Share Warm-toned metals, like brass, are traditional, timeless finishes that bring a homely, nostalgic feel to your interiors. A classic finish, brass was considered dated as late as 2014, with many interior designers and homeowners a bit hesitant of the finish until recent years. Many still think brass is outdated, with flashbacks to the wall-to-wall brass fixtures trend of the 1980s, but its luxurious appeal keeps it firmly on the design radar today.
Brass hardware is having a big comeback, and adding accent pieces is an easy and inexpensive way to update your home.
Take a scroll through Instagram, a browse through Pinterest or a flick through any interior design magazine, and you will see brass details everywhere. From brass light fixtures to brass door knobs, incorporating brass tones throughout your home is a trend that will not go out of style any time soon.
With continuous year-on-year growth in sales, brass is a popular finish. This timeless mix of copper and zinc can range from gold tones to a more muted hue. Sometimes deliberately given an aged look to bring different textures and provide an authentic touch, brass has multiple finishes, from a classic antique effect to bright, polished, and more.
So, it is official: brass is back in style, but this time, it is different.
The New Brass
The new, emerging trend is understated, subtle and quiet. Gone are the loud brass tones of the 1980s, and in its place is a subdued brushed gold. The bright gold tones of brass finishes provide warmth, elegance, and sophistication and, with the brushed effect, has an updated, modern look.
Incorporating brass accents into your interior design should be approached the same way you would accessorise an outfit. Think of your brass fixtures like gold jewellery, adding the finishing touch to your home's design. But choosing your hardware should not be a last-minute decision. Well-chosen hardware will transform a plain space or work into a multi-textured interior scheme.
When brass returned to the forefront of the design world, it was clear that it was not a finish that would go out of style. So, whether you want to update your current hardware or work brass accents into your home, beautiful brass is here to stay.
Brass can be tricky to use in a modern, fresh way that will not feel dated in a few years, so we have some tips to follow if you want to incorporate brass finishes into your home.
Keep It Simple
Simplicity is essential if you want your brass hardware to have a modern, fresh look.
To evade the risk of brass looking dated, choose pieces with clean lines and contemporary forms and keep these details to small areas like your door hardware. Doing so is an easy and cost-effective way to update your home with gold details.
Brass is well-suited to accent pieces like lights, door hardware, fixtures, and other small decor pieces. Particularly in bathrooms and kitchens, keeping this finish to smaller home decor items like faucets, cabinet hardware, door hinges, and door handles prevents your room design from becoming overwhelming. In addition, constant exposure to water and humidity can affect brass fixtures, so keeping brass to smaller areas means the finish is easier to maintain.
Adding simple brass details to a neutral bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen is a fantastic way to add warmth and prevent a design from looking flat. For example, introducing a brass door handle or door hardware can significantly impact a room.
Our collection of brass door handles provides a range of styles, so, whether you are looking for a modern brass addition, like our Augusta door handle, or something more traditional, like our Victorian Straight door handle, we have a design for any home.
Mix Metals
Combining different metals is a fantastic way to introduce brass into your home.
The trick to making a room with mixed metal finishes look cohesive is to ensure that one finish dominates and avoid using more than three in one space. Luckily, brass works well with cool tones like chrome and black, but you should avoid pairing brass with other warm metals like copper.
For instance, if you love silver finishes like polished nickel, brushed nickel and stainless steel, you can still use them within your home and add little details here and there. In this case, opting for chrome cabinet hardware within a room but choosing bright door handles in a brass finish would pair nicely.
Brass also pairs perfectly with black, offering a great contrast without looking out of place. You can take the distinction further by mixing polished brass with matt black, where the shiny surface of the brass directly contrasts the mattified finish of the matt black.
Choose Different Tones of Brass
Brass boasts warm golden tones that bring colour and detail to any home design, but several finishes are available, offering you an endless selection of choices.
