I find chrome dates things - it is to me of another age (which is exactly why other people love it). I do like a "naked" metal look, brushed metal surfaces and such. Nickel is ok, but of course there is the allergy issue (not that I am).
Black has been overdone too of course. There was a point where I stopped buying black cars for instance because
- they always look dirty unless they have just left the carwash (and it is not to hot for them to immediately have watermarks),
- any surface scratch really screams out to you,
- it's a shape absorber, making different things look very similar. Following up a black car with a new black car I sometimes had the feeling I had not made a change at all.
Now I make a habit of changing color from model switch to model switch, with Edith (a black car fan) unselfishly supporting me with the helpful comment how
all my color choices are "equally dreadful".
She also conspired with the car dealer to talk me out of a metallic flamenco red Volvo V-70 (with white leather interior). She: "It's your car, your choice (
that intro alone makes one very wary ...), I won't have to sit in it much, thank you." He: "I'll never get that off our used car park once the leasing period is over, are you really, really sure that you want to drive around looking like the field service rep of a porn chain?"
