Your taps are a colour decision

Hello lovely!

Firstly, I'm so sorry this is landing in your inbox a day late! I've been in Somerset this weekend celebrating mine and little Zac's birthdays with the family, and I didn't quite get the chance to finish writing this.

But actually, being back at the house this weekend got me thinking about something I've been wanting to talk to you about for a while.

It's one of those little details in interior design that I don't think gets nearly enough attention. And yet, it's often these smaller decisions that can make the biggest difference to how a room looks and, more importantly, how it feels.

I'm talking about the finishes on your taps, handles and hardware.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Tash, really? Taps?

But bear with me, because this is actually a really important colour lesson.

If you've ever renovated a kitchen or bathroom, you'll know that there comes a point where you're asked to choose between chrome, nickel, brass, bronze, black... and suddenly you're faced with another decision.

And when you've already spent weeks choosing tiles, paint colours, flooring, sanitaryware and everything else, sometimes this is the one decision that tips you over the edge!

So you choose whatever looks nicest in the showroom, or whatever you've seen on Pinterest, and move on.

But here's what I really want you to understand: choosing the finish of your taps is just as much a colour decision as choosing the colour of your walls.

And once you understand why, I promise these decisions become so much easier.

I always think of fittings as the jewellery of a room.

Think about getting dressed. You might have the most beautiful outfit on, but it's often the jewellery, the shoes or the bag that really pulls everything together.

And your home is exactly the same.

Your taps, handles, switches, shower heads and even your hinges might only take up a tiny percentage of the room, but they have an enormous influence on the overall look and feel.

Why?

Because metals have undertones, just like paint colours do.

And if you've been reading my newsletters for a while, you'll know how much I talk about undertones!

It's one of the most important things I teach in colour consultations, because understanding whether a colour leans warm or cool is often the difference between a scheme that feels beautifully balanced and one where something just doesn't feel quite right.

And metals are no exception.

As a general rule:

But here's where it gets interesting.

It's not necessarily about matching everything perfectly. It's about understanding how the colours relate to one another.

You can create a really harmonious, tonal scheme by choosing metals that share similar undertones with the colours around them. Or you can deliberately introduce a contrasting metal to bring warmth, depth or a little bit of tension into the room.

Neither is wrong.

The secret is knowing what feeling you're trying to create.

And that's where I always want you to start.

Now, if you've been following our house renovation over on YouTube, you'll know that I'm currently in the thick of making all these decisions myself.

And honestly, even as a colour expert, there are moments when I think, goodness me, there are SO many things to choose!

But what's been really interesting is how much I've been leaning on the same colour principles that I teach you every week.

In this week's YouTube episode, I'm unpacking some of the fittings for our bathrooms, and you'll see that I've fallen completely in love with polished nickel.

Let me explain why.

Upstairs, I've chosen the most beautiful vintage cornflower blue basin and loo.

Now, blue is naturally a colour we associate with coolness, and this particular blue has a lovely cool undertone.

So when it came to choosing the taps, I wanted something that would complement that freshness rather than compete with it.

And that's why I've chosen polished nickel.

What I love about nickel is that it has a slightly softer quality than traditional chrome. It still gives you that beautiful reflective finish, but it doesn't feel quite as sharp or clinical.

Against the cornflower blue, it creates this really elegant, gentle combination that feels fresh but still has character.

And because the sanitaryware itself is such a statement, I wanted the fittings to support it rather than steal all the attention.

Now, downstairs in our little loo, I've gone in a completely different direction.

I've chosen a gorgeous soft butter yellow basin and loo, and this time I'm pairing them with unlacquered brass.

And I absolutely LOVE this combination.

Butter yellow has such a beautiful warmth to it, and brass naturally picks up on those golden undertones.

So rather than introducing something cool and contrasting, I'm allowing those warm tones to sit together and create something that feels really soft, welcoming and almost nostalgic.

