Should Your Faucet Match Your Cabinet Hardware?

January 26, 2024

Our team’s short answer to this frequently asked question is, yes—generally, your kitchen faucet should match your cabinet hardware.


Matching your kitchen faucet to cabinet hardware creates a cohesive look that can be applied in every kitchen style, including contemporary, modern, and traditional.


So, if your main priority is cohesion, we recommend sticking with one hardware finish throughout the room.


However, there are many ways to mix metals and incorporate two-toned metals in your kitchen that still let you maintain cohesion. Each way adds interest and expresses your unique aesthetic. 


Trying them out before you spend much money helps, and it’s easy. Just purchase samples from a local hardware store, tape them to your cabinets or faucet without installing them, then see how they look.


But what metals look great together, and which ones just don’t work? 


In this post, you’ll get a frame of reference that you can use as you experiment with mixing faucet and cabinet hardware finishes.


We’ll suggest a few mixed metals to avoid and four instances when it’s okay to mix metals.

Should My Kitchen Faucet Match My Cabinet Hardware?

This kitchen pairs a shiny silver faucet with silver cabinet pulls

If you want to create more of a simple and classic kitchen, your kitchen faucet should match your cabinet hardware. 


For homeowners interested in mixed-metal knobs and pulls or a faucet with a different finish than your cabinet hardware, here are three tips for using multiple metals:

  • Don’t choose two metals from the same color family. Southern Living warns that combining two metals from the same color family (like shiny chrome and satin nickel, or aged brass and shiny gold) works against any cohesive style you want to create. You want the variety to look intentional.

  • Avoid using more than three finishes in a single space. Adding more can make the space feel cluttered.

  • Consider keeping the rest of the kitchen simple. Mixed metals and two-tone metals make a beautiful statement on their own.

4 Instances When It’s Okay to Mix Metals

Dark cabinet hardware mixed with shiny silver kitchen faucet

Here are four instances when it’s okay to mix metals.


Please note: not every mix will fit your kitchen’s style. We recommend you try these metals out as samples before making big purchases.

Brass, Gold, and Brushed Nickel

Brushed nickel is a popular cabinet hardware finish because it can come in warm and cool undertones.

If you find a brushed nickel with a warmer finish (red or yellow undertones), try mixing it with brass and gold hardware pieces.

Black and Any Other Color (Especially Stainless Steel, Gold, Bronze, or Chrome)

As a neutral color, black hardware mixes well with other hardware finishes like chrome, stainless steel, and gold. 


If you want to mix gold with black but are concerned that the gold will seem like it’s too much, try bronze. Black and bronze mix well together because bronze is more muted than gold.

Two-Tone Chrome and Gold

Cool chrome and warm gold create a pleasing contrast, which is why they’re often used in two-toned metal hardware pieces.

You can then use either of these hardware colors for your faucet to create a cohesive look across your kitchen.

Brass, Stainless Steel, and Chrome

Even though stainless steel is technically a cool color, it functions as a neutral color in kitchens because it matches easily with other stainless steel appliances.


It also works well with one of the classic hardware combinations: brass and chrome. Like two-tone chrome and gold hardware, brass and chrome contrast well without the glossy shine of most gold hardware pieces.

Request a Free Estimate for Your Kitchen Cabinet Update

If you’re in New Jersey and looking to update your kitchen cabinets, then our Oceanside Painting & Refinishing team can help!


Contact us and we’ll provide you with a free estimate to update your cabinets using a process called cabinet refinishing —the most cost-effective way to update your kitchen cabinets without replacing them. Changing out cabinet hardware is one of the steps in our process.


If you have questions or want to request your free estimate, fill out the quick form below! You can also call us at 732-818-0092 or email us at phil.oceanside@gmail.com.

Get Your Free Estimate Now!

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