There's no rule that says every finish in your home has to match. In fact, it's often better if they don't. 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.
For those of us without much design experience, however, deciding on the right combination of metals can be daunting, as is applying them within the space. There's no perfect formula for determining how to mix metals correctly, but New York-based interior designer Courtney McLeod, of Right Meets Left Design, has several strategies for achieving a mixed-metal look you'll love. Follow these tips, and you'll be able to pull off this trend effortlessly.
A hierarchy of finishes is the key to success, McLeod says. A room where metal finishes are split 50/50, or in perfect thirds, can feel chaotic and unfocused. "When you walk into the room, you should be able to recognize that there's one primary color," she says. "Pick one finish to use as a focal point, and incorporate other finishes as accents to complement it." Start with a metal that reflects the overall aesthetic of the room. For instance, satin or polished nickel works well in traditional spaces, while matte black offers a more contemporary feel.
In general, McLeod tends to stay away from high-shine finishes, like chrome and polished brass, which can be difficult to mix effectively with other metals. Polished brass can quickly veer into '80s territory if you're not careful, she says, so an aged, brushed, or satin finish tends to work better. For silver-tone finishes, McLeod prefers nickel over chrome, because its warm undertone harmonizes better with brass finishes.
Aim to have your dominant metal make up approximately 60 to 75 percent of the finishes in the room, McLeod suggests. Then choose one to two accent metals for the rest, paying attention to the undertones as a way to determine which metals go together. In general, brass, copper, gold, and nickel have warm undertones, while stainless steel, chrome, and other silver metals give off a cooler look. Matte black is fairly neutral. Although you can mix warm with cool, McLeod notes that you'll have to be careful to avoid clashing. When mixing two very different metals, such as polished stainless steel with aged copper, bridge the gap with a finish that's somewhere in the middle, like brushed stainless steel.
3. Vary the finish as well as the metal type.
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.
4. Distribute the metals throughout the room.
Following your hierarchy of finishes, apply your chosen metals throughout the room. In a kitchen, for instance, McLeod suggests choosing cabinet hardware in your primary finish, and using the faucet to showcase your accent metal. To ensure a cohesive effect, consider bringing in a mixed-metal light fixture, or a piece of furniture that combines both of your chosen finishes.
5. Go with what you love.
"Don't be afraid of your own taste and style," McLeod says. If you love the classic look of nickel, for example, don't feel pressured to choose brass, just to keep up with the latest trends. Choose metals that reflect your personality and complement your existing paint colors and surfaces. If you like the result, consider it a success.
A mixture of cool tones like nickel and chrome and warm tones like brass and gold provides balance. One should be the dominant, more pervasive finish throughout the space (think: your cabinet hardware and light fixtures). The second can be an accent (think: your mirrors or faucets).
There's no rule that says every finish in your home has to match. In fact, it's often better if they don't. Mixing metals has become a favorite way to create a collected-over-time look in kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, and more.
“Do brass with bronze, or silver with brass,” recommends Burkle. “But don't pair a polished nickel with a brushed steel. That's when it doesn't make sense. It should be completely opposite.”
It is OKAY to mix warm and cool metals. Yep, that's right. It's okay to mix a brushed brass with a silvery satin. In fact, mixing warm and cool tones can end up feeling even more complementary than mixing one metal tone with different finishes.
When it comes to mixing finishes in open floor plans, there are no boundaries! As long as it's balanced within the defined room (i.e. sticking to the tips above for each given space) you really can't go wrong. But as a rule of thumb, still stick to no more than two finishes in each space.
There are a few other simple tips key to nailing the mixed-metal look: Choose two, maybe three metals that complement one another. A mixture of cool tones like nickel and chrome and warm tones like brass and gold provides balance.
You may have heard this unfortunate design rumor about mixing metals, but it's time to dispose of that outdated advice. Combining silver, gold, brass, or iron (just to name a few), is a great strategy for adding visual interest and depth to a space.
Stainless with stainless, aluminum with aluminum, brass with brass. Mixing metals can affect the strength of the application, the lifespan of the fasteners, the corrosion of the materials, etc.
Bringing in both gold and silver can be used to create an unanticipated look that ads a bit of character and visual interest. By blending warmer and cooler tones creates a textured depth, for example in a neutral silver entryway, introduce a feature wow gold piece such as a pendant light.
While it's possible that mixing metals haphazardly can lead to a less-than-cohesive look, it is possible to mix metals in your bathroom beautifully. Mixing metals is a balancing act and we're here to help you get that balance right.
The rule – if your colors are different (silver tones, brass tones, brown tones, black tones) then you can mix the finishes. Here we mixed chrome and matte black. The plumbing fixtures, mirrors, and cabinet hardware are matte black, and we popped in a bright polished chrome on the light fixture.
Using metals too similar to each other can make your space look sloppy and inconsistent. Some better metals to mix would be brushed gold and brushed nickel, champagne bronze and matte black, or chrome and matte black. These combinations give your space tasteful depth and visual interest.
If you're choosing cool colours like blue or green, brass will add a welcome warmth to your space. Prefer a neutral home? Don't work, brass works wonderfully with beige, grey, white and brown too.
Stick to two different metals in a smaller space such as a bathroom, laundry room or water closet. In a larger space like a kitchen or a larger bathroom, stick to no more than three different metals. Match your metal tone with your interior tone.
Mix no fewer than two metals and no more than four different ones for the best results. Try picking a dominant metal and then contrasting it. For example, if most of the items in one room are finished in chrome, add in a brass light fixture.
Mixing metal finishes can add dimension and visual interest to a room. Instead of a monochromatic, one-note space, you create intrigue and the illusion of texture with small touches. A mix of finishes can blend styles and make a room more reflective of your personal taste.
Bringing in both gold and silver can be used to create an unanticipated look that ads a bit of character and visual interest. By blending warmer and cooler tones creates a textured depth, for example in a neutral silver entryway, introduce a feature wow gold piece such as a pendant light.
Mixing if metals, leads to alloy. Alloy is a blending of metals which is happen by laws of combinations. Then you get a compound. Here if you miss all the metals together you will get a mixture except mercury.
While it's possible that mixing metals haphazardly can lead to a less-than-cohesive look, it is possible to mix metals in your bathroom beautifully. Mixing metals is a balancing act and we're here to help you get that balance right.
Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877
Phone: +21813267449721
Job: Technology Engineer
Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti
Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:strip_icc()/kitchen-dark-blue-cabinets-rug-135184ea-8cd62f4302964363b929df6165c8a5a5.jpg "How to Mix Metals in Your Home (1)")
:strip_icc()/marble-pink-bathroom-8f92153407b244e59abe171590417c5c.jpg "How to Mix Metals in Your Home (2)")
:strip_icc()/green-kitchen-cabinets-4e657c25-da359ad8802a4c0ca27bb361e79ec5bb.jpg "How to Mix Metals in Your Home (3)")
:strip_icc()/kitchen-wooden-floors-gray-cabinets-f1d83e7e-e72e4771a23445c697305e07566821fd.jpg "How to Mix Metals in Your Home (4)")
