My vibrant sink finish is much shinier than my standard brushed nickel in another room.

In my master I used chrome in my shower fixtures than fell in love with very inexpensive brushed nickel sconces and you can not see the shower fixtures at the same time as the sink wall so I used the sconces with a single hole tap in brushed nickel on that wall. I am certain my husband never has realized we have different finishes even;)

What is your personal preference? Would you notice the difference between metals?

In our master bath we have chrome faucets, shower and tub hardware, towel bars; polished nickel mirrors and sconces; satin/brushed nickel washstand legs. Door and window hardware throughout the house is ORB. I like it, maybe others would not?

One of my relatives who is an architect/designer said to me mixing is fine but generally she prefers to keep things "all shiny" or "all matte" or "all silver tone (chrome, nickel, stainless, etc.)" or "all brass/bronze tone."

Good luck!

We are building a house and the masterbath faucets/handheld shower will be chrome and light fixtures will be oil rubbed bronze. I don't like oil rubbed bronze faucets after living in a rental house with them but I do like oil rubbed bronze light fixtures. It doesn't bother me at all that they are different metals but maybe it bothers others.

I'm struggling with this too, and I feel like I've gone more awry by trying to match than by mixing.

I was planning on chrome in my bathroom and had installed chrome shower/tub fixtures. Then I found sconces which came in antique nickel, and I was OK with the mismatch since the shower/tub fixtures aren't very visible. Since I had nickel sconces, I decided to get the polished nickel faucet (more $ than chrome) and cabinet hardware--all different brands. The faucet turned out to be much warmer toned than the sconces and hardware. I don't mind the look, just think it was a waste of money and would have just gotten the chrome. Still have to decide on the towel hooks, toilet paper holder, etc!

Bottom line: I'd get what you like best and try not to stress too much over the metal. They all kind of go together and are unlikely to match perfectly unless you buy all the same brand.

I found a pre-install pic of my polished nickel faucet and chrome tub spout (both Delta). My nickel sconce and cabinet hardware are not as warm as the faucet.

I don't think they need to match, but I'm never sure if or where to draw the line. I only know that there can be non-matching and it's not a thing.

I have all chrome faucets, shower stuff, towel bars, etc. I think with plumbing fixtures chrome is such a perennial standard that they can look good no matter what else you have going on. I have a chrome vanity light because I was afraid to not match. However, rarely do I look up at it, then look down at the faucet below and go, yes, they match.

I have a brushed stainless floor register and matte black interior door hardware. The mirror's frame is painted silver and really doesn't match the chrome at all, despite my best efforts.

I really like my bathroom and think it looks pulled together.

Thank you all! It seems like from many of the comments it may be better to try tub and shower hardware in chrome and then go with a satin or brushed nickel for the sconces and faucet.. to allow for some variation instread of trying to make chrome and polished nickel work together as one look. The trouble is that I'm ordering everything online so it's difficult for me to see how it all looks together and what I like until I have it in front of me. It seems like there may be variation in one metal just between different brands as well which is also driving me crazy!

I have polished chrome (items that get handled), polished nickel (lights) and some polished stainless in a small space ... i can get as anal as anyone on this stuff ... and it is irrelevant ... just not noticeable to anyone ... complete non-factor

All chrome should match itself, regardless of the source. As Mike says, adding different finishes is a non-factor.