I have oil rubbed bronze in one of my bathrooms and will not do it again. The sink drain and faucet has worn parts and the finish is very dull. They still look fine on the deck tub but the sink shows a lot wear and deposits even after cleaning. It is due to our water which is basically acting as sandpaper over time.

Not ever for me . I still prefer chrome in bathrooms for a bit of shine and pretty easy to keep clean and timeless too. I do have stainless and black faucets in my kitchen but the parts you touch all the time are stainless so not a big deal.. I have a black counter so just made sense we also have soft water so water spots not an issue.

I've no issue anywhere with interior or exterior door hardware - no denying it can look great , too.

That said? As far as bath fittings go? It is a LOOK. Will it last as a look? Maybe not....: )

It is one thing to swap a kitchen faucet, cabinet hardware up the road......

It is quite ANOTHER.... to deal with bath fittings such as shower tub fills, valve trims and sink faucets.

In baths? I'd limit black to accent. You will never get more longevity than with chrome, no matter what you see trending. No more easy care as well.

A stainless faucet will never disappoint in the kitchen, - and neither will stainless appliances. A finish with the largest selections as well. Those items CAN mix with warm brass, or black accents. : ) very successfully.

Thank you all! These are all great answers! I think we will go with Chrome for bathrooms and Stainless Steel (or Polished nickel) with Kitchen. Thanks again!

I have polished nickel in my bathroom, and it’s beautiful- I love the warmth of the color- but if I had it to do over I’d choose chrome for less maintenance.

Polished nickel is best in a POWDER room

It is murder to mix with other finishes, it spots like crazy, and unless you love high maintenance? Skip it in the kitchen. You can thank me later.

@JAN MOYER Hi Jan, thanks for your response. So sounds like you would recommend still using Chrome finish in the Kitchen, and only use brushed (or polished) nickel in Powder Room? Can you please confirm?

My logic is that since we will have a white kitchen (white kitchen cabinet and marble look of quartz countertops) with stainless steel appliances (dishwasher, refrigirator, stove, etc), and brushed nickel seems to match better with stainless steel appliances, that's why we were thinking of having brushed nickel faucet in the kitchen. Thoughts? Thanks again!

Stainless in the KITC!

Chrome in the bath

” brushed nickel” is a bath term over a decade ago. in less expensive faucets and plumbing - it often looked like radiator paint.

Id not do chrome in the kitchen:) - faucet or hardware or lights. Too much shine-

The shine suits the bath!