Long gone are the days when you had to choose between silver or brass hardware.
You can have your cake and eat it too because, when tastefully done, metal hardware and accessories in mixed finishes actually step up the style of your space. Combining your favorite metals is a great interior design strategy to add interest and depth to a space.
We love creating unique, tailored homes for each of our Dallas interior design clients. An effortless way to make a space one-of-a-kind is by mixing the metals; it creates a collected, professionally designed look, rather than one that looks purchased out of a catalog.
Here are our trends and tips for mixing metals!
Tip 1: Choose Your Room’s Dominant Metal
First, choose the metal you most love to be prominent.
Next, layer in one or two metal accents to complete the look of the space. In the two kitchens above, the main metal contrasts with an accessory choice.
Extra Tip: Don’t go overboard with too many metals. Stick to two finishes as a guideline. If there is a statement piece or more neutral tone (see Natural Iron as a Neutral later in this post), there are possibilities to use three.
Photo Credit: Minneapolis Designer Martha O’Hara. This bright white and clean-lined, traditional kitchen with stainless steel accents gets a dose of charm with a textured gold chandelier.
Tip 2: Bring Warm and Cool Tones Together
Gold and Brass warm-toned metals are a pop of color when placed in cooler-toned rooms. Silver or hammered steel also works as a layered in accessory tone when added to a warmer hued room. While matching all of the finishes in a room creates a uniformed design, it can feel monochromatic and less interesting than a room that has mixed metallics.
Tip 3: Work With Your Color Palette
Consider your color scheme while mixing and matching to make sure that you are complimenting what you already have going on. Warm hues (reds, browns, and yellows) are complimented by warm metals (like copper, brass, and gold), and cool metals (silver and chrome) work well with cooler rooms (like green, blue, and violet). In neutral rooms, both cool and warm metallics add appropriate color, texture, and warmth.
Photo Credit: Home Concepts Canada Interior Design
Tip 4: Texturize!
Combine matte, polished, and hammered finishes to create a rich atmosphere when combing metals.
Photo Credit: Chris Loves Julie Blog.
The natural iron mirror frames work ad a mediator between the gold statement sconces, silver sink faucets, and soft gold cabinet handles.
Tip 5: Natural Iron is the Neutral of Metallics
Tying in the modern industrial touch of natural iron, like in the bathroom mirrors above, adds a darker tone to a room’s palette that may need to be toned down. Natural iron doesn’t clash with other metal tones and can also help warmer tones stand out more strongly.
Tip 6: Use Mixed Metallics to Accessorize More than Your Hardware and Lighting
Just like in our metallic powder bath design and in the entryway design above, mixed metals can shine in accessories, furniture, textiles, artwork, picture frames, and wall coverings.
Have you been agonizing over choosing ONE finish for your home, and like the idea of mixing your metallics instead? Contact our Dallas interior designers for their expertise in your home or business design or remodel. We would love to meet you!
