This is a difficult question to answer as “modern” encapsulates so many different styles. If you want your bathroom to have a gleaming appearance that will immediately impress anyone who visits it, chrome is undoubtedly the more noticeable of the two. On the other hand, if you want a modern bathroom that is more muted and rustic, brushed nickel will be far more suitable. You can think of chrome as brighter and brushed nickel as more relaxing.