It is probably easier to match brushed nickel if you want to go that route. I have various shades of bronze in the half bath, and it works. I thought it would look odd, but it is OK. It is pretty hard to match any sort of bronze because it seems every line is different, and unless you buy everything from the same line, they will not be the same. I wish I knew this going in before I spent a fortune on some of these ORB fixtures. Maybe I would've gone with something else, but I already had the towel racks.

The other bathroom has chrome, so tons of options there and easy to match.

It is so variable.

Liberties can be taken.

In the bath below, originally the mirror frame was to be the same color as the cabinets and the sconces were to be polished nickel. I wanted the mirror to be dark, to anchor the wall and to also, to a certain extent, act as an accent color. After much discussion, the mirror went from cream to dark.

The next step was the sconces. I wanted them to match the mirror. They became ORB finish. The mirror paint was chosen to match the ORB finish.

To me the sconces and the mirror can "stand alone" as they are in their own grouping. The dark color of the mirror and the sconces also compliment the dark color of the brazilian cherry flooring. In a peverted designerish way I'll say that they sort of "frame the cabinetry".

But I made the mirror with the same trim detail that I put on the corers of the cabinetry, so although the mirror frame and the cabinet boxes are painted contrasting colors, they harmonize in their similar design detail.

The faucet is polished nickel. It can "stand alone" as well.

The knobs and hinges. Back and forth between being ORB to match the sconces and polished nickel to match the faucet.

I recommended brushed pewter.

Brushed pewter it is. ORB knobs were too distracting by their darkness, polished nickel were too distracting for their brightness. The brushed pewter was Goldilocks.

Each element stands on it's own, yet they're not so matchy or so contrasting that they conflict.

Essentially, everything is a neutral. The brown of the ORB, the "no color" or the nickel and brushed pewter, the cream of the cabinetry, the teak, the wall color, etc. Everything is neutral. The teak does impart a bit of color, but being a natural material, it is what it is. Instead of being a "brown countertop", it's "teak".

The punch or color was brought in with towels, accessories, etc.

There was a request to consider brass or brushed brass, I didn't think that would look good, as to me it'd be too "matchy match" with the brown of the teak.

The only thing that I sort of don't like is the round mirror on top of the cabinet near the toilet. I made a small base for that out of a scrap of teak, but I'd actually prefer to have seen how that mirror would have looked in an ORB finish, but that mirror was already owned so it was used as-is.

So yeah, I think you can mix and match. Within reason.

But I'm not a designer and I don't have a great or confident artistic eye. I just chop up wood into little pieces, glue it back together, and hope for the best. Okay, not really...but fortunately, I've not yet had to take a mulligan.

Mongo

You would think that fixtures from the same company would be the same. Sometimes they are not. I ordered orb fixtures and soap dispensers from the same company, they didn't match! Luckly they took them back. They told me the soap dispensers are finished some where else. I recomend making sure all your hardware is in before installing any of it, if you want it all to match. I also recomend making it clear with your salesperson that you expect the pieces to match, or that you can return them. I got my fixtures at Feragasens and they didn't give me a problem about returning them, but if some of them had been installed, it might have been a problem.

I rambled and never answered your main question:

Yes, you can have one finish above the countertop and another below it.

This may sound totally dorky, but dark colors tend to be "heavier" than lighter colors, so it sometimes seems more natural to the eye and brain to have darker color down low and lighter colors up high.

It's more striking to the eye, more dramatic, and it makes a greater design statement, to have darker color above lighter colors.

I'll do that often with wainscotting in a room. Some rooms get light upper walls and dark wainscotting. Others get light wainscotting and dark upper walls.

I'm not a designer, but I play one on the internet.(lol)

I have to go do something delicate and introspective like mix some concrete and build some stone and bluestone stairs out by the pool.

Gosh, I hope I don't break a fingernail!

toodles

Mongo

Bump!

I am designing my master bath, in a vintage style. My house is eclectic/arts and crafts with some victorian accents.

Seems as though much of the original hardware was brass.

In the master bath, I am planning on crackle subways, dark gray marble mosaic floor and vanity top. The vanity will probably be slightly distressed natural wood. I want it to have a classic, but not pure white look.

I know my faucets will probably be the Lugarno line from Restoration Hardware in polished nickel. It is like a European spa look, somewhat vintage looking. I would like to tie a little bronze or old brass into the bathroom. We will have sconces and 2 light fixtures. We will also have knobs/pulls on the 60 inch vanity.

I still want it to have an eclectic look, but not sure if doing the brass or bronze in the lighting will be too much with the Lugarno faucet. I know it' simpler to do the lights to match the faucets, but I kind of want it to have that added-on-over-time look.

Any words of wisdwom or rules of thumb? I am not a purist, I do like to mix things up (vintage with contemporary, etc.).