Blush Gold Kitchen Hardware vs. Polished Chrome Kitchen Hardware
There’s a new trend emerging in kitchen hardware: Blushed gold. Otherwise known as rose gold or pink gold, this stylish new finish is making an appearance everywhere from doorknobs and drawer pulls to lighting and kitchen faucets. Where did this trend come from? And more importantly, how do you make a choice between blush gold and the more mainstream look of polished chrome? Let’s dig in to this kitchen hardware trend to find out!
How Did Blush Gold Become Popular?
As a metal finish, rose gold has been around for decades, particularly in fashion circles, where rose gold jewelry is highly prized for its cooler, pinker tone (at least compared to yellow gold). Over the past several years, however, this metal shade has risen in prominence across a variety of niches. You’ll find this shade everywhere: jewelry, cosmetics, particularly among lipsticks and eye shadows, and most notably, at least in recent times, handheld electronics. In fact, Apple is often viewed as the company that popularized this shade. With the development of the rose gold iPhone, people took note and started asking for this finish elsewhere — and that includes home accessories and kitchen hardware!
Rose Gold or Polished Chrome — Which is Right for You?
Of course, the decision between metal finishes is largely a matter of personal preference but as you make your choice, there are a couple of things that you should consider. Blushed gold, at least as a finish for kitchen hardware, is an emerging trend. If you’re planning to sell your home in the next few years, then the general rule of thumb is stick with more mainstream options — in this case, polished chrome. If you’re not planning to sell, however, then feel free to go with the gold.
The other thing to think about is the availability and expense of blushed gold finishes. The metal itself is generally a zinc alloy with a bright, almost coppery finish, which keeps costs down. You won’t pay a premium for the metal but on the other hand, because this is such a new trend, this shade isn’t as common as chrome, brass, bronze or nickel. On top of that, you’ll want to make sure that the hardware you need is available for purchase. In other words, if you have your heart set on a blushed gold faucet, make sure that you can buy matching doorknobs, drawer pulls and light fixtures before you place your order!
Designing with Blushed Gold Kitchen Hardware
Brass and traditional gold finishes, at least in the kitchen, are most often paired with black and white, warm, creamy off-whites or warm wood hues. Rose gold offers you some alternatives. Because the metal is a cooler, less yellow shade than brass, it pairs beautifully with cooler cabinet shades. Pink gold doorknobs and gray cabinet finishes were made to go together. The shade also pairs well with taupe finishes, cool-toned wood, navy, dusty greens and so on. The same goes for countertops. Skip the warmer, creamier shades and opt for stone or another material in black, white, gray or another shade at the cooler end of the color spectrum.
If you’re looking to pair a blush gold faucet to your kitchen sink, you’ll want to skip the traditional stainless steel sink that goes so well with chrome faucets! Instead, opt for an enameled kitchen sink in a color of your choosing or go with a natural stone sink to match your countertop.
Is rose gold right for you? Only you can decide what’s best for your kitchen. Whether you go with this shade or not, this will definitely be a trend to watch over the coming years!
