What’s the Difference Between Polished Nickel & Polished Chrome?

Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome are two of From The Anvil’s most popular finishes, and we’re often asked the difference between them. At first glance, the difference is subtle, but upon further inspection, the unique qualities of each finish are apparent, as we’ll explain in this blog.

A modern Polished Nickel lever latch door handle on a clear, Perspex block, with a matching Polished Chrome lever lock door handle underneath.

Above: From The Anvil's Polished Nickel Newbury lever latch door handle (top) and Polished Chrome Newbury lever lock door handle (bottom).

How are Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome made?

Polished Nickel products are forged from a durable base of solid brass, which is a metal alloy containing a mixture of copper and zinc.

Polished Chrome products are then coated in a durable chrome plating to create an exceedingly high-sheen finish. Likewise, Polished Nickel products are coated in a high-quality plating, but uses just a single layer. This creates a subtle warmth which can’t be replicated by more modern chrome finishes.

Polished Nickel sash window hardware (left) and Polished Chrome sash window hardware (right) on neutral backgrounds with blue and white tiles in the corners.

Above left: a collection of From The Anvil's Polished Nickel sash window hardware, Above right: a selection of From The Anvil's Polished Chrome sash window hardware.

What’s the difference between Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome?

Both Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome are durable, hardwearing, and highly reflective, but their main differences lie in their colouring. While Polished Nickel has a warm, yellowish tone reminiscent of traditional sterling silver, Polished Chrome has a cooler, blueish tint for a clean and crisp look.

Left: a moodboard of From The Anvil's Polished Nickel cabinet knobs, pull handles and T Bars on a grey and pink background. Right: Polished Chrome cabinet knobs, pull handles, and T-bars on a blue background with white marble.

Above: a collection of Polished Nickel cabinet furniture (left) and Polished Chrome cabinet hardware (right) with complementary colours and materials.

How to style Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome

Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome are classed as our Period finishes, but that doesn’t mean their use is limited to Period properties. While Polished Nickel does look incredible in classic homes, it also makes a statement in more contemporary properties and is complemented by subtle tones like pale pink, stone, and taupe. Try pairing Polished Nickel with wood, patterned tiles, or pale painted timber to emphasise its warm undertones. On the other hand, Polished Chrome is best suited to modern interiors, where cool colours like cyan, navy, and green will highlight its blue undertones.

How to maintain Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome

Due to the similarities between Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome, the care and maintenance of both finishes is identical. Both are relatively low maintenance, requiring the occasional wipe with an oily cloth to keep them clean and protected against harsh environmental conditions.

We also recommend regularly oiling any moving parts of your Polished Nickel and Polished Chrome products to ensure they work their best for years to come.

Polished Nickel or Polished Chrome; which is your favourite? We can’t make our minds up!

Discover From The Anvil’s full collection of Polished Nickel products here, or dive into Polished Chrome here. Or, head back to our Blogs page to learn about more finishes.