Matte black is my go-to these days too. I used to love the look of polished chrome, but with kids around, it was just constant wiping. Unlacquered brass is cool, but it does get that lived-in look fast—some folks love it, some don’t. I’ll take a little character over fingerprints any day.
I hear you on the fingerprints—chrome looks great for about five minutes, then it’s smudges everywhere. I went with brushed nickel in my last place thinking it’d be low-maintenance, but honestly, it still showed water spots. Matte black’s been way easier to keep looking decent, though I do get the appeal of brass when it starts to age. Adds a bit of personality, even if it’s not for everyone.
Matte black is definitely tempting—my cousin swears by it for hiding everything. I was all set on brushed nickel too, thinking it’d be “worry-free,” but those water spots drove me nuts. Brass looks cool when it’s aged, but I’m not sure I could handle the patina phase... feels risky for my first reno.
Matte black hides fingerprints, but I've found it shows soap scum if you're not on top of cleaning—ask me how I know. Brushed nickel’s water spots drove me nuts too, especially with hard water. Ever tried oil-rubbed bronze? It’s got that lived-in vibe but doesn’t patina as dramatically as brass. Curious if anyone’s regretted going bold with color, like navy or forest green fixtures...
Curious if anyone’s regretted going bold with color, like navy or forest green fixtures...
I put matte black in a couple of rentals and yeah, it hides fingerprints, but the soap scum is real—especially in units where tenants aren’t exactly detail-oriented with cleaning. Brushed nickel was even worse for me with hard water; I swear the spots showed up overnight. I haven’t tried bold colors yet, mostly because I worry about resale. Has anyone actually seen colored fixtures hold up over time, or do they just end up looking dated?
