| Since stainless steel appliances became all the | | | | of hardware you want, from towel holder to |
| rage, home builders and home owners alike have | | | | cabinet hinge. Bathrooms are usually too small to |
| matched their kitchen cabinet hinges and pulls with | | | | do a lot of metal color mixing, but I do think you |
| satin-finish chrome or nickel to match or blend | | | | can sometimes mix finishes if you feel it looks |
| with the stainless steel. In addition, most | | | | too match-y. |
| bathrooms have shiny chrome fixtures | | | | Choosing fixtures for your home can be daunting. |
| throughout. Your hinges don't have to match your | | | | Here are some basic tips that may be useful in |
| appliances to look stylish, and chrome isn't the | | | | deciding the metal and finish for your rooms:o |
| only color bathroom fixtures come in. Mix it up! | | | | Look at the items that you already have in that |
| Copper is a favorite metal for use in the kitchen. | | | | room. Do you have a lamp you love in your living |
| It comes in a variety of finishes and looks great | | | | room? Do you have several copper pots in your |
| with stainless steel. Copper goes beautifully with | | | | kitchen? Do you have a beautiful brass |
| both warm and cool color schemes. Keep the | | | | étagère that you keep your |
| stainless steel appliances and copper hinges in mind | | | | towels on in the bathroom? Each of those items |
| with both of these color schemes: | | | | can inspire the metal fixtures in that room. Take |
| 1) terra cotta floors, aged sage green cabinets | | | | pictures of your stuff you like and print them out |
| with granite countertops or | | | | for a reference folder. Keep them handy as you |
| 2) slate floors, dove gray cabinets with marble | | | | browse the Internet or your local hardware or |
| countertops. | | | | home improvement store.o Find mixed-metal |
| Depending on the style and finish you choose, | | | | items to combine rooms that seem equally |
| copper fixtures can compliment most any kitchen. | | | | divided between two metals. One or two will be |
| Brass is an excellent choice for cabinet hinges and | | | | plenty for most rooms. Alternatively, more subtly, |
| knobs in living rooms and dens. It brightens up the | | | | merge the color scheme with similar woods or |
| room and probably already matches a few things | | | | wood finishes. For example: oak and cherry for |
| in those rooms. If you have a collection of old | | | | brass and copper.o Even fabrics can highlight |
| brass doorknobs, see how antique-finish brass | | | | metal fixtures in the room. Picture light sunshine |
| fixtures help draw the eye to the doorknobs. If | | | | yellow pillows on a denim sofa in a white and pale |
| it's shiny brass candlesticks you have, try | | | | blue room with satin-finish brass cabinet hinges, |
| mimicking the basic shape of the candlesticks in | | | | doorknobs, and curtain rods. The pillow fabric and |
| the hinge plate shape. However, don't go | | | | the satin brass fixtures accent each other. |
| overboard with brass everywhere. You will lose | | | | Above all, trust your eye. It's your home; it should |
| the effect of a few complimentary pieces. | | | | make you happy. Do with it what you want. You |
| For bathrooms, a good change of pace is nickel or | | | | are the one who has to live in it and look at it |
| pewter, though brass can look very classy in a | | | | every day. And really, do you want a friend that |
| bathroom as well. Color scheme makes a big | | | | won't visit because you have weird taste in door |
| difference. My one hint for bathrooms is to pick a | | | | hinges? |
| metal that you can get in every fixture and piece | | | | |