And the reason I've chosen unlacquered brass is because I actually want it to age.

Unlike lacquered brass, which is protected to help maintain its finish, unlacquered brass reacts naturally over time, developing a darker, softer patina.

I love the idea of these fittings changing as we live in the house. They won't always look brand new, and that's exactly the point.

I want this home to feel as though it has a story to tell, rather than everything looking perfectly polished and untouched.

And I think those little details are what give a home its soul.

Now, here's something I see quite often when I'm helping people with their homes.

Someone will tell me that their bathroom feels a little cold or clinical, even though they've chosen a beautiful paint colour and spent a fortune on the tiles.

And sometimes the answer isn't actually to change the colour on the walls.

It's to look at everything else that's going on in the room.

Imagine you've got a bathroom with bright white sanitaryware, glossy white tiles and highly polished chrome taps.

Individually, there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those choices.

But put them all together and you've got a lot of cool, reflective surfaces bouncing light around the room.

And that can create a space that feels quite hard and clinical, particularly if what you were hoping for was something softer and more relaxing.

Now imagine introducing a warmer metal, perhaps brushed brass or an aged bronze, alongside some softer, more textured materials.

Suddenly you've introduced warmth and contrast, and the room can feel completely different.

And this is something I really want you to remember: colour doesn't stop at the paint chart.

It's in your tiles, your flooring, your worktops, your furniture, your fabrics and, yes, even your taps.

Everything contributes to the overall palette.

And the more you start looking at your home this way, the easier it becomes to create rooms that feel connected and considered.

The good news is that you don't necessarily need to rip everything out to make a difference. Sometimes simply changing a set of handles, a light fitting or, when the time comes, your taps can have a surprising impact.

YES! Absolutely.

And actually, I really love mixing metals when it's done thoughtfully.

There's this idea that once you've chosen brass taps, everything else in the room needs to be brass too.

But that isn't necessarily true.

In fact, introducing a second metal can be a beautiful way of making a room feel a little more layered, interesting and less like everything has been bought as one matching set.

My advice would be to stick to two main metal finishes in a room, particularly if you're not feeling hugely confident.

Think of one as your dominant finish and the other as your accent.

For example, you might choose polished nickel for your basin taps, shower fittings and bath filler, and then introduce aged brass through your wall lights, mirror or cabinet handles.

This creates a lovely contrast between warm and cool, while still feeling intentional.

Or you could keep everything within the same metal family but play with the finish. Think polished brass alongside brushed or aged brass.

You get that subtle variation in texture and reflection without introducing another completely different colour.

The important thing is that there is some repetition and a sense of balance.

What I would try to avoid is choosing five different metals simply because you liked each individual piece.

Remember, we never see a colour in isolation.

And exactly the same principle applies to your fittings.

The next time you're choosing taps, handles or any of those smaller finishing details, I want you to ask yourself three things:

1. What are the undertones of the colours and materials around them?

Look at your basin, tiles, worktops and walls. Do they lean warm or cool? And how will your chosen metal sit alongside them?

2. How do I want the room to feel?

Do you want something fresh, crisp and contemporary? Or warm, soft and full of character? Your metal finishes can help reinforce that feeling.

3. Do I want harmony or contrast?

You don't always need to match undertones. Sometimes a contrasting metal is exactly what a room needs. But make that choice deliberately.

And please, don't feel you need to get every single detail perfect.

The most beautiful homes aren't the ones where everything matches. They're the ones where the colours, materials and finishes have been chosen with a little bit of thought and, most importantly, with feeling.

Because ultimately, that's what good interior design is all about.

And if you want to see exactly what I've chosen for our bathrooms, and why, you can watch this week's renovation episode here.

I'd absolutely love to know what you think.

And as always, if you're in the middle of a renovation or you're staring at a hundred different tap finishes wondering what on earth to choose, just reply to this email. You know how much I love helping you with these decisions!

Lots of love,

Tash xx