Why We Still Recommend Gunmetal to Nearly Everyone
Let’s have an honest chat. For years, if you were renovating a bathroom, your main choice for tapware was shiny chrome. Then matte black exploded onto the scene, and we were all in. It was bold and dramatic, a much-needed break from the norm. But after working on countless projects, you start to see the limits of anything. In some smaller bathrooms, black can feel a bit heavy. In certain lighting, it can absorb so much light that it almost disappears. What we, and our clients, were really looking for was that sweet spot in the middle. Something with a modern edge, but with more subtlety and warmth. And that’s where gunmetal has really found its footing. These days, if a client asks us for a finish that’s modern, timeless, and actually practical, nine times out of ten, our conversation will start with gunmetal.
For us here at The Blue Space, it’s become more than just a trend. We see it as a new cornerstone of contemporary Australian design, mainly because it's just so adaptable. It’s that perfect "not too much, not too little" option that works in all sorts of different homes. It has this incredible visual depth, a kind of smoky charcoal character that seems to shift and change with the light as the day goes on. It can look cool and industrial one moment, and then feel surprisingly soft and warm when you put it next to natural timber. So, we want to walk you through how we actually use it in real-world projects, sharing the stories and solving the same problems that you might be thinking about for your own reno.
The Towel Rail Dilemma: A Story from a Recent Family Renovation
A few months back, we were working with a family in Melbourne on their main bathroom. It was a lovely space with a great window, but it needed to work hard. Two adults, two young kids. The brief was pretty clear: "We want it to feel like a sanctuary, but it needs to be bomb-proof, organised, and please, make it easy to clean." That last part was delivered with the weary look only parents of young children have. They liked the idea of a feature finish but were terrified of upkeep. The husband even mentioned a polished tap they had in their last house, saying he felt like he was buffing off fingerprints five times a day. That was our cue to bring out the gunmetal samples.
The first thing they touched wasn’t a tap, but a small swatch of metal. The first thing they noticed wasn't the colour, it was the texture. That brushed finish is the secret weapon. It diffuses light instead of creating a perfect mirror, which is exactly why it’s so forgiving. We sometimes call it camouflage for daily life because it doesn't scream at you every time there’s a drop of water or a sticky fingerprint on it. For this family, that was a lightbulb moment. From there, we could move on to the actual towel situation. With four people using one bathroom, a single rail was never going to cut it. That’s a recipe for a pile of damp towels on the floor. We looked at a beautiful, clean-lined double towel rail. The extra rail would allow two big towels to hang without touching, meaning they’d actually get dry. It was the sensible, organised choice that nailed that part of the brief.
But then we had to talk about the morning chaos. What about pyjamas? And the bathrobes that inevitably get thrown on the floor? The double rail was for bath towels, but they needed a secondary "drop zone." We looked around and instead of cluttering another wall, we focused on the most under-utilised space in most bathrooms: the back of the door. It was the perfect spot for a series of simple hooks. This is a classic trick we use all the time. Hooks are affordable, dead easy to install, and add a ton of function without taking up visual real estate. We chose three sturdy, single hooks in the same gunmetal finish and planned them in a neat row. It’s a small thing, but that repetition of the finish instantly made the whole design feel deliberate and cohesive. It’s those little echoes that make a room feel properly put together.
Heated Rails: The Affordable Luxury We Urge Everyone to Consider
During the planning for that same bathroom, the topic of heated rails came up. The husband immediately saw it as an unnecessary expense. "It's a bathroom, not a day spa," he laughed, a reaction we get a lot. The term "heated towel rail" can sound pretty indulgent. So, we try to reframe it. We asked them to picture a cold, damp Melbourne morning in the middle of July. Then, picture stepping out of the shower and wrapping themselves in a towel that isn't just dry, but is physically, bone-soothingly warm. It’s a small, everyday moment of comfort, but it’s the kind of thing that can completely change the tone of your morning, turning a routine into a small pleasure.
