Polished nickel and brushed nickel are both good to be used in your kitchen and bathroom but polished nickel is different and the best as it has corrosion and scratch resistance, and comes with a glowing hue that gives an overwhelming warm feel than brushed nickel, which is dull.
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Polished Nickel
When we mention “polished nickel”, the first thing that should come to your mind is the metallic finish that glows when seen.
Polished nickel is that metallic finish that has a glowing hue that gives an overwhelming warm feel. It is also a nickel plating on brass that is then polished.
The reason why it is called polished nickel is because of how polished it is. Its polished nature makes it glow. Once you see a polished nickel, no one will tell you, by its glowing hue, you will find out by yourself.
Don’t get it twisted. It is important to note that polished nickel is different from polished chrome. So, don’t get confused and think they are both the same thing.
When using a polished nickel in your house, it is best to pair it with the Greyson trim, the Bowery knob, the Latitude lever, or the Sacramento lever.
Pros of Using Polished Nickel
- It Has a Glowing Hue Gives an Overwhemning Warm Feel: Polished nickel has a glowing hue that gives an overwhelming warm feel. When someone visits your house and uses any of the appliances where polished nickel is installed, the person will notice the glowing nature of the nickel.
- It Helps to Make Your Decor to Stand Out: If you are the type that likes flashy things, then, polished nickel is the one to use; it will bring out the decor of your house and help make it stand out. It can also adapt to other decors you have in your house and blend without being overlooked.
- Easy to Clean: One of the pros of using a polished nickel in your house is that it is very easy to clean. Trust me, you don’t want a nickel that will be very difficult to get all dirt out of it. With polished nickel, you can easily clean it at any time.
- Corrosion Resistance: Polished Nickel is very good at corrosion resistance. Trust me, you don’t want to buy something that will rust or corrode in no time. It won’t just make your home look bad, it will also make you feel you wasted your money to buy something that corroded in no time.
- Scratch Resistance: One of the reasons why polished nickel is good is that it is scratch-resistant. We all know how badly something can look when there is a scratch on it. Take your mobile phone as an example, imagine having a scratch on your mobile phone screen. It changes everything. You can also take all your body wears as an example, imagine having a stan or tear scratch on your prom dress, it won’t look good anymore. With polished nickel, you don’t have to worry about such scratch.
- Resistance to Cleaning Products: Polished nickel is also very resistant to cleaning products. This means that the cleaning products which you use to clean it will not affect it or make it change color in no time. We all know how hazardous bathroom cleaning products can be sometimes. These products will not have any effect on the nickel.
Polished Nickels Products
1. DELTA FAUCET 58680-PN25
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2. ROHL CY57L-PN-2 Pull-Down FAUCETS
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3. Kingston Brass K125A6 Victorian Raindrop Showerhead
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4. SCHLAGE Accent Lever Keyed Entry Lock in Polished Nickel
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Brushed Nickel
Brushed nickel is that metallic finish or semi-satin finish that has a dull hue that gives a dull feeling. It is also a nickel plating on brass that is brushed to subdue its shine.
Brushed nickel is dull. It has a dull color and the reason is that the colors have already been subdued. It has already been treated with a wire brush to dull the shine with texture.
Pros of Using Brushed Nickel
- It Can Pair with Stainless Steel Appliances: One thing with brushed nickel is that it looks more like stainless steel and there can pair with any stainless steel appliances in the house.
- It Has a Dull Color: Brushed nickel has that dull color that is suitable for some people who don’t like too many shiny warm hues. If you are that type, then this is the best to go for.
- Brushed Nickel Adds Texture and Luxury to the House: Using this nickel will add texture as well as luxury to your home.
- Easy to Clean: Brushed nickel is also very easy to clean.
- Doesn’t Show Fingerprint: Another advantage of brushed nickel is that it doesn’t show fingerprint and water spots which is amazing. You don’t want a nickel that always shows the fingerprints of people that have touched it, especially not in this coronavirus/pandemic era.
- It is Affordable: Brushed nickel is very much affordable. This means that someone on a budget can easily buy brushed nickel for his or her bathroom or kitchen.
