"Ended up wiping it down multiple times a day—talk about high maintenance."
Yep, been there with matte finishes too. As for brass, it really depends on the quality and finish. Unlacquered brass ages beautifully IMO, developing a nice patina...but lacquered brass can chip and look worn pretty quickly. Worth researching carefully before diving in.
Totally feel your pain on this one. A few thoughts from my own experience:
- Matte black fixtures look sleek, but fingerprints and water spots drove me crazy too. Switched to brushed nickel—way less hassle.
- You're spot-on about brass. Unlacquered brass does age nicely, but it takes patience. Lacquered brass seems lower maintenance at first, but once it chips, you're stuck with uneven wear.
- Honestly, every finish has its quirks. Just gotta pick your battles and decide what's worth the extra effort...
I hear you on the matte black fixtures—thought they'd be low-maintenance, but nope, fingerprints everywhere. Curious though, is brushed nickel really that much better long-term? I've been skeptical about switching because I assumed every finish has its own hidden annoyances. Brass looks amazing in photos, but your point about uneven wear makes me hesitate even more. Guess it's all about deciding which quirks you're willing to live with...
I went brushed nickel in our main bathroom after a frustrating run with matte black, and honestly, it's been pretty decent. Not perfect—water spots still happen—but fingerprints are way less noticeable than on the matte finishes. Funny thing is, I put brass fixtures in our guest bath because, like you said, they looked amazing in photos...big mistake. Within a year, the handles started looking patchy from uneven wear. I guess if you're into that vintage patina look it might be okay, but personally it just drove me crazy.
The real surprise was chrome. Everyone warned me it'd be a nightmare to keep clean, but weirdly enough, it's held up better than expected. Sure, it shows water spots easily, but a quick wipe-down and it's shiny again—no weird discoloration or fingerprint drama.
Has anyone else found chrome surprisingly manageable long-term? Or did I just luck out with the brand I chose...
Chrome's definitely underrated, in my experience. Installed it in a client's high-traffic powder room expecting complaints, but they've actually found it easier to maintain than their brass fixtures. Curious if anyone's noticed differences between brands or specific finishes within chrome itself?