The practicalities are what usually seals the deal. We often have to bust the myth that they are expensive to run. A modern, well-made gunmetal heated towel rail, like the ones from a brand such as Meir—which have a real heft and feeling of quality—often uses less power than a single old-fashioned light bulb. The cost to run it is tiny. The benefit, however, is huge. It’s not just about the feeling of warmth; it’s about hygiene. It dries your towels completely and quickly, which helps prevent that musty smell from ever developing and reduces bacterial growth. They did end up going for it. Six months later, the client emailed us to say it was their single favourite thing in the new bathroom. Which, to be honest, didn't surprise us.
Building a Look: Three Ways to Style Gunmetal Without Fear
The most common question we get about gunmetal is probably, "What on earth does it go with?" People worry about it clashing. But the honest answer is that it's harder to get it wrong than it is to get it right. It’s a complex neutral. To give our clients confidence, we often mock up "recipes" or mood boards to show them how it works. Here are three distinct styles where we know gunmetal shines.
1. The Modern Coastal Look
For a project in a Sydney beachside suburb, we wanted a coastal feel without the clichés of shells and nautical stripes. We paired gunmetal fixtures with a very light, almost bleached, timber vanity. The walls were a soft, warm white, and the floor was a large-format tile that mimicked the colour of dry sand. The gunmetal, used for a simple, elegant single towel rail from a maker like Phoenix, provided a touch of modern, graphic contrast. It anchored the light finishes and stopped the room from feeling washed out. The result was serene and sophisticated. For the tiny powder room in that house, a matching hand towel holder was all we needed to visually tie the spaces together.
2. The Urban Industrial Look
In an apartment renovation in an old warehouse district, we went the other way. We used a moody charcoal tile on a feature wall and a concrete-look floor. Here, we opted for a freestanding towel ladder from Fienza in gunmetal. The ladder was a great call because the client was hesitant to drill into their expensive new tiles. Its strong lines added to the architectural feel of the space. The gunmetal finish was the perfect visual bridge between the black window frames and the grey of the concrete basin. It was a strong look, but the soft sheen of the metal kept it from feeling too cold. We then dotted other gunmetal bathroom accessories around to complete the story.
3. The Modern Organic Look
This is a style we're using more and more. It’s all about bringing natural warmth into a clean, modern design. For a recent project, we paired gunmetal fixtures with handmade-look wall tiles in a soft sage green. The vanity was a floating design in a warm walnut, and we encouraged the client to add plenty of indoor plants. The gunmetal here, from a brand like Nero, acted as a grounding, earthy element. Its deep grey connected beautifully with the green tiles and the dark grain of the walnut. It just goes to show that gunmetal isn't just for monochrome palettes; it has a real affinity with natural colours and textures.
A Note on Longevity: This Isn't a Fleeting Trend
We always encourage clients to choose core finishes that they will still love in ten years. That's why we have so much confidence in gunmetal. It has an enduring quality that isn't tied to a specific fad. And from a technical standpoint, the quality is there. We make it our business to ensure the brands we stock—from icons like Caroma and Clark to our own stylish and accessible Indigo collection—use a PVD finishing process for their coloured wares.
We often explain PVD to our clients with an analogy. Think of the difference between a cheap sticker on a water bottle and a logo that's been baked right into the material. The sticker can peel, scratch, and fade. The baked-in logo is permanent. PVD is pretty much like that. It’s not a paint or a coating that's been sprayed on. It’s a high-tech process done in a vacuum chamber that bonds the colour to the base metal on a molecular level. So, the colour literally becomes one with the steel.
What this actually means for you is that the finish is incredibly resistant to the things that ruin bathroom fixtures over time. Scratches from rings, corrosion from steam, discolouration from cleaning products (which you shouldn't be using anyway!). When you choose one of these quality towel rails, you're not just buying a look for today. You're buying peace of mind that you won't be looking at a peeling, tarnished, or faded fixture in five years. You just clean it with simple soap and water, and it stays looking new. And really, it's about as simple as that.
In the end, the reason we keep coming back to gunmetal in our design work is that it just delivers. It offers a sophisticated, high-end look without being pretentious. It's practical and forgiving for real-life, everyday use. And it has a chameleon-like versatility to fit almost any design style you can throw at it. It’s a confident choice, but it’s also a safe one. It’s a finish that works, and one that we know our clients will be happy with for years to come. That’s why it’s more than a trend for us; it’s become an essential tool in our kit when creating all kinds of beautiful bathroom accessories.
