The Case for Mixing Metal Finishes
A question I am asked frequently is whether it is okay to mix metals. To which I wholeheartedly say YES!
There was a time when people matched their shoes, belts and bags. Remember that? Well, that is a long time gone, but it’s a relatable analogy for mixing finishes in your home. Mixing metals helps you achieve a custom look; a look that suggests you collected your furnishings over the years. Instead of being trendy with the popular brass finishes of today vs the chrome of yesterday, mixing metals allows you to create a look that is timeless.
While there are no hard and fast rules, it is important to pay attention to the undertones of the metal. Think of it as a problem related to color instead of metal and you should be good to go. Copper, brass, gold and nickel all have warm undertones, whereas chrome, steel and silver metals have cool undertones. Can gold and silver work together? Absolutely.
Image via Hudson Valley Lighting
The gold stem of the light fixture rises up and adds just the right balance to the polished chrome chairs and black art frames
Image Via Dwell Magazine by Jonathan Adler
Gold, black and silver co-exist as additional colors in this stunning living space.
If you like a truly eclectic look, it’s all about pairing colors that play well together. It’s about creating a sense of balance, much like with all other design elements.
If you’re looking for more of a refined look, stick to 2 metals. For your pairing, you can either have contrasting undertones or similar undertones. Select one base metal to be dominant and the other as the accent metal in a 80/20 proportion. This keeps uniformity but adds unexpected visual interest for more of a curated look. To avoid the accent metal from looking completely random, use the metal more than once!
If I could steer you away from one pairing - it would be Chrome and Nickel. While they both appear to be in the ‘silver’ family, they are not similar or contrasted enough to work together. Chrome has very blue undertones whereas nickel has slightly yellow undertones.
Image via Zoe Feldman Design
The cool toned mirror and sink pedestal work beautifully with the gold light fixtures, shelf and accessories. If you look closely, these selections mirror the warm wall paint color and the cooler flooring.
Image via Lindye Galloway
The gold light fixtures balance out the the cool tones, while the layered metals add to the depth of this powder room.
Now let’s talk about what I consider to be the most classic and neutral of all finishes - black. Iron, gunmetal, antique bronze and black finishes work with virtually anything. I think of them as a neutral as they mix well with both warm and cool options.
Some tips if you’re not ready to take the plunge into mixed metals:
Pick a fixture that has a mixed metal makeup; then select your other coordinating fixtures in a combination of those finishes. For example if you select a brass and black light fixture, you could select brass plumbing fixtures and black hardware.
You don’t have to mix cool and warm tones. Don’t force it if you’re not feeling it. If you like warms better than cools, or the vice versa, there are enough finishes available within that undertone to still create a curated mixed metal look.
Instead of fixtures, try mixing metals in your accessories first to build your comfort level.
If you like the curated aesthetic that mixed metals brings, but just can’t pull it all together, I can help! Lets talk about your vision for your space and how we can achieve it!