ugh, I just started getting rid of it. I'll stop now and leave the doorknobs.

I will not be following that trend anytime soon. I understand trends, but you have to go with what you like not what is trendy. I like having my own style.

Been there, done that, not doing it again.

Well, I'd heard that oak was making a comeback, so I figured brass was sure to follow. Why do we even bother? As soon as you put it in, it's out.

Thanks but no thanks. :-)

I read that aloud to DH, who responded, "Seriously? Is that from the Onion or something?"

We are almost done ridding our home of cheesy brass, a process which begun the day we moved in in 1999. I doubt we'll be circling back to that decor anytime in the next few decades!

Cheesy brass is one thing; beautiful unlacquered brass is quite another. This is my second kitchen with unlacquered brass faucets (although I do think this batch is taking longer to develop that warm patina). I love brass and have replaced almost every bit of cold and (inappropriate to my home's age) silver toned hardware. All my light fixtures, hardware, etc. - all brass. It's gorgeous stuff.

I spent the last several years redoing both floors, having just finished the main floor. Got rid of all the "brass" and went silver/stainless, etc..Had the brass for a long time, so am happy with the change. Just think--in 30 years my silver stuff will in again!

I think it's going to be a very short-lived "trend".

" ridding our home of cheesy brass,"

But how many people in the process of getting rid of cheesy, cheap, or builder's quality brass are simply replacing it with cheesy brushed nickel or cheesy bronze?
Lots I'll bet. Oil rubbed bronze used to be a premium finish (and good true rubbed bronze still is), but I have seen bronze finishes that look like brown spray paint, and the brushed nickel hardware in my sister's newish house is lousy.

It's not the finish, it's the quality of the hardware. And if you are chasing a trend with hardware finishes, you are not putting in $100 door sets (or, quality hardware), which just creates a vicious cycle of replacing one flavor of cheese with another.

This post was edited by palimpsest on Fri, Apr 26, 13 at 15:01

I think your question is rhetorical, but for us we are upgrading as we go, which is why the process has already taken 13 years! It does not make sense to replace one cheesy flavor for another.

But as for the trend, it seems like it would be hard to establish a trend with a style that is commonly associated with builder-grade finishes. No doubt, a genuine brass finish is lovely, but the overall response on this thread speaks to the notion that brass remains unpopular at this point.

Good points brought up here, i.e., it's the association with builder grade that helped greatly in the demise of ALL brass, in my opinion anyway. I have a brass shower surround which my husband and I selected five years ago when we bought this house, and I still think it's beautiful. But I've always felt I had to explain it to people who were seeing our house for the first time with "I know it's out of style, but we like it". It would be nice not to feel I have to do that because of people's ideas towards brass.

It figures -- my good friend just finished removing the last of her cheesy brass. I think I have "antique brass" in the house we are moving into -- where does that stand?

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The folks who just bought our house replaced all of the expensive custom made designer (it was a model home) roman shades (nice neutral color inside, white lining) with VERTICAL BLINDS!!!

> it's the association with builder grade that helped greatly in the demise of ALL brass

Nope, it was the marketing machine. You will note that all yellow metals became fashion faux pas at the same time. Gold disappeared completely from trendy jewelry, clothes, etc., too.

Now the machine wants to sell you brass again to replace all the brushed nickel you dutifully put in, and why not? It's what they do, and if you play, you're gonna pay. And pay and pay every time they change the trend.

Personally I always liked brass and still do.

What segment of the market though? I know people who wouldn't put "trendy" and "jewelry" in the same sentence with each other--they probably feel the same way about architectural hardware.

If this keeps on going I picture people living in cheapish white rectangles that can get pictures of architectural detail shrink-wrapped on them like a public bus advertisement, and further outfitted in the right snap-on gable shape for 2015.

writersblock, yes, I forgot about the jewelry. I was referring to brass fixtures in the home and how it often has been referred to as "cheesy", and how homes of the 80's were saturated with "cheap builder's grade" brass. I didn't make the connection to gold jewelry, but it does make sense.

"If this keeps on going I picture people living in cheapish white rectangles that can get pictures of architectural detail shrink-wrapped on them like a public bus advertisement, and further outfitted in the right snap-on gable shape for 2015."

I smell a new trend ....

I just wish the PO hadn't installed ceiling fans in BOTH lacquered brass AND cheeeezy, heavily brushed, faux-tarnished brass that looks nothing like actual brass.

Brass has its place. I have two brass floor lamps here in the LR with me. We did, however, get rid of the pseudo-brass door knobs and such about the time we got rid of the beige walls. Not bringing them back any time soon - or ever probably.

"Just think--in 30 years my silver stuff will in again!"

LOL. I don't think brass was out for that long - more like 10-15 years. I don't remember too many people actively replacing brass hardware before 2000.

All our hardware has some some white metal (SS/antique silver/satin nickel) finish. If brass is "back" right now and I am planning on selling the house in 15 years, white metal is the way to go to be "trendy" then, right? :-)

"The folks who just bought our house replaced all of the expensive custom made designer (it was a model home) roman shades (nice neutral color inside, white lining) with VERTICAL BLINDS"

Yikes!

