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Hands down, the question we get the most about cabinet hardware finish is - what is the difference between the gold and brass knobs and pulls?
In a previous series of articles, we took a deep dive into cabinet hardware finishes and looked at the gold tones and earth tones.
Here, in this article we will COMPARE the gold and brass cabinet hardware of two different brands; Cosmas and Diversa.
We will take a look at the antique brass, brushed brass, and gold colored finishes side by side. This quick at-a-glance look will showcase the similarities and differences of the cabinet hardware finishes in brass and gold finishes.
First though, before we jump into comparing the brass and gold cabinet hardware, let's all agree that those cabinet hardware finishes can be super confusing and really tricky to match.
If you have started the process of trying to coordinate or compliment a kitchen faucets, then you already know that tones, hues, names and manufactures can get wildly bewildering!
The tricky part of cabinet hardware selection is sometimes all about the name and the photography.
Let's start with the name game. As brass and gold hardware has gained popularity, it seems that the creative naming of the different finishes has increased as well.
Different manufacturers use different names, so one company may call something "brushed brass" while another calls the exact same finish "golden brass." The flip of that is that one manufacture could call a certain cabinet hardware in a gold finish "brushed brass" and while another manufacture calls an entirely different finish "brushed brass" - so, it is confusing!
And once you add the faucet companies and light fixture companies, the names become even more creative and more confusing! In a recent search, we found one faucet listed on Amazon had a 30-word titlewith references to three different finishes!
PRO TIP #1: Don't focus on the name as much as the actual finish. Your "brushed brass" faucet may not be the same "brushed brass" cabinet pull.
Photography is the next big hurdle with the gold and brass cabinet knobs and pulls.
Although we and our manufacturers pay a lot of money to get the best pictures of the cabinet knobs and pulls, these brass and gold finishes are tricky little suckers!
Unlike any of our other finishes, when placed under the studio's bright lights and against a stark white background, the gold and brass hardware doesn't always capture the essence of the finish. So what looks like "brushed gold" to one person might be more "brassy" to another.
On top of that, the essence of the finish may not be genuinely captured in professional photos. From time to time, we hear customer feedback that a particular finish is "too yellow" or "too gold" or "not gold enough" - for what they wanted. The customers' expectation of the color and the problematic professional photography can sometimes lead a customer to not get what they are looking for.
Another problem with gold and brass hardware photography is the timing of the picture and the photography company. Pictures taken by different companies and at different times yield slightly different results, and the colors don't look to match. So, for example, if you search our site Doorcorner.com "brushed brass by Cosmas," it may look like the finishes are not the same from one cabinet pull to the next - but that is simply not the case. The finishes match; it is just that the pictures do not. We know it is frustrating and confusing! And it our biggest pet peeve...but sadly, we are not in control of photography from the manufacturers.
PRO TIP #2: Use our resources for "real life" photos. On many of our product pages we have customer photos where you are able to see the finish in a true light. Or, check out our blogs - specifically our color blog about gold tones to see photos of the hardware installed in real kitchens. Another good resource is to follow us on our Instagram and Facebook pages where real customers post real pictures of the real products. And finally, if you get stuck and need help on choosing a finish, feel free to chat with us on our live chat, by email or text and we will be happy to send you some example pictures.
So now that we have addressed the issue of the name of the hardware finishes and the photography, let's get back to that most often asked question about cabinet hardware finish - what is the difference between the gold and brass color cabinet hardware?
Using a color swatch is a standard in interior design. From paints, to flooring to hardware, this often used design tool is a simple way to show the differences or similarities of colors.
This color swatch diagram below gives you an at a glance look at the gold and brass tones offered by Doorcorner from two different manufacturers - Cosmas Hardware and Diversa Hardware.
Seemingly helpful and easy to understand, the color swatch poses problems for cabinet hardware finishes that are gold and brass. Even though these different cabinet hardware color swatches were taken from actual professional photographs, the swatches themselves don't always accurately depict the finish of the color of the hardware.
When dealing with three-dimensional solid metal cabinet pulls and knobs, the finish will inevitably look different from a computer-generated, one-dimensional square color swatch.
So, let's take a look at the actual gold and brass cabinet hardware products side by side.
As you can see both hardware companies, Cosmas and Diversa, offer gold and brass colored knobs and pulls. More specifically...
Cosmas has knobs and pulls that come in the brushed antique brass, gold champagne, brushed gold, and brushed brass finishes.
Diversa offers knobs and pulls in antique brass, brushed gold, and brushed brass.
This chart shows you which cabinet hardware company offers which finish.
Brushed gold by Diversa and Cosmas is almost the exact same tone, hue, finish, and sheen - so they are pretty much the same.
Brushed antique brass by Cosmas and antique brass by Diversa are similar, but there are some differences in the tone.
Gold champagne is offered by Diversa and Cosmas, with very slight differences.
Brushed Brass is offered by both companies, Diversa and Cosmas, the finishes are actually different. Same name, different finish.
Confused yet?
Well then, let's take yet another yet closer look at each of the cabinet hardware finishes in the gold and brass tones and see how it compares to some of the others.
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Made to replicate the aging of real brass, the antique brass handles and knobs will have a deeper rich greenish iridescent color with a moss brown earth undertones.
Cosmas Brushed Antique Brass
Diversa Hardware Antique Brass Euro Bar Pull
Our collage features Diversa Euro bar pulls in a kitchen, a really nice close up of the antique brass bar pull and some other antique brass inspired interior designs.
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Cosmas brushed antique brass has a medium-dark tone with warm golden undertones and brown/greenish hues.
Diversa Antique Brass
Cosmas 1481-160BAB Brushed Antique Brass Modern Contemporary Pull
Our inspirational collage demonstrates that the Cosmas brushed antique brass pulls are equally impressive on pastel furniture as they are on slate gray kitchen cabinets.
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Cosmas gold champagne handles and knobs have a rich, warm finish that is almost caramel in color. Golden hues are mixed with a deep toasty beige color and champagne highlights.
Diversa Brushed Brass
Cosmas 702-3.5GC Gold Champagne Contemporary Cabinet Pull
The gold champagne inspirational photos showcase pics that include; the popular cup pull on a gray-blue cabinet, the gold champagne accents used to warm up a modern white kitchen and a gorgeous bathroom vanity with the featured 702 cabinet handles in gold champagne.
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Cosmas brushed gold cabinet hardware is a bright and attractive finish with a muted yellow tone that features pale and neutral low and highlights.
Diversa Brushed Gold - the finishes are almost the same.
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Diversa brushed gold features a soft, inviting pale yellow finish with light neutral undertones.
Cosmas Brushed Gold - the finishes are almost the same.
Diversa Brushed Gold Trinity Cabinet Drawer Pull 10 PACK
The collage of inspiration shows the square brushed gold pulls on a number of different surfaces, from navy cabinets to pale Sherwood green cabinets. The brushed gold looks stunning when paired with white.
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The Cosmas brushed brass finish is golden brass color with lighter yellow hues. The brass finish is brushed to simulate brushing of the metal, and has neutral to warm undertones.
Cosmas Brushed Brass
Cosmas 161 Brushed Brass Heavy Duty Euro Bar Pulls
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The brushed brass finish may have the same name as other hardware, but its finish is more true to the golden color of brass. The golden tones of the brushed brass Diversa pulls are sometimes referred to as a stronger, more brassy gold color with deep rich gold undertones.
Cosmas Brushed Brass
The inspirational collage showcases the rich brushed brass finish on various cabinet colors from royal blue vanities to white shaker kitchen cabinets. The pics also give inspiration for matching the Diversa brushed brass hardware with popular faucets.
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