At Faucet Strommen, we see brass at every stage of its life. We see it brushed and polished in our Kerang workshop, assembled into beautiful tapware, and finally photographed years later in homes across Australia. What always delights us is how different our brass finishes look as time goes by; softer, warmer and more settled into its surroundings. That gentle transformation is patina. It isn’t a flaw or a sign of wear. It’s your home quietly telling its story.
Patina is the natural evolution that occurs on brass as it meets air, moisture, and the touch of hands. The surface reacts subtly to its environment, deepening in tone, softening around edges, or becoming lighter around high-touch points. No two homes will produce the same patina. A busy kitchen tap that’s touched a hundred times a day will soften and lighten at the handle. A bathroom near the coast may see its brass deepen more quickly as salty sea air settles on the surface. And a guest shower, used only occasionally, will change at a slower, subtler pace. Each finish evolves in response to the life around it. No two homes, and no two pieces, ever ageing in quite the same way.
Within our collections, this behavior is present in our brass finishes. They are intentionally left unsealed so they can naturally change with handling, moisture and atmosphere. They’re living finishes, designed to age gracefully and honestly. Choosing them means embracing real brass and allowing them to tell their story.
There are many reasons we continue to champion living brass finishes. First, they create a depth and richness you simply cannot fake. A newly installed tap may start crisp and bright, but over time it gains the kind of warmth only life can create; soft shifts in tone, gentle shading where water has dried, and a mellow glow that feels more like an heirloom than an object. Designers across Australia use our brass finishes to bring warmth to stone, concrete and timber, knowing the patina will add movement and character to calm, minimalist spaces.
Second, living brass is honest. Every piece of Faucet Strommen tapware begins as solid brass, machined and assembled here in Australia. Allowing it to age naturally is a celebration of the material itself. What you see is real brass behaving like real brass, no imitation, no illusion. And third, patina has a sense of quiet elegance. It doesn’t shout for attention. Instead, it builds slowly and softly, reflecting everyday life; hands washed, showers taken, moments passing. It signals that a home is lived in, cared for and comfortable with time.
Each Organic Brass finish develops its own character over time. Antique Brass Medium begins warm and burnished, gradually becoming richer and more layered, with darker areas emerging while surfaces that are touched most often gently lighten. Antique Brass Light starts softer and more muted, developing depth and contrast in a similar way, darkening in some areas while remaining brighter through regular use.
Raw Polished Brass begins bright and reflective, then slowly softens as fine marks, subtle tonal shifts and darker patina appear. Raw Brushed Brass follows a similar path, gaining gentle honeyed notes while gradually developing darker areas, particularly in high-use spaces. These changes are not imperfections. They are the metal settling into its environment and telling the story of how it is lived with.
It’s important to distinguish patina from damage. Patina appears as gradual shifts in color, soft darkening or lightening in high-touch areas, and a general mellowing of the surface. Damage, on the other hand, looks sudden and harsh; deep scratches, dents, chemical stains or marks from abrasive cleaners. Patina forms slowly and consistently. Damage tends to appear abruptly. If you ever need help telling the difference, our team or your local showroom partner can guide you.
Caring for living brass finishes is simple. A soft cloth, mild pH-neutral soap and clean water are all you need for regular cleaning. Avoid abrasive pads and strong chemicals, and wipe away products like toothpaste or skincare rather than letting them sit. Gentle, consistent care will keep the patina soft; a more relaxed approach will allow the brass to age more boldly. Either is perfectly valid; it depends on the look you prefer.
Choosing a living finish is a personal decision. If you love materials that age like timber floors that develop character, leather that softens, stone that gently wears then Organic Brass will feel natural and rewarding. If you prefer a completely consistent surface, one of our long-wearing finishes may be better suited.
When you specify a Faucet Strommen Organic Brass finish, you’re choosing a material that will grow with you. The taps you reach for every day, the mixers that see countless meals, the showers that bookend your days; all of these pieces will absorb traces of life and become uniquely yours. Patina is how brass remembers. And in a world filled with objects designed to be replaced rather than lived with, a finish that evolves alongside your home carries a beauty all of its own.
