Question: Can the excruciating memories of unappealing brass finishes on bath fixtures be banished from your mind to make way for a new perspective on gold?
At the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, I was unexpectedly inspired by the gold plumbing fixtures showcased by Kohler and wondered to myself, “Can this finish really make a comeback?” My answer, without hesitation, is a resounding “Yes!”
Venture ahead without trepidation ― embrace gold again!
The highly appealing and stylish matte and polished gold fixtures had a tone of 24-karat warmth that’s a far cry from brass. The sleek modern designs make them absolutely worthy of consideration. Shown in combination with contemporary honed white basins, I could picture them as the star of the show in a master bath that’s decked out with gleaming black counters and floors, modern white cabinetry, and soft gray walls for a simple, modern appeal, or with watery pale aqua walls to create a tranquil retreat.
I was told these fixtures are a hit in India, but painfully slow to be accepted here in the United States. However, I believe one should have the vision and foresight to not get caught up in sameness. Venture ahead without trepidation ― embrace gold again!
Please share with us your views on this potential new trend.
Post your reply below.
Jackie Jordan is the director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams and has more than 25 years of experience in design, specification consulting and color marketing. Jackie oversees the development of Sherwin-Williams’ color collateral, tools and systems to ensure the company meets the color and service needs of all customers. She is also responsible for developing and presenting the latest color trends and resources for do-it-yourself consumers and trade professionals. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in interior design from Kent State University, is a member and chair holder of the
Color Marketing Group (CMG), and is an industry member of
ASID and
IIDA.
We live in Dallas, Texas and are thinking about painting the ceilings of our porches blue. We are using Sherwin-Williams paint. Do you have a blue color to suggest?
Jo,
We sure do have some Sherwin-Williams blue paint colors to suggest:
SW 6471 Hazel
SW 6505 Atmospheric
SW 6944 Pool Blue
For more on blue porch ceilings, be sure to check out this story: http://www.swstir.com/color-smarts/article/the-whys-behind-the-blue-porch-ceiling/
I guess it would depend on the fixture, and all that pewter and chrome could use a little fresh air, but gold? That would remain a bit of a leap, I think.
Aren’t gold fixtures kind of like exotic eyemakeup? Do you want someone to say “Oh, you’re makeup is great!” or would you rather “You look great”. Once again, gold fixtures would depend on the rest of the room, but it seems like a little like a restaurant restroom.
I am presently working on a designer showroom and picked out the vibrant bronze for a spa bath. It is absolutely gorgeous and not your old brassy looks from back in the 80′s! Pure elegance.
I think it’s going to be a tough sell.
My clients are still traumatized over changing out all of their gold fixtures. Las Vegas went crazy with it during the boom here. Not just faucets, but door handles, lighting fixtures and mirror trim.
I think it’s going to take some time for people to consider it again. They had the same reaction to mauve in this year’s palettes.
Mary-Frances Cimo
Color Designer
As a Professional Home Stager, I find this hard to believe! Buyers I encounter are still seeing gold toned fixtures as something from an era they wish to forget. When I stage, I’m very careful to draw the eye AWAY from this dated look.
I know there is a difference between brass and gold (the NEW! gold) but still…! Give us a few years more to enjoy brushed nickel and oil rubbed brass before pushing us into the forced-obsolescence mill.
I meant to say oil rubbed bronze (I said brass by mistake, I was so traumatized!)
Barb Gros
Refreshing Space Home Staging
As a Designer in Missouri, trends are slow to grow on people here. My thoughts are, this is not the same gold we are use to. Any fixture that has been in a house 15 years, is going to look dated being gold, silver, or whatever. The problem is people need to update their fixtures anyways, not just b/c of the finish but also style. I welcome the gold coming back, it also looks better with certain colors your room is around.
Not to mention they aren’t putting this finish on the old faucets. New style of faucets with this finish will be very beautiful. Especially applied the way Kohler has shown.
I do agree with Barb though, why are they introducing this now? Let us enjoy nickel and oil rubbed bronze for a lot longer! So bring on the gold….but in a couple years!
I think the gold tones are great, and at this point still unique. Just like jewelry I knew it would be back.
I think the gold tones are great, and at this point still unique. Just like gold jewelry I knew it would be back.
Absolutely! Gold will be back! It exudes warmth that is absent from the silver and oil rubbed (almost black) bronze.
I’ve done 3 baths and 1 kitchen in gold to the absolute delight of clients, who wanted a “rich” look. People have always associated the “Midas Touch” with richness and luxury, and have been drawn by its warmth. The pale matte golds are soft and subtle, but one should not neglect the fact that even a “shiny” gold can look good when used properly!
I’m ready for it. Clients are already asking about it. There are beautiful wallpapers out there that incorporate that gold in the bathroom.
Yes, we are ready for gold again. A loss was created when it was gone. There are those that only want brass or gold the same as those who love the nickel and pewter or even the black finishes. It would be a “grand” color to use once again and the creation of excitement for elegance. Design has fallen into a slump of “the minimum” – the state of being very plain, sometimes called simplicity in error. There is always among customers the “yeng and yang” of style. You have to be able to work with all.
Jackie,
YES! The time has come for the warm, honey color of gold! What’s old is new again. As with other reinventions of past trends, it will be a unique, exciting look/feel no doubt!
