I have a deep and abiding hatred of yellow gold and all its brassy friends. No particular reason for that, I just do. My engagement and wedding rings are white gold and every last knob, pull, and handle in my house is silver-toned.

Yellow metals look tacky.

I hated brass even when it was what 'everyone' wanted. My parents were always offering to 'upgrade' my nickel fittings with brass.

Totally depends on the context.

Our first house was a little house on the prairie dating to 1930, and unlacquered brass was a perfect fit. Our current house has more of an MCM feel, and so chrome and stainless are a better fit.

I think that there has been so much horrid lacquered brass everywhere, and people have never seen the softer unlacquered stuff, that there is an antipathy to yellow metals -- which is really too bad.

We like cool colors, not warm. So it's white metals (not yellow), grey walls (not beige), steel/glass furniture (not wood), and white accents (not cream). We like the contrast of cool neutrals and bright colors like candy apple red.

I like white metals for the 1940s ranch i rent now, but in my parents 1900's arts and crafts house all the metal is old unfinished brass, and looks beautiful with the oak doors

I think it really depends where you put these metals. I have a lot of vintage rosewood and teak furniture and it would look odd to pair them with Stainless or nickel hardware. A well patinaed brass can look rich AND modern in the right context.

white metals for me. i have always hated yellow ones- even in jewelry, i'm just not a fan of gold! one exception is oil rubbed bronze, if thats even considered part of the yellow.

WHITE!
http://www.notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

I don't really have anything against yellow metals, but I had to choose 'white,' simply because we have so much of it. Yellow metals would look odd amongst all the stainless steel in our kitchen... I believe that yellow is better suited to certain styles, and certain pieces of furniture, so we don't have very much of it.

I don't even wear any yellow gold jewelry. My wedding ring and watch and everything else are all white gold.

My wedding set is platinum, so I obviously chose white metals.
I've never liked yellow metals. Just my preference.

Despite the fact that I wear primarily Sterling and White Gold, Chrome fixtures say "Tract House/Rental Property" to me...
...and it's just so common.

Yellow metals remind me of cheap apartments and housing developments - it seems like they use fake "brass" for everything!

I picked white metals, but it really depends on the situation and the quality. That yellowy faucet pictured is lovely, and I'm not really a fan of the chrome one.

I'm with those who say that it depends. I'm not usually a fan of gold metals for plumbing fixtures, but I will certainly admit that there are rare times when it works. Very rare, but they exist.

I think we're bound to see far more yellow metals used in hardware in the coming years. I don't think they'll be as bright and shiny as in the '80s, though. Rather, I think they'll be slightly more antiqued and steam-punk-y. I've noticed this trend on a few designer blogs. Consider it a reaction to all the brushed nickle that has been given to us over the last decade.

For the record, my husband's and my wedding bands are gold because the rings made from other materials do not look like proper wedding bands to us. However, the only other yellow gold items I own are inherited. All of the rest of my jewelry is platinum or white gold.

I love both white and yellow metals in jewelry - but it is a lot easier to overdo the gold though and end up looking tacky and garish, and I think that's the danger in having yellow metal hardware and fixtures all over your home. The color competes with any other colors that are even remotely bright, so it really limits your decorating choices. I'm sure yellow metals look fantastic in some homes, but it's the lack of versatility that really bugs me.

Personally I prefer white metals - I always wear silver jewellery, never gold, just out of personal preference.

But sometimes it's not the right thing for the context. White metals can look tacky and overly trendy, just as yellow ones can look fusty and old fashioned.

I agree that it depends on the context. Yellow-toned metal, if high quality, can look really nice. My shower enclosure has that (but silver-toned faucets) and it looks good with the marble tile throughout the bathroom.

And anyway, I don't think the connection to jewelry is relevant at all. We don't dress ourselves the way we dress our homes, do we?

I tend to be drawn more towards white metals. There are some instances where yellow metals look fantastic, but I think it needs to be done carefully or it can look cheap and tacky. White metals work in more situations and are more goof-proof.

While I have a slight preference for silver metals, I mix it up in my house. Good brass in antique or imported furniture can add a richness that is unduplicated. To be honest, I am beginning to find that the brushed nickle look is becoming a little ordinary (knobs 10 a pack at Target) and beginning to remove some of it in my house. (Don't worry, I am recycling and reusing them in less noticable places)

I agree - yellow metals can look tacky if they aren't done exactly right. I especially hate it when they look too shiny!

I don't mind yellow metals, but given the either/or choice with no "it depends" or "both, in different circumstances" options, I picked white.

My condo bathroom has brass and I hate it. But, alas, no money to change it right now. Boo-hoo.

I think both are beautiful in their own right. However, it is much easier to overdo gold tone metals. For bathroom and kitchen fixtures I prefer white metals. Who wants to see gold knobs on cabinets next to a stainless steel stove? The curtain rod in my living room is antiqued brass and looks lovely with the warm color scheme. But the bright, shiny 80s gold fixtures hurt my eyes.

I find the fake brass light fixtures in apartments last updated in the 1970s hideous, but antique brass and bronze can be beautiful.

While I wear mainly white, stainless and chrome has become so ubiquitous in the last 10-15 years (in the rental market especially) that I'm actually getting kind of sick of it. Still, I like it in a kitchen, because I prefer a cooler feel color-wise in that room. Anywhere else in the house/apartment just depends on what compliments the room.

And since it's come up so much: I don't consider matching my hardware and fixtures to my wedding ring, but it's white gold. ;)