Aged vs Unlacquered Brass Hardware: Which One is For You?

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Debating whether to use aged brass or unlacquered brass hardware?

Unlacquered brass hardware is known for its unique patina and timeless appeal. 

Not everyone can handle the natural patina though… and regular cleaning & maintenance! 

We ultimately went with the Aged brass finish in our home, so you can compare how ours looks vs unlacquered brass to help you make your decision.

Let’s get started…

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Aged Brass Hardware Throughout Our Home

​I first fell in love with brass hardware over on Pinterest searching through vintage-inspired designs. 

Honestly, brass hardware and fixtures just adds a touch of elegance you simply cannot replace! 

There are SO many colors and finishes for brass that it can really feel overwhelming. 

Especially trying to match an exact finish for both your faucets and cabinet hardware! 

Ultimately I went with Aged brass for our home because I didn’t think I could enjoy the antique appearance of unlacquered brass. 

​Plus, I felt like the polished look of unlacquered brass reminded me more of the 80’s style brass that went out of style – even though it’s totally not the same! 

For me, the flawless look of the Aged brass was the perfect slice of sophistication. 

Brass Cabinet Hardware on our Kitchen Island

Below you can see the cabinet hardware I chose for our kitchen island!

I decided to mix both cup pulls and knobs so the drawers almost looked like a dresser…

Shop My Knobs and Cup Pulls:

Brass Cabinet Hardware in our Butler’s Pantry

Next, you can see the mixed hardware in our butler’s pantry cabinets!

I decided to switch it up and use 6″ drawer pulls but two of them per drawer, for a fancier look…

Shop my Drawer Pulls and Knobs:

Brass Cabinet Hardware in our Kitchen

One thing I loved about the Aged Brass hardware collection I chose is the wide variety of hardware types and sizes they offer!

For example, Emtek didn’t offer cup pulls in their Satin brass finish – so I couldn’t use their line of hardware.

We absolutely love the quality of our long appliance pulls that we put on our paneled refrigerator.

They have a super solid brass feel that hold up to the roughness of my kids…

Shop my Appliance Pulls and Knobs:

Brass Hardware in our Home Office

Another thing I love about the Aged brass finish is that it seems to seriously match most other brass fixtures!

It blends in so well with pretty much all of our gold lighting, like shown here in our coastal style home office…

Shop my Knobs and Sconce:

Brass Hardware in our Mudroom

In our mudroom, I used extra long door pulls so they were easy for my kids to grab!

Then, I mixed in cup pulls on our shoe drawers for a bit of fun…

Shop my Door and Drawer Pulls:

Pros vs Cons of Aged Brass Hardware

You are likely here because you’re interested in unlacquered brass hardware!

Let’s compare the differences between these two hardware finishes…

Pros:

1. It’s ability to match with other brand’s brass finishes like a chameleon!
2. It’s availability in many different hardware styles, allowing you to mix and match hardware types.
3. It’s finish (and weight) holds up against rough kids!

Look how well my Satin Brass kitchen faucet matches my Aged brass hardware…

Shop My Faucet:

Again, look at how well my Aged brass hardware in our laundry room below – matches my Satin brass faucet from another brand, as well as our brass light fixture…

If you’re stressed about matching brass finishes, this extensive collection is for you!

Shop My Faucet, Lighting and Hardware:

Nothing is perfect – right?! Now onto the cons of the Aged brass finish…

Cons:

1. Lacks old world character and looks new.
2. Could develop scratching of the finish over time depending on the level of care given.

We’ve had ours for over a year now and haven’t experienced any scratching yet!

Pros vs Cons of Unlacquered Brass Hardware

Below are some pros vs cons of using unlacquered brass in your home.

You’ll instantly notice that this type of brass has a darker, more polished look!

The example below shows what the patina process starts to look like…

Source: Jennifer Castle Studio and Public 311 Design

Pros:

1. Gives character and uniqueness to a space!
2. Will patina over time, so no need to worry about a perfect finish getting scratched.

Cons:

1. The patina will eventually look old, worn, and smudged – if that’s not the look you’re going for.

Below is another example of unlacquered brass. In this photo, you can see it’s a much darker brass color, that’s fairly shiny compared to the aged brass finish.

Source: Anne Wagoner Interiors and Stacey Van Berkel Photo

The final example I want to show you is below, where this beautiful unlacquered faucet is kind of in that sweet spot of where the patina process can look really beautiful!

Source: Jessica Freeman Interiors and Allison Elefante Photo

Which Cabinet Hardware Type is Best for You?

There’s truly no right answer here!

Some of you will prefer the living finish of unlacquered brass, and others will want the flawless finishes of Aged and Satin brass.

Whichever finish you choose, you’ll enjoy your beautiful brass for years to come! 

Which team are you on… Aged or Unlacquered brass?!

Related: See Our Modern Cream Kitchen

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