There are a few different tones to choose from, such as:
- Antique brass
- Polished brass
- Brushed brass
Each finish brings a unique style to your interiors. For example, whilst antique echoes traditional, rustic hardware styles, polished or brushed finishes take a more modern approach. So, whether your home has a conventional or contemporary style, there is a finish to suit your home's personality.
Antique Brass
Antique brass, a rich, deep brown shade with golden undertones, has fast come back in style and gives hardware a deliberately aged, rustic look, perfect for period properties and traditionally styled homes.
An unlacquered brass, this finish echoes the traditional hardware finishes seen since the 1800s when door hardware became a necessity within all homes. However, it is purposefully aged to speed up its natural patination and give it an older look.
Opting for this finish allows you to add a variation in tones within your home, giving a relaxed, authentic feel to your home. The darker tones of this finish ensure versatility, with hardware looking crisp against neutral interior doors or even natural wooden styles.
Durable and low maintenance, the mattified effect of this finish aid in hiding fingerprints and marks, meaning they only require a wipe with a soft cloth whenever necessary.
Capri Lever Bathroom Door Handle in Antique Brass. Tap the image above to shop.
Polished Brass
Unique and full of character, polished brass has a bright, reflective shine, perfect for breaking up neutral interiors whilst adding warmth. Well suited to luxurious interior decor styles, this colourful, glossy finish works well in dark spaces by adding a splash of brightness and a standout finish in neutral rooms.
Polished brass is a finish that has not been treated, allowing the true gold undertones to shine through. Sealed with a lacquer to prevent any tarnishing and patina over time, the high-shine finish of polished brass hardware gives it a mirrorlike look, whilst the pale gold glow gives hardware a subtle, luxury feel.
A subtle alternative to bright gold, polished brass is highly versatile, working well with many colours. Cool colours, like blues and greens, contrast beautifully against the warmth of the brass, whilst pairing polished brass hardware with warm colours like mustard yellow, will create a cosy space.
The high versatility of polished brass will allow you to change up the colour scheme in your room without changing permanent fittings. Choosing door knobs, handles or cabinet hardware in this finish will bring style and elegance to any home.
Augusta Lever-on-Rose Door Handle in Polished Brass. Tap the image above for more information.
Brushed Brass
The most popular brass finish, brushed brass, is modern, bright, and eye-catching, without being over the top.
Its golden tones define this finish, but it does not have the shiny surface you see in polished pieces. Brushed with a unique tool that creates tiny abrasions in the same direction, this finish has a mattified effect, reducing the shine of the brass for a subtle, elegant style.
The tiny abrasions give polished brass hardware a textured look with the added benefit of minimising the appearance of fingerprints, dirt, and marks, so the effortless modern look they provide is easy to maintain.
This finish offers the perfect choice for those that want a softer, more subtle effect. With an understated sheen, it will create an elegant touch to any room. The perfect choice if you want to incorporate the warmth of gold hardware and gold fixtures but avoid the shiny, glossy effect of polished finishes.
As with other brass styles, the warm tones of brushed brass hardware allow it to blend seamlessly with many design styles. From traditional to modern homes, opt for brushed hardware designs to bring subdued elegance into your home.
The Kensington collection in brushed brass. Our latest collection of cabinet hardware. Tap the image above to find out more.
To Conclude
With multiple brass finishes to choose from, brass is a highly versatile finish, offering luxury and elegance to any interior scheme. Perfect for incorporating into any home, whether modern or traditional, brass is a style that will never fade.
Mix bright brass finishes with other muted, mattified styles for the ultimate modern look. But choose antique brass styles to coordinate with older interior design styles for traditional home styles.
Complete your interior design with our range of brass products. We have a style to suit any home, from brass door handles, doorknobs, and cabinet knobs to brass hinges and hooks.
Every brass hardware piece has a solid, robust construction with a stunning brass finish to add an elegant feel to any home. If you have any questions, you can contact us with your query. Call us at 0800 0590 950 or email us at websales@hiatt-hardware.com, and a member of our team will be glad to help.
Shop today to finish your interior design with style.