Finally,I knew it was coming. Glad to see it’s here.
Many clients of mine have spent years ridding themselves of gold & brass to update to polished nickel or bronze. I can’t see this catching on too soon, but the ones who dragged their feet in changing out their fixtures will be as happy as those who hung on to their bell bottoms!!!
Jackie,
Was good to see your article and picture in the newsletter. Hope all is well for you – we enjoy Angie – she’s very active in the community.
Louise
I have always liked brass fixturing. The midwest has “dissed” it in favor of brushed nickel but brass has a place in design no matter what the style.
I think the operative word here is “again”. There must be some new options not continuing to relive the past. I’d like to see something “NEW” different, unexpected.
As a professional home stager who daily tells clients to remove the gold and brass faucets and light fixtures, at first glance I would say no. But, I’ve been reading too that gold was making a comeback, and these new fixtures are not the same as the ones we saw in previous decades! I think it’s a warm and rich choice!
The reality is that many who are “stuck” with leaving their brass hardware and gold toilets have found innovative solutions to incorporate them for years. Too often, a design trend becomes indicative of a time period; and then when it trapses back into our lives as the hot new color, those of us who lived through the last trend shudder at the remembrance while others embrace a fresh approach. Bold colors will always have their times when they are more or less trendy, but metallics will always play a part in the architectural world and will therefore always have a place. I have recently done two vibrant baths with gold or brassy fixtures, one with colorwashed red and metallic layers and fused glass sinks and one with a Cape Cod seashore feel. These very different but very beautiful baths illustrate that gold never really goes out of style.
As a designer, I have been specifying polished nickel or chrome for the last 2-3 years. I am very tired of brushed nickel and have been waiting for the return of gold. My own home is filled with soft gold fixtures from Newport Brass and from Sherle Wagner. I love them. I do believe it is time for a new finish. Gold is luxurious, warm and soft.
I re did my bathroom and kitchen 2 years ago. My contractor told me that “brass is out”…in my kitchen I replaced both faucets with antique brass but in my bathroom, I replaced the gold and silver with the exact same…just because they were so ridiculously expensive…and I didn’t want to replace all. I replaced the showerheads and knobs….kept the sink knobs and faucets. I have grown to enjoy the look of distressed nickel and matte silver. It is understated and so much easier to clean. I am not a trendy person so I usually choose what I prefer over a trend…it is so much easier to live with that way.
Jackie,
I am not so sure gold has completely ever gone away! Our lamp top sellers are still in the brass finish and we offer bronze and nickel finishes too.
I keep thinking the nickel and bronze lamps will take off, but the brass finish still reigns supreme! Thanks for a great article, I enjoy all of the information from Stir magazine.
The Designer Insider
As a designer I never stoped using gold and muted brass. Silver tones are cold and in some spaces just don’t work. I think most people who don’t like gold have have only seen cheap super shiny brass plate, or just an over use of brass in a space. Gold and Silver are have been consistantly around for millennia. It’s color that comes and goes!
UGH! No thank you !
The gold and avacado is going to need a MAJOR update before I am ready for it again !
PLEASE re-think trying gold again, unless you are going to tone it down to a neutral value. Would it still be gold?
I have seen Kohler’s gold used in elegant settings as a lovely accent to neutrals like white and black. It looks particularly nice against granite with warm tones mixed with black.
It appears that the change to brass may be easier to swallow in small doses. Brushed Brass is an easy transition finish as well as lighting finishes such as Seagull’s Golden Pewter
Yes, I can see gold coming back in fixtures, however, not in the shiny finish of yesterday. The new gold will be a polished brass giving it a warm patina that tones down the gold a bit and can work well with other metallic finishes. I also think a white gold in a polished finish, rather than shiny, could also look great complementing other metal finishes and working well with a variety of color tones from warm to cool. Embrace the new gold! A softer, more subtle elegant gold.
I totally align with the “no shiny gold” platform. A soft white gold, slightly warmer than platinum would be a terrific compliment to metallics, glass tiles, and natural stone finishes. The hotel/lodging industry moved from chrome to shiny gold/brass to nickel and back to chrome. The time has come for a new hybrid – one; a sophisticated bridge between warm and cool palettes.
I love gold and have been using it for myself, and persuading my customers to use it for years. Since I love yellow, gold is a natural reflection of that, and it’s more natural and warm.
Please! Oil rubbed bronze? I’ve been using that since I graduated college in 1993! Way over it . . .
Not ready for return of “gold” bath fixtures. Still getting complaints from clients who selected them years ago. In fact just recently a re-model of a 7 yr old house included removing all “gold” bath fixtures. Clients can stand what happens to the finish if there is the tiniest bit of mineral in their water. They are beautiful but impractical.
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As a faux finisher and decorative painter, I apply upscale finishes and unique embellishments. Use of metallic effects has become widely accepted, beyond it’s start with gold and silver ceilings. A recent master bath project included a sheer gold stain over olive drab painted and antiqued cabinetry and wainscot. The vanity top was exotic granite, swirls of olive, terracotta, and amber. Stainless or oil rubbed bronze would never have finished the look the way gold fixtures did. The client didn’t hesitate a minute at the suggestion of using gold. The look is new and fresh in the context of current colors that make it work well. I wish there was a wider assortment of gold fixtures in today’s market.