Should The Towel Bars Match The Faucet?

Designing a kitchen or bathroom is an exciting process – it’s your chance to exercise your creative abilities and bring your aesthetic preferences to life in a customized space. However, while sifting through your options, choosing finishes, paint colors, fixtures, and everything else can be exhilarating, some folks might find it daunting.

As you browse through your options, you might begin to wonder if things need to match. Do the towel bars need to match the faucet? What about the cabinet knobs? While the answer to this question is ultimately yours to choose from, we have a few points that might help your decision, so stick around to learn more!

Do Faucets And Towel Bars Have To Match?

After the main features in the bathroom (shower, cabinets, toilet, bathtub), the faucet is probably one of the first things you’ll pick out. They come in over a dozen finishes, with options like champagne bronze, arctic stainless, antique brass, brushed gold, and many more.

Once you select your faucet, you’ll probably start looking for other finishing touches to complete the space, including the towel bar(s). So, does the towel bar have to match the faucet’s finish? Nope, it doesn’t, but it can.

You can use the towel bar to add a different design feature by selecting a complementary finish. Or, keep an even, cohesive theme by choosing the same finish. It’s up to you!

Generally speaking, it’s best to choose complementary tones if you choose to mix the finishes. Many interior designers advise against mixing tones, instead recommending similar tones. For example, if you select a warm-toned water fixture, it’s best to stick with warm-toned finishes (nickel, brass, gold, etc.) throughout the rest of the space. The same concept applies to cool-toned finishes (stainless steel, chrome, etc.).

Of course, you can mix in other finishes of the opposite tone, but you’ll need to be careful, as some can clash. Some finishes, like black, white, and wood, don’t fit into a particular category, so you can mix them with nearly any finish. That said, polished black finishes can create a cool appearance due to the glossy surface reflecting light, so keep this in mind as you choose.

Does Bathroom Hardware Have To Match The Towel Bar?

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Like the faucet situation, your towel bar doesn’t need to match the bathroom hardware, but it can. If you wanted to, you could match the bathroom hardware to the towel bar but not the faucet.

For instance, let’s say you choose a black finish for your towel bar, light fixtures, and cabinet hardware. To add contrast, you could add a beautiful champagne bronze faucet or keep it cool with a sleek stainless steel faucet.

Or, on the flip side, you could match your faucet finish to your towel bars and light fixtures, then use the cabinet hardware as an accent. For example, you could use a deep, oil-brushed bronze finish for the towel bars, faucets, and light fixtures. Then, to create contrast, you could add a lighter-toned bronze finish for your cabinet hardware.

The amber undertones from the oil-brushed bronze would complement the bronze tone of the hardware, allowing you to correlate the fixtures without exactly matching them.

Tips And Tricks To Avoid Design Catastrophes

To some folks, the prospect of selecting fixtures, hardware, paint, decor, and everything else for a space is intimidating. After all, picking the wrong things could create a chaotic feel in the area, so it’s essential to be thoughtful with your choices. Here are a few helpful tips and tricks to simplify the process:

Pick A Theme

As you search for the perfect color palette and correlating fixtures, decor, and more, you might find it helpful to designate a theme. Sometimes, it can be easy to get caught up in choosing pieces you like from varying themes and designs. However, once you get home and put all the details together, you might find that they don’t work as well together as you’d hoped.

So, you might find it helpful to pick a theme before you start designing the space. For example, choose neutral colors if you want a natural, calm, and earthy aesthetic. You could go with a warm cream for the wall paint, wooden accents (like the towel bar!), and warm-toned fixtures (gold, bronze, brass).

Or, maybe you want the striking looks of a modern space, with stark contrasts and sharp, clean lines. In this case, you might choose darker colors, like deep green or rich black wall paint. Completement the walls with pale cream cabinets or keep things dark with a similar color cabinet paint. Throw in contrast with cool-toned metal fixtures and hardware (including the towel bar).

Stick With Complementary Tones

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If you’re new to interior design, it’s usually best to stick with complementary tones throughout a space. So, choose tones that complement each other as you design your bathroom. For example, if you select a cool silver faucet, consider sticking with cool tones for touches throughout the rest of the space, including the cabinet hardware and towel bar. While they don’t necessarily need to match exactly, it’s usually easier to mix similar tones.

On the flip side, consider keeping the warm theme throughout the bathroom if you pick a beautiful champagne bronze faucet. Generally, it’s easier to mix warm tones with other warm tones.

That said, you can mix and match fixtures with different tones, but it can be tricky. It’s a delicate balance – some metals pair well together (even though one is warm and the other is cool), while others clash. So, while you can certainly mix tones, you might find it easier to pick one end of the spectrum and stick with it.

Incorporate Design Elements Using Decor

Some folks are intimidated by the prospect of mixing fixture finishes, so they decide to stick with one option for the whole space. However, they might not appreciate the monotone look this can create. So, should you mix in other finishes? Not necessarily – it’s not the only way to add diversity and interest to a space.

For instance, let’s say you’re sticking with cool chrome fixtures and hardware. You could incorporate a beautiful multi-colored rug or a stunning piece of wall art to add diversity to the space. Or, tie in additional colors with countertop decor, like a stylish soap dispenser or toothbrush holder.

So, you can still stick with the same finish without creating a boring look in a space. Get creative with other aspects of the space by adding unique countertop decor, backsplash tile, wall art, and other design features.

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