If you browse articles and blog posts about shower design these days, you’ll likely see the beloved pairing of clear glass and matte black metal. For a number of years, matte black metal has been vying for popularity with classic picks like chrome and brushed nickel as well as other trending looks like satin brass. While dark hardware is found on showers with various glass styles – clear, acid-etched, patterned – it is most frequently installed on transparent glass. We’ll take a look at some of the reasons for the popularity of this combo to help to discern whether it’s right for your space.

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Why Are So Many Shower Doors and Enclosures Built from Clear Glass?

 

Regardless of the hardware style and finish, most homeowners and designers choose clear glass for their showers. Reasons for this preference include:

• If you’ve spent time and money outfitting the shower with gorgeous wall tiles, you don’t want to hide them behind privacy glass.
• Transparent glass lets lots of light into the stall and makes both the shower area and the rest of the bathroom seem larger.
• Clear glass matches most bathroom styles and themes and any color palette.
• The exterior of clear glass is smooth, unlike some obscure glass options which have a textured surface that can make mineral deposits and soap scum harder to remove.

 

What Explains the Surge in Popularity of the Matte Black Hardware Finish?

 

While silver or gold based finishes – like brushed nickel and satin brass – have often dominated the world of bathroom design, a neutral like matte black also has its appeal. Attractive features include:

• Matches all color schemes.
• Pops against the whites, beiges, and grays often found on bathroom walls.
• Works with many popular design trends ranging from Scandi to cottagecore to industrial.
• Perfect for inclusion in a mixed metals bathroom since it looks great with other contrasting metallics.
• Adds visual interest to minimalist or monochromatic bathrooms.

 

Is There a Particular Look that Encapsulates this Pairing?

 

Yes, grid-style glass really captures the essence of the clear glass and matte black metal partnership. This look is inspired by steel framed windows of old that also had steel mullions and mutins in the form of a grid. Uses for grid-style glass include:

• Splash guards
• Hinged door glass shower enclosures
• Sliding shower door systems
• Room dividers
• Screens
• Glass partition walls

 

Like matte black hardware in general, this look works with a wide variety of bathroom styles and themes as it is equally at home in maximalist, farmhouse, and Mediterranean spaces.

Sometimes the glass has actual metal framing and grille, but in many cases this look is created by surrounding glass with matte black U-channel and creating the grid effect through ceramic frit printing.

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Do you need matte black hardware and/or clear glass for a shower enclosure project? Check out our wide range of hardware styles as well as select stock glass doors and panels. Our team is also available to answer product questions and take your order – (571)707-7760.