Table of Content
There's no rule that says every finish in your home has to match. Mixing metals has become a favorite way to create a collected-over-time look in kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, and more. Varying metal finishes across hardware, furniture, lighting, and other fixtures, adds depth and character that a matching look would lack. I hope it’s clear by now that mixing metals in the kitchen makes for a stylish, timeless space. But investing in a kitchen faucet, lighting, and cabinet pulls, regardless of the style and finish, doesn’t have to break the bank.
Others say that this style has been around for a while and is no longer popular. In order to keep the intentionality of your mixing efforts, you want to stick to two finishes and use them, well, intentionally throughout the room. On the other hand, my mom is very into the beach vibes, so her main metal is brushed nickel. Like you, I am trying to rid our house of shiny brass. Experimenting with mixing different metals will allow you a variety of opportunities that may not present themselves otherwise without experimenting more widely.
Choose a color scheme that matches with the mixed metals you want to use
If you have a cool palette, go with silver or stainless steel as your dominant metal. Overall, it’s ok to mix metal finishes in your home as long as you consider the different factors involved. By choosing finishes that work well together and match the style of your home, you can create a cohesive look in your space. Showcasing subtlety and restraint, two metal finishes unite this bedroom suite designed by Brianna Michelle Design. The room’s centerpiece is a four-poster iron bed, a timeless piece made modern with a warm nickel nightstand, chandelier and table lamp. A velvet Sophia Bench from Gabby’s custom-tailored collection adds additional softness.
Metals can be antiqued, matte, satin, brushed, or polished, and incorporating a variety of sheens can make the mix even more interesting. "If you want to use nickel and brass together, go with polished nickel and satin brass," McLeod suggests. Contrasting soft with shiny adds more distinction and depth. She warns that combining two polished finishes can result in a very glam look, so if that's not your intent, err on the side of matte to satin metals. "Softer, more muted finishes that don't have a lot of shine are easier to mix than polished ones," she says.
Keep Trendier Metals on Low Commitment Pieces
You’ll also want to consider the textures of the metals. You can mix different textures, but you’ll want to make sure they complement each other. For example, a shiny metal like chrome can be paired with a matte metal like brushed nickel.When mixing metal finishes, it’s important to keep in mind the overall style of your home.
Different metals are available in a variety of finishes — polished brass, aged brass, unlacquered brass, etc. - and the finishes might even differ between different suppliers. If you plan to use items in a lot of differing tones and finishes, find a common theme which unites them. The finish you choose should fit in well with the style you’re trying to achieve. Although your cabinet hardware doesn’t have to match your faucet, I do think it’s a good idea to repeat the cabinet hardware finish elsewhere in the room–perhaps in the lighting or decor. This helps tie the room together and create a cohesive look.
Metal Mashup #4: Mixed Metal Trio
Here, eight designers chime in with their tried and true tips. Don't limit mixing your metals to one special piece though. If your cabinet hardware and lighting match, add a complementary faucet. Furniture or decorations with metal accents also add effect. A mixed-metal piece that combines your finishes can also tie the look together.
Chrome is also one of the most popular kitchen finishes in 2022, as it coordinates well with both light and dark color schemes. Brass works well in both warm and white spaces as well as kitchens with darker tones. I recommend using brass when you want your eye to be drawn to the fixture or metal finish. However, if one of your metal finishes is brushed nickel, it could be considered the same as brushed stainless steel, since the two finishes are so similar. F you have an abundance of stainless steel appliances in your kitchen, as most people do, it’s a good idea to consider stainless steel as one of your metal finishes. Ool metals include chrome, polished nickel, and brushed nickel.
Keep the Space Neutral
I have brushed nickel shower door hinges and the tub and shower faucet on one side and wanted aged brass faucets and black, but it’s going to be too much in clusters. “Pulling together inspiration is always a great place to start,” says Kim West, interior designer and co-founder of Supply Showroom. When deciding on a dominant metal, take a look around the room at your existing color scheme, textures, and what metal finishes/accents are already there. If your room is more prominent in greens, blues, purples, and grays/silvers, adding a warm-tone metal will add a cozy-luxe touch.
This designer did a wonderful job mixing metals in this kitchen. I have a brushed nickel faucet in my bathroom, and chrome in the shower. I would LOVE to change that out, but I'm trying to wait until I rip out the entire bathroom. I hope that day is sooner than later, because I am really not feeling cracked tile. My kitchen is now a brushed nickel faucet with stainless steel appliances and ORB knobs on the cabinets.
One are the days of having to choose one metal finish for your entire home, which is what we did when we moved into our current home 12 years ago (brushed nickel everywhere!). She’s my decorating idol, but more importantly, check out how well she mixes brushed gold and brushed nickel together. Each metal, much like paint colors and wood tones, has a cool or warm distinction. I'm spraying something tonight for a towel holder. Do you put a topped like sealant on top of your ORB when you spray things that'll be touched alot like door knobs? We have all brass knobs and hinges and I really want to change them all to ORB to match other items throughout the house.
I have brushed nickel faucet in my remodeled bathroom. It is small so I’m looking at floating shelves with a towel bar. Is black for the towel bar ok with the brushed nickel or would gun metal gray or galvanized gray be better. If you’re too scared to go all out with finishes, it’s always a good idea to start small—but don’t go the basic route by just picking two colors on one hanging light fixture and calling it a day. Instead, try using accessories to give your home the punch it needs, without too much commitment.
If in doubt, use matte black to balance metals like gold and silver. Black metals are considered neutral and pair well with pretty much anything. Imagine the combo of black metal with gold or brass! Coloured metals like champagne bronze or brushed nickel are very warm metals that always look stylish with black. I went through my townhouse with pewter spray paint and most of my metal finishes are now "new"! Light fixtures and all...now to get to the door knobs..
You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site. There a few bits of copper-ish tones in some of my accessories scattered about which helps my rooms not be so one dimensional. Light fixtures should be fairly consistent – but it also very much depends on the look and decor in the room too. Our son’s bathroom has the same light, but I worked with it and went with the same finish for the toilet paper holder, towel ring, etc. So who knows if it will stay or go – for now I’m completely happy with it.
Black is considered either a cool-toned metal or a neutral and makes a great third metal to balance out your mix. The metal finishes will stand out more this way and create the welcoming feel that you want for a space, whether you’re decorating a Scandinavian living room or a bedroom with a Moroccan feel. To avoid going overboard with metal mixing, limit the metals used on each item.
No comments:
Post a Comment