One more question - any thoughts on mixing metals? I’m leaning towards brushed nickel hardware and faucets and am loving an antique brass light fixture- thank you!

Nickel and brass look really good together! The brass finish will help bring out the yellow undertones in the nickel. Some slight variations that are very popular at the moment are polished nickel and brushed brass finishes.

As far as satin and brushed nickel go, you won't really notice a different between the two and they are often the same.

Personally, I prefer fixtures & hardware be in the same color "family". For example, brushed/sating nickel (very little, if any, difference) in the "silver" family -- pewter, iron, etc. Brass with "yellows".

I have both brushed & satin nickel fixtures and door hardware in my kitchen (along with antique iron cabinet hardware) and you cannot tell the difference b/w the brushed and satin. In some cases, I think it's just the name a particular manufacturer uses. There is no yellow in any of my nickel hardware or fixtures.