Brushed Nickel Products
1. Moen 6410BN Eva Two-Handle Centerset
2. Moen T2902EPBN Gibson Posi-Temp Pressure Balancing Eco-performance Modern Shower
Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel: Which is Better?
Polished and brushed nickel are both good to be used in your bathroom or kitchen but polished nickel is the best to use because of its glowing hue that gives an overwhelming warm feeling than the brushed nickel that is subdued and gives a dull feeling.
Similarities Between Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel
The similarity between polished nickel and brushed nickel is that they are both nickels suitable to be used in the kitchen and bathroom to make your home decor stand out. They are also very easy to clean.
Differences Between Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel
Here are the major differences between Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel:
- The major difference between polished nickel and brushed nickel is that polished nickel has a glowing hue and warmer tone that gives a warm feel while brushed nickel has a dull hue that gives a dull feeling.
- While brushed nickel does not show fingerprints and water spots, polished nickel tends to show fingerprints and water spots.
- Polished nickel is made to shine brighter than brushed nickel, which is made with a subdued dull hue.
- While polished nickel has a polished finishing without texture, brushed nickel is treated to have a texture with brushed finishing.
- Brushed nickel adds more texture to the room than polished nickel and the reason is that brushed nickel is treated to have a texture.
- Polished nickels are more expensive than brushed nickels.
Can You Mix Polished Nickel and Brushed Nickel?
You can mix both polished nickel and brushed nickel in your kitchen or bathroom but it is better to use only one. If you prefer polished nickel over brushed nickel, you are advised to use it for your home instead of mixing it with brushed nickel. This is because mixing both nickels might give you a different feel you may not like.
There is nothing like orderliness. Do you think mixing both polished and brushed nickel is the best? Remember that polished nickel is shinier than its brushed nickel which duller. Mixing it both in the same bathroom or kitchen may not look good.
However, you can mix them in a separate bathroom and kitchen. It won’t look bad. If you have more than one bathroom in your house and wish to use polished nickels for the master bathroom and brushed nickel for the guest bathroom, you are free to do so. There is nothing wrong with that.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Is Polished Nickel the Same as Brushed Nickel?
Polished nickel is not the same as brushed nickel but they are both nickels that can be used either in the kitchen and bathroom. They both have their differences and similarities but are not the same in terms of tone and texture.
Q: Is Polished Nickel More Expensive than Brushed Nickel?
Polished nickel is more expensive than brushed nickel because brushed nickel is cheaper to produce than polished nickel.
Q: Is Polished Nickel In Style?
Polished nickel is still in style. Polished nickel is not going out of style. You can still make use of a good polished nickel for your kitchen and bathroom this day.
Q: Is Brushed Nickel in Style?
Yes, brushed nickel is still in style to this day. Brushed nickel is not going out of style. Depending on your preference, you can still use it for your bathroom or kitchen.
Q: Does Vinegar Hurt Polished Nickel?
Vinegar can hurt polished nickel and affects its finish when used to clean it. If you wish to use vinegar to clean your polished nickel, you can dilute the acid in the vinegar before cleaning your polished nickel with it.
Remember not to use abrasive, alcohol-based, acid, or solvent to clean your polished nickel. If you wish to clean your polished nickel, do not soak nickel in vinegar or allow a vinegar solution alone to sit on your nickel as it will affect the nickel finish.
Q: Does Brushed Nickel go with Grey?
Brushed nickel can go with grey. Meaning you can mix your home appliances with brushed nickel and other grey home appliances.
Q: Does Polished Nickel Tarnish?
With time, polished nickel will tarnish. It will naturally develop a milky-white tarnish over time especially in a humid environment like bathrooms. Polished nickel won’t start tarnishing immediately, it will stay for a very long time before it starts tarnishing.
Q: Does Brushed Nickel Go With Stainless Steel?
No, brushed nickel does not go with stainless steel. The reason is that stainless steel is always shiny than brushed nickel which has a dull tone. Brushed nickels are made to have a matte or semi-gloss finish which makes them not blend well with stainless steel.
Final Verdict
Whether polished nickel vs brushed nickel, both are suitable for bathrooms and the kitchen. It all depends on your preference. But polished nickel is better because of its shiny warm tone that gives an overwhelming warm feel.
