Brass (well, satin brass) has been coming back in recent years and we are starting to see it used (quite effectively) with cabinet hardware and plumbing fixtures.

What is new to us is its use now alongside other materials like wall coverings and tile. We had a customer come to us with an inspiration picture of a beautiful tile that had an inlaid brass strip surrounding boldly colored cabinetry and it caught our imagination. Here are the (almost) finished results.
Who knew that brass would come back and who would have thought it could look this good?
We built the cabinetry using a bold color to provide a contrast against the white and gold colors present in the tile. We also built the white oak counter tops to lend another complimentary element to the tile.
The cabinets are painted with a high gloss conversion varnish (Color: Admiral Blue, Ben Moore), and polished to a very high shine (like a car). The hardware is Vesta Fine Hardware, the counter-top is white oak with a metallic gray finish, the tile is marble with brass inlay (customer provided and builder installed).
While I would like to say we came up with all the ideas here we cannot. The customer was really the driving force behind the finishes and the architect (John Hapler) really provided the design. We executed the vision with input here and there (we can never keep our big mouths shut).
The photo is just a preview taken with my phone, better/more shots of the rest of the kitchen to come.
Builder: Hemingway Construction