Matte, Brass or Steel? Choosing the Right Fittings for Your Kitchen
The choices you make for the small finishes in your new kitchen design, like taps, handles and light fixtures can have a big impact on the overall feel of the space. Accenting your new kitchen with materials like brass, stainless steel or matte black can take a plain design and transform it to modern, heritage or even industrial style. We’ve rounded up how to choose which accents are best for your new kitchen, and where to install them.
Matte
Matte finishes go beyond just handles and tapware. It creates a sophisticated finished look, best suited to contemporary kitchens. You could opt for matte all over the kitchen – with matte cabinetry, appliances and even cutlery en vogue at the moment.
Matte Finish Cabinets
Matte finishes don’t reflect light, making them better suited to traditional style kitchens. Because matte absorbs light, it can give the effect of a muted colour palette, so it’s important to choose complementary colours to add some depth and brightness to the kitchen. The positive of this is that matte surfaces often look more consistent colour-wise, as they aren’t reflecting light.
Matte finishes on your cabinets and benchtops are also less likely to show fingerprints, dirt and scratches, making them easier to maintain than gloss.
Matte Finish Accents
Accents are anything from drawer handles to small appliances. They work to add a touch of something to the space, whether that be colour or a nod to a certain era in design. Matte black and matte gold finishes are some of the most popular kitchen accents, with handles, pulls and even appliances like rangehoods and refrigerators dominating recent design trends.
Matte finishes are best suited to contemporary kitchen design and can complement design features like stone benchtops and timber cabinetry well.
Brass
Brass accents may take you back to the last century, reminding you of your grandparents’ antique collection. The metal has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years, no doubt a result of years of minimalist kitchen trends inviting a ‘more is more’ approach.
Brass hardware like tap fittings, handles and even light fixtures are a great way to elevate your modern minimalist kitchen design. They also work well with more traditional kitchen styles like the Hamptons look and Shaker designs.
Tapware has gone beyond a basic kitchen need and transformed into a centrepiece in its own right. With plenty of unique shapes, finishes and metals to choose from, a new tap can have a huge impact on the overall look of your kitchen design. Brass taps brighten up the washing area, and in traditional style kitchens, complement porcelain sinks.
Brass hardware is also popular for handles, drawer pulls and even pendant light fittings. When choosing hardware, try as much as possible to select pieces that match, for a sense of uniformity in the kitchen.
If you like the idea of brass in the kitchen, but don’t want to commit to it throughout, you can achieve the opulent look by adding pieces like bar stools and appliances with brass accents. Antique-style kettles, stand mixers and even espresso machines come in a range of brass colourways that are bright enough to amp up your kitchen without pulling focus.
Steel
Stainless steel is arguably the most popular metal used in new kitchen designs. Use too much of it, however, and you run the risk of creating an industrial kitchen in your home. Decorative elements like handles, stools and light fixtures are popular amongst modern kitchen designs. Stainless steel appliances like whitegoods and rangehoods, however, are found in kitchens across the board, regardless of design style.
Semi-permanent fixtures like door handles and light fittings complement plain cabinets in black and white. Paired with timber surfaces and those with textures, steel can often result in a busy-looking kitchen that appears cluttered.
Stainless steel has a host of benefits for your kitchen. It is heat-resistant and easy to maintain, however, it is not immune to scratches and dents. If you like the look and feel of stainless steel but don’t want to have a completely silver kitchen, choose accenting pieces like seating and accessories. This way, if you grow tired of the modern look, you can change it up relatively easily and cost-effectively.
Silver tap fittings also create a sense of uniformity in a kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Easy to clean and available in seemingly endless styles and functionalities, a silver metal tap can fit in well with any number of kitchen design styles.
Looking for more kitchen design inspiration? Our exclusive eBook is the ultimate kitchen renovation guide. Download it now.
