Choosing tapware finishes: what to check before you buy

Finish choice is where bathroom specs most often stall. You like matte black on a phone. Your tiles are warm. The window faces north. Suddenly the mixer looks cooler than the sample, and the shower rail from another brand does not match.

Online swatches lie a little; tile colour and window direction lie a lot. Use this checklist before you lock matte black, gunmetal, chrome or brushed tones for the whole wet area.

1. View finishes in the same light as your bathroom

Bring a tile offcut or benchtop sample to the Loganholme showroom. Compare matte black, gunmetal, brushed nickel, chrome and gold tones under our lights, then step near the entrance daylight. Coastal and north-facing Brisbane rooms exaggerate warm golds; shady rooms can make gunmetal read flatter than you expect.

2. Match the family, not just the name

"Black" and "gunmetal" are not universal. Stick to one brand family where you can - for example Meir or Phoenix - then add accessories from the same finish code. If you must cross brands, compare pieces side-by-side in store.

3. Think about cleaning and water marks

Chrome shows water spots; matte finishes can show residue from the wrong cleaner; brushed surfaces hide minor marks better. Ask us which cleaners are safe for the coating on your chosen range. Brand warranty for finish cover can differ from mechanical cover - read both.

4. Spec the wet area as a set

Mixer, shower rail, spout, towel rail and toilet-roll holder should be decided together. Shop tapware, showers and accessories, or start from a finish collection and filter.

5. Still torn between two dark finishes?

Read gunmetal vs matte black and PVD vs electroplated. Then visit - ten minutes on the floor usually beats another week of screenshots.

Opinion: we recommend deciding finish before locking vanity timber tones; timber can flex, plated finishes less so.

Planning a full wet area? Use our bathroom renovation checklist so finish choice follows layout and compliance, not the other way around.

Example mixers on the floor (confirm live price and finish on each product page): Meir Alchemy progressive wall mixer | Phoenix Cromford basin set.

Shop related: wall mixers | basin mixers.

See also: Tapware | Matte black | Gunmetal

6. What the finish is made of

Two products with the same colour name can be made differently, and that changes how they wear. The supplier details on each product page tell you which process was used:

• PVD: Meir describes its PVD coating as giving an extreme level of resistance to wear. Radiant uses PVD on its gun metal grey, brushed gold, warm brushed nickel and brushed bronze floor grates.
• Coated black: Radiant notes that its matte black grates are Teflon coated, a different process from its PVD colours.
• Natural stainless: Radiant brushed satin is the natural brushed 316 stainless steel with no coating.
• Electroplated: Modern National lists a durable electroplated finish on mixers such as the Star Mini and Montpellier ranges.

7. Check the finish warranty, not just the product warranty

Warranty on the coating can differ from warranty on the product. Radiant, for example, lists 10 years on its heated towel rails but 2 years on coloured coatings. Modern National lists a 15 year replacement warranty including finish on the Montpellier range. Read the warranty line on each product page before you commit to a coloured finish across the room.

8. Coloured finishes can vary by batch

Radiant notes that coloured grates can vary slightly in colour between production batches. If you are buying a full set, order it together where you can, and compare finishes in person. You can see matte black, brushed nickel, gunmetal and brushed gold side by side at our Loganholme showroom, Shop 4, 1 Bryants Rd, Loganholme QLD 4129.

Related: matching accessories to tapware finishes | PVD finish care | shop by finish