Stainless steel is one metal with many faces. The finish changes how it looks, how it shows marks and how it is looked after, far more than most people expect.
Mirror
Polished until it reflects like glass. Spectacular on sculpture, trims and anything seen from a distance; every fingerprint and every small dent shows on a surface people touch. Best where it is admired rather than handled.
Brushed
Fine parallel lines give a soft sheen that hides fingerprints and light scratches well. The lines have a direction, so on panels that meet, the grain is planned to run the same way. The most forgiving finish for handles, counters, lift cladding and kitchens.
Satin and bead-blasted
A matt, even surface without lines, closer to pewter than to chrome. Calm and modern, it shows grease more than brushed steel does, so it suits walls and furniture better than handles.
Which steel
Indoors, grade 304 is the usual choice. Near the sea, by swimming pools or where cleaning chemicals are strong, grade 316 resists staining better and is worth the difference.
Cleaning
Warm water and a soft cloth, wiping with the grain on brushed steel. No steel wool, no bleach, no scouring powder: they scratch or stain the very surface they are meant to clean.
