To find out what makes living finishes so appealing, we spoke to Steve Cook, Retail Director at Aston Matthews, the family-run, high-end bathroom retailer with showroomsin Islington, London, and Guildford. Steve has more than 30 years in the bathroomindustry, including over two decades working closely with Matki, so if anyone canexplain why a finish that changes is more desirable and characterful than one that doesn't, it's him.

Aston Matthews London premises and historical documents

A living finish is one that will change and age over time in unpredictable ways as it reacts with the environment around it. It's uncoated, unlacquered metal, usually brass or copper, ora bronzed finish derived from one of them, left to do what metal naturally does when itmeets water, air, and everyday use: it ages. Standard finishes such as chrome, or a lacqueredcolour finish like matt black, are sealed at the factory and designed to stay exactly as theyleft it. A living finish develops a genuine patina over time, mellowing from a bright, polishedshine into a warm, golden glow that's softer and altogether more characterful. AstonMatthews has been championing these finishes for more than 13 years.

Matki Bespoke Classicahinged door with inline panels in Brushed Brass

“It's been a labour of love,” Steve says. “You have to do that, because in this industry, the worst thing is someone falling in love with a look and then having nothing to back it up.” That's why Aston Matthews fills its showrooms with real examples of living brass at every stage of its life. Brand new, polished pieces alongside ones that have aged for years, so their customers can see and touch exactly how a patina develops before they commit. It's one thing to describe a living finish; it's another to see the authentic and beautiful reality of a living finish, and how it changes over time.

That commitment shows: polished brass, brushed brass and aged brass remain Aston Matthews' best-sellers, with antique and dark bronzes the up-and-coming trend. Living Copper, meanwhile, is one Steve thinks the market hasn't quite caught up with yet. “I think it's ahead of its time. It's beautiful, and has an amazing, unique patina.”

"New’ Living Brass finish

Living Brass after 3 months

From box-fresh to beautifully lived-in

The part that surprises most people is finding out that living finishes are chosenspecifically to let them change and develop over time. Polished brass arrives bright and shiny, but Steve's advice is simple: “Put the Brasso down and let it age.” Within months, it starts to soften and mellow into something that feels substantial and thoughtfully considered. Brushed brass starts out even brighter still, and tends to develop its patina that bit faster, so its transformation can be the most dramatic of all. And the bronzes? They're the finish everyone else eventually arrives at, naturally, sped up from the start. “If you let polished brass go for five years, it'll get to that same aged look as an Antique Brass or Bronze,” Steve explains. Living finishes are less about a fixed look and more about a slow-moving story your bathroom tells, developing in twists and turns as time goes on.

Isn't that just high maintenance?

Not in the way people assume. Polished and brushed brass, Steve says, are practically bulletproof. Hard water, cleaning products, daily use- none of it does any real damage, and a little metal polish brings the shine straight back whenever you fancy it. The one habit worth building: give taps and fittings a quick wipe after use. It sounds trivial, but it's the difference between a beautiful patina and dulling limescale marks that, left long enough, can etch into the surface permanently. Chemically aged bronze finishes need a slightly gentler hand, simply because that aged look has been deliberately created, but even that's reversible if you ever want to bring a piece back to its original lustre.

Characterful beauty that develops over time

Some customers arrive worried that a living finish will look tarnished. Steve doesn't hesitate: “That is the nature of brass, and it is beautiful. A fingerprint, a faint water mark, the fact that no two pieces ever look quite the same- none of that is a flaw. It's proof the metal is doing exactly what it's meant to do.” Every living finish piece is genuinely one of a kind, shaped by the water in your home and the way your family actually uses your bathroom.

Suited to any bathroom, traditional or contemporary

It's a common assumption that living finishes belong only in period homes or heritage renovations, but Steve sees them working just as hard in sleek, contemporary bathrooms. “It started out very much as a modern trend,” he explains, “but for us, it's been the traditional ranges where it's really settled in — it just sits so well.” In practice, Aston Matthews sells living finishes across the spectrum, from classic roll-top-and-brassware bathrooms to pared-back modern wet rooms.

Matki Classica Shower Enclosure Aged Brass

Not a fad — a tradition

Interior trends come and go — matt black had its moment, all-white had its own, and something else will inevitably take their place. Living finishes are different. They are a uniquely British story: brass and copper have been shaped by British hands for centuries, and a living finish simply continues that lineage, honouring the heritage behind it while promising the kind of quality that will still be earning its character in another hundred years. It's fitting, then, that Matki and Swadling Brassware are British manufacturers, with Swadling's founder credited with inventing the concealed thermostatic shower valve and Matki building over fifty years of showering manufacturing heritage into every fitting. Choose a living finish, and you're not buying into this season's colour palette; you're investing in something that looks back at
generations of British craftsmanship and forward to decades of your own.
 

Styling with living finishes

While a single statement piece can be enough to bring a living finish into a room, Steve's real recommendation is to follow it through. “Matki is the only company offering shower doors, wet room panels and bath screens in living finishes,” he points out “And their sister company Swadling Brassware manufactures mixers and shower fittings to exactly match— which means, uniquely, you can carry the same living brass or bronze from the frame of your shower right through to your taps, valves and fittings. Used together, they age in step with one another, so the whole room develops the same rich, consistent patina over time rather than one element
ageing while the rest stays static. Steve's other styling tip: keep the temperature warm. Living finishes sit beautifully alongside warm accent colours, soft greens, dusky pinks, subtle blues, and warm lighting rather than anything cold or clinical. Get that right, and even a small living brass accent will feel completely intentional.

Matki Classica Shower Enclosure Aged Brass

More than 30 years into a career in bathrooms, Steve is still evangelical about living finishes: “I still shout about them from the rooftops.” Once you've seen one close up, felt the weight of solid brass, watched the light catch a patina that's genuinely yours, it's easy to understand why.

For more on patina development and how to bring your own bathroom to life, view our Bold as Brass collection of brassware.

Swadling Brassware Illustrious Basin Mixer in Dark Bronze