Chrome Is Back, Why Cool Metallics Are Replacing Brass
For the last few years, brass has had a firm grip on Australian interiors. Warm, glowing, a little bit luxe, it's been the default finish for anyone renovating or building new. That grip is loosening. Chrome and brushed nickel are working their way back into kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces, and it's worth understanding why before you commit to your next fitting.
Why did brass take over in the first place?
Brass became the go-to finish because it read as warm and elevated after years of cold, matte black dominating the market before it. It paired beautifully with the natural timber and earthy palettes that took over interiors around the same time, and for a while it felt like the obvious upgrade from stainless steel and chrome.
"After years of brass everywhere, a cooler metallic finally feels fresh again."
Why chrome and nickel are making a comeback
Trends move in cycles, and brass has now been the default for long enough that a cooler finish reads as considered rather than dated. Chrome brings a crisp, reflective quality that suits a more contemporary, pared-back palette, while brushed nickel offers a softer, satin version of the same cool-metal look without chrome's mirror sheen.
Chrome vs brushed nickel, what's the difference?
Chrome has a polished, mirror-like sheen that reflects light sharply and reads as crisp and modern. Brushed nickel has a softer, satin finish that diffuses reflection rather than bouncing it, giving a more subdued, warmer-toned cool metal that resists fingerprints and smudges better than polished chrome. Neither is objectively better, it comes down to how reflective and formal you want the fitting to read in the room.
How to mix metals with confidence
You don't need to rip out every brass fitting in the house to bring chrome or nickel back in. A common approach is mixing metals deliberately rather than matching everything, chrome tapware with brass door hardware, or a nickel pendant above a kitchen island that already has brass cabinet handles. The trick is picking one metal to lead in each zone of the home rather than blending them evenly in a single space, which can read as accidental rather than intentional.
Where cool metallics work best
Bathrooms are the most natural fit, chrome and nickel have always suited wet areas well, and pairing your lighting finish with existing tapware keeps the whole room feeling considered. Kitchens with stone benchtops and white or grey cabinetry also suit a cooler metal better than brass, which can compete with warmer stone veining. Living areas leaning into a more contemporary, pared-back palette are the other strong candidate.
Shop the range
Browse our full pendant lighting range and wall lights collection to see current chrome and brushed nickel options, or drop into our Thornton showroom to compare finishes in person, the difference between chrome and nickel is genuinely easier to judge under real light than on a screen.
Not sure which cool metallic finish suits your space? Our Thornton team is always happy to talk it through.
