I think everyone is reluctant to reply because they don't want to presume to have good taste! I'll answer anyway. I think PN shows water spots like crazy, so are you willing to wipe the faucet after each use? I personally ruled it out for that reason. Maybe your water is better than ours. I also think that SN is not at all hard to find. But if your heart sings when you see the "shiny blingy" stuff and you are willing to care for it, it would look nice. I prefer the satin look, myself.

There's much more satin/brushed nickel stuff available than polished nickel -- but it's personal taste. I love the polished nickel look so put up with the water spottiness. I did put in satin nickel door hardware because the polished ones were just way out of my price range.

I actually mixed polished nickel with sconces with a chrome faucet (grohe). It looks fine and I love the bling in the bathroom. So what if you need to wipe off the faucet and Grohe finishes are guaranteed for life.

I saw many posters on this forum that mixed nickel with chrome. The nickel just has a bit of a yellow cast to it, but no big deal. I say, if you want some bling go for it!

I love PN, but did you see this thread?

Here is a link that might be useful: polished nickel thread in kitchen forum

astridh, that's why I didn't answer! I mixed bn and orb. I probably don't have good taste (g)

I am happy to say I have excellent taste :oP I just didn't answer much yesterday because it was "cast off day" and I was in a bit of pain.

But today I'm happy to answer...so...I actually like both finishes. I find chrome or polished nickle to be easier to maintain, especially on often washed fixtures, so in our son's bathroom (the one with silver fixtures) I used polished nickle for the toilet, faucets, shower head and lighting, and then did the fittings (towel bars, hooks, knobs) in brushed nickle.

I've done the same in the kitchen with chrome on the faucets, and pot filler, and then stainless for the sinks and the counter top as well as pewter on the light fixtures and the knobs.

I find the mix if done well to be better than one same surface used throughout a room or house. You just have to keep "like items" the same (ie in ds's bath...things that have water flowing through them have shiney silver and things that don't...have brushed).

Chrome and polished nickle are both typically cheaper than brushed as well, which is a nice little bonus :) I didn't do any of the rooms as budget rooms, but that was a bit of a nice suprise.

I think that in a few years, brushed nickle is going to be the brushed gold of the 70's and the bright gold of the 80's. Mixing finishes allows the room to feel designed without a specific era to focus on.

Thank you all! I assume that everyone has better taste than I do because I don't know what I'm doing in decorating :) I think I'm going to go with PN, although I have a BN door handle and I'll probably move a BN light fixture from the kitchen into the bathroom. It seemed when I was shopping for kitchens that BN was far more widely available, but based on the incredibly scientific poll of what I saw on the bathroom shelves at the RH outlet, PN might be easier to find in a bathroom.

I can get a Cifial faucet on ebay for under $300! Yay!

The PN will be beautiful with your blue quartzite. BTW, I mixed lots of finishes depending upon function and use of room and amenity. The house was intended to be reminiscent of the area vernacular, but not slavishly so.

Only slightly off topic: I have been checking out blue paint for my laundry room for awhile. You may want to sample Farrow and Ball Lulworth Blue (a soft, cottagey, somewhat grayish blue) and Ellen Kennon Giverny Blue (an intense version of Delft, not as dark as cobalt, but a knock-your-socks-off blue that I adore), among others. Because of the emanated light phenomenon of computer monitors, I cannot tell the exact colors of your azul stone, but either of these paints may work with it.

Hi,
BTW my fixtures are all chrome, not nickel. The cool tone of chrome goes better with my blue walls, and chrome was in the budget; nickel not so much.
I fooled ya into thinking I have good taste. WOOT!
Casey