What did they do with the roman shades? Could they send them to me? I'll pay for shipping. Not kidding...

IMO, quality and good design never go out of style. Paint colors (for instance grey), and cabinet color (for instance white) that is very much in vogue now will certainly be out of style at some point. However their beauty will endure long after a different syle becomes all the rage. I still remember my mom's lovely galley kitchen with white cabinets, black slate counters, and chrome hardware. It was a lovely kitchen and it would be as lovely today as it was thirty odd years ago.

I am just enough of a contrarian to want to be different. I absolutely adore white cabinets but I went with stained maple. One of the things that I love about GW is seeing all the lovely kitchens and the different combinations that people come up with. White cabinets with glass knobs is still one of my very favorite looks!

Our kitchen remodel lighting consultant (from trendy CA moved to East Coast) told me brass is making a comeback, especially in antiqued and satin.

I bookmarked this kitchen a bit ago, as we have old brass throughout our house. Like these lights (believe you can get them in different finishes) as well as triangular shaped pendants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link showing brass hardware in kitchen

This post was edited by SparklingWater on Sat, Apr 27, 13 at 7:44

I don't know if its just marketing that makes things come back. Maybe its some sort of cosmic force where we all start reaching for oak and brass ( and shoulder pads) because they've been out so long they are in. We become ready for them again. The first sign that we are going to become attracted is we say we are never going to go in for that...

I have never liked brass until a couple weeks ago when I saw how patina farm is using it and how classy it can be when we'll done. I am also loving brass pulls in kitchens. For some reason it looks richer (not money) and reminds me if old kitchens in Paris.

Here is a link that might be useful: Patina Farm Brass

Brian illustrates the dynamic as it works on the buyer. Long before the days of internet I decided I had to have a fish tank, and it was only when I went shopping that I discovered a fish fad was in full swing and shops had been popping up everywhere. The fad passed and I haven't wanted one since. The dynamic must involve something cosmic, all right :), something that's only about a nature desire for something fresh and "new," and a very large portion of something cynical and venal.

That said, those of you who grew up in the "brass is trash" era (already over) have your outlooks strongly warped by the notions of that day. The sad fact is, brass is made from copper and zinc, and world supplies of both are running low. As sure as bread falls butter side down (or even if that's not quite a law of nature), you will develop a whole new attitude toward it as items that have been sent to landfills by the millions, such as solid brass doorknobs and tacky old ceiling fixtures, become prohibitively expensive.

I have been looking at handbags while out shopping this spring and have seen a lot of yellow "brass" being used now instead of the chrome look we have become accustomed to the past several years. And this has been in the upscale department stores. Nothing ever stays the same lol.

What a lot of people decry as cheap, ugly "brass" is a microns thin coating on plastic or stamped metal.
That's not the brass they are talking about at Elle Décor.

This is like saying you don't like "wood" because of the vinyl woodgrain covering your TV set from 1972.

Unfortunately, it seems that people associate gold metal across the board with brass, regardless of its composition. So, the high end stuff gets grouped in with the low end and the common denominator is its golden hue. Of course the finish makes a big difference as well, but, it seems, gold is gold and that is brass.

Umhm . The day is coming when people will be pleased to decorate with genuine brass plate.

We changed out our cabinet knobs to inexpensive orb, but I kept my old brass knobs. The old brass ones are simple, but much better quality, also I figured brass will be back. My decorator cousin bought a house about 12 years ago, when brass was declining in favor. I ask her if she would change it. She said it was too high-end quality to change, and brass would come back. I guess she's right. I think I favor a mix, which seems to make more sense when you think about it.

With the exception of three faucets our entire house is solid unlacquered brass, from faucets to hinges, to door knobs. I love it and it makes sense with our house. I don't follow trends. When my wedding ring and engagement ring were made people commented that the white metal was trendy. I wear a yellow gold crest ring on the other hand and the colors of these metals never occurred to me as trendy. I actually despise following trends.

Hate brass door and cabinet hardware and especially hate brass plumbing fixtures. Don't care if cheesy or expensive, in style or not, never in my home. Just don't care for gold tone metals.

This post was edited by island on Sat, Apr 27, 13 at 18:39

I have always loved a polished brass finish. I have a solid brass chandelier above our antique breakfast table. I am going to replace it during our kitchen reno but I am moving it to our dinig area because it is too good of a light to toss it. When my electrician (young 30's) was here and I told him I am moving my outdated brass chandelier into the dining room even though it is dated he said "ugly fake looking brass is one thing but a beautiful light like this will always be nice". I figure if a young man can appreciate it's beauty it can't be all bad.

As a matter of fact one of the things that is making my hardware choice so difficult is that I want solid brass, not necessarily a brass finish though. It is incredibly difficult to find solid brass as opposed to zinc. There are some out there but they are not common.