Selecting a Bathroom Sink Drain Finish

Choose the Right Drain Finish for Copper or Concrete Bathroom Sinks

Now that you have found your perfect bathroom sink, there are other decisions to make. Namely, what is the best faucet and drain for your sink and your space? For faucet guidance, see our bathroom faucet guide. Find out more about Native Trails’ four bathroom sink drains and how to install them. Read on for our sink drain finish insights and tips.
Diminutive though it may be, the drain has a big job to do, not to mention that it can effectively tie together the sink and faucet combo you have so carefully selected. People often ask about the best drain finish for a copper sink or for a NativeStone® sink. Not only are Native Trails sink drains designed to function perfectly with all our sinks, but our five finish colors—Brushed Nickel, Polished Nickel, Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Weathered Copper and Matte Black—coordinate beautifully with our copper and concrete sinks while also allowing room for customization.

Drain Finishes for Copper Sinks

For our hammered copper sinks, Weathered Copper most closely matches our Antique finish. However, many customers opt for the Oil Rubbed Bronze finish to coordinate with the color of their faucet.
As for brushed nickel sinks, brushed nickel sink drains coordinate beautifully. While this is the most popular drain finish for a Brushed Nickel sink, there are other alternatives. A drain in Polished Nickel finish creates a nice punch of reflective warmth and is desirable if one is choosing a Polished Nickel finish faucet. Chrome finish sink drains pair well with both a contemporary or classically styled chrome faucets.

Drain Finishes for Concrete Sinks

When it comes to the NativeStone Collection, our artisan-crafted series of sustainable concrete sinks, the drain choice depends on the faucet finish. Luckily, for these sinks, there is a lot of flexibility as far as what looks good. We find that our concrete sinks in Slate finish are most often paired with Brushed Nickel or Oil Rubbed Bronze sink drains. However, they can also look great with Chrome or Polished Nickel. For a modern look try Matte Black. It simply depends on the overall look of the space. Our NativeStone concrete sinks in Ash and Pearl finishes are most often paired with Brushed Nickel sink drains. Again, we see a lot of variance in that. One of our favorite looks is a NativeStone Pearl sink with an Oil Rubbed Bronze or Weathered Copper drain (and coordinating faucet).

“I love Slate paired with Oil Rubbed Bronze,” says Katelyn Beer, Native Trails Customer Experience Representative. Katelyn works with our sinks and drains all day long, so she’s seen just about every possible combination. “The drain blends with our Slate finish very nicely, and the lighter brush strokes in the Oil Rubbed Bronze are a striking accent in the otherwise dark combination.”
“Think of it this way,” suggests Naomi Neilson Howard, Native Trails Founder, and CEO, “A Brushed Nickel finish sink drain and faucet can soften the look while a contemporary Chrome faucet and Chrome drain can create a more modern feel. Oil Rubbed Bronze or Weathered Copper can bring forth an earthy or old world vibe – unless the faucet is modern in shape – in which case all bets are off. Polished Nickel faucets and sink drains require a bit more care to keep up that shine, but their warmth and sheen are undeniably classy.”

There are many ways to successfully combine sink and drain finishes. As long as the faucet and drain coordinate – and the combination chosen makes you or the homeowner happy – you can’t go wrong. See below for more examples of drain/sink finish combinations.

Want to learn more about sinks that go with our coordinating drains? Vessel sinks, a Brushed Nickel finish, and sustainably-made concrete sinks are excellent options.