it here.
That is the goal of a timeless house. Because a timeless house does not need to be renovated every ten years.
Sign up for a free webinar about how to trend-proof and navigate your home projects without regret. And if you’ve already made some mistakes because you’re done with your renos, learn how to decorate so you can distract the eye! Sign up here.
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Related posts:
Is Brass Out? How to Mix Metals Like a Pro
Mixing Metals: How to Update a Brown Kitchen by Adding Brass
Mix Metals like a Pro in your Bathroom
Officiallly or not, brass has ALWAYS been timeless.
Except the shiny brass from the 80s, no one kept that. And I agree with you, the french don’t change their frames when gold is not trending. Maria
I agree with everything in this post and also that the faucet that was black could have been brass. I have brass kitchen knobs and yrs ago wanted to change to that brown/bronze finish. So glad I didn’t waste the money. The brass is much easier on the eye.
QUESTION: how did you paint your kitchen cabinet in the refresh you depicted? Semi gloss paint? Sprayed or rolled on. thank you!
Terrific remodels of your original kitchen, I especially like the second one.
It just goes to show if the bones (envelope) is clean and timeless, there could be many changes without requiring a gut reno.
I love brass! And I love hearing that pale oak and pink beige are in. That’s my 2000s kitchen 😂 The cabinets are shockingly well designed for a builder basic house. They go to the ceiling and although they’re recessed panel, the panels are rectangular–no arches, thank goodness, and they had no hardware, so no holes to repair. I will paint them eventually, but for now I threw on some antique brass knobs/pulls and called it a day. I used your advice to vary the length of my pulls for a more custom look, and I love it.
I really do not like the black and brass faucet. But I DO like that look in light fixtures. How do you feel about black and brass light fixtures, Maria?
Oh, and one last thing–changing a faucet is an easy DIY. No plumber needed! For a bathroom sink, anyway. Not sure about other faucets.
Oops, I meant to say *raised* panel, not recessed.
I think a black and gold faucet is trendy so I would personally skip it at this point unless your kitchen looks like a version of one in this post with all the details considered.Maria
Wonderful post, Maria! I love the warmed up, vintage look. I especially love that pic from Katie Grace Designs. The sconces, mirror, and wallpaper are elegant and cozy 🙂 I wish the whole world would read your blog, so we could save ourselves from ripping stuff out and have a timeless look instead!
“Timeless” or not, I still really hate brass and will never ever use it. To each their own. 🤷♀️
I love classic warmth of brass. How do you feel about mixing brass and chrome? I know your “rule” about repeating but does that apply to all silver finishes or only the non shiny ones? Thanks!