Updated October 2026
Choose a finish that contrasts quietly with the cabinet colour and relates to the tap, lighting or appliances already in the room. Matte black and brushed brass are widely chosen for painted kitchens; brushed nickel and polished chrome suit cooler, grey and white schemes; graphite and champagne bronze sit between the 2 camps.
The 8 finishes at a glance
| Finish | What it looks like | Cabinet colours it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Matte black | Flat, non-reflective black; reads as a crisp line or dot | Almost any colour: white, cream, sage, navy, natural oak, walnut |
| Brushed brass | Soft, warm gold with a fine linear grain and low sheen | White, off-white, dark green, navy, black, light oak |
| Satin gold | Smoother and a touch brighter and yellower than brushed brass, still low sheen | White, cream, blush, dark green, charcoal |
| Champagne bronze | Pale warm metal between gold and nickel | White, grey, greige, taupe, blush, walnut |
| Dark brass | Deeper, browner gold, closer to aged or antique brass | Cream, dark green, navy, black, cherry, traditional stained wood |
| Brushed nickel | Cool grey-silver with a soft brushed grain | Grey, white, pale blue, mid-tone wood, stainless appliances |
| Polished chrome | Mirror-bright cool silver | White, high-gloss fronts, bathrooms, kitchens with chrome taps |
| Graphite | Dark charcoal grey metal with a slight sheen, softer than black | Grey, white, black, oak, kitchens with stainless appliances |
Warm or cool
Finishes fall into 2 families. Brass, gold, champagne bronze and dark brass are warm. Nickel, chrome and graphite are cool. Matte black is neutral and sits with either.
Warm finishes bring colour into a white or dark green kitchen and pair naturally with wood counters, warm stone and cream walls. Cool finishes keep a grey or white kitchen crisp and match stainless appliances and chrome plumbing. Matte black does neither; it outlines the doors and lets the cabinet colour do the talking, which is why it is so widely used.
Matching the rest of the room
Look at the tap first, then the light fittings, then the appliance handles. Hardware does not have to match these exactly, but it should belong to the same family or be deliberately neutral.
- Chrome tap and stainless appliances: polished chrome, brushed nickel, graphite or matte black.
- Brass or gold tap: brushed brass, satin gold or matte black.
- Black tap: matte black, graphite or brushed brass.
- Panelled appliances: whatever the cabinets wear, repeated on the appliance pulls in the same finish.
Mixing finishes
Mixing is common practice when it is kept to 2 finishes with a clear job for each. The usual split is 1 finish on all cabinet hardware and a second on plumbing and lighting, for example matte black pulls under brass pendants and a brass tap. A second common split is 1 finish on the perimeter cabinets and another on the island, when the island is also a different colour.
Keep the same finish on every knob and pull within a run of cabinets. Different shapes in 1 finish look chosen; 1 shape in 2 finishes looks unplanned.
How each finish lives
- Matte black and graphite hide fingerprints well and show dust least. A powder-coated or PVD black wears better than a painted one on heavily used drawers.
- Brushed finishes (brass, nickel, graphite) hide prints and small scratches better than polished ones.
- Polished chrome and other polished finishes show fingerprints more and want a wipe more often.
- Lacquered brass keeps its colour; unlacquered brass darkens and softens with handling over a few years, which some people choose on purpose. Check the product description if the difference matters to you.
- Champagne bronze and dark brass vary noticeably between manufacturers, so order 1 piece first if you are matching an existing tap.
Care
Wipe with a soft cloth dampened with warm water and a little dish soap, then dry. Avoid abrasive pads, bleach, ammonia and vinegar, which dull lacquer and plating. Tighten screws once a year; a loose pull wears its own finish at the posts.
Shop: Matte black cabinet pullsBrass and gold cabinet pullsCabinet pulls and handles
