From brass to bronze to matte black, you have options when it comes to the metals in your home. And incorporating multiple finishes — a favorite approach for designers — is a great way to create a layered look. You can mix metals in all rooms of the house, using appliances, hardware and light fixtures to add character. “Your faucet has its own moment. Your hardware has its moment,” says Burkle Creative’s Javier Burkle of the mixed-metals style. “It doesn’t give you just one focal point that looks like a catalog page.”
Consider a bathroom created by Carla Hrncir with Dunbar Road Design. Hrncir paired a custom-made mirror in brushed brass with brass pulls and a contrasting faucet from Elegant Additions. “I believe that it adds interest and elevates the space when I’m able to introduce different metal fixtures and hardware into designs for my clients,” says Hrncir.
The sconce backplates by the Urban Electric Company are colored to complement Benjamin Moore’s “Heaven on Earth” paint on the vanity, helping bring the whole look together. The result is a bathroom that is classically beautiful but also has a bit of a collected feel.”
Getting to know your metals
Warm metals include gold, brass, bronze and copper; silver metals, such as chrome and nickel, are considered cool. Then you have oil-rubbed bronze, which can vary in tone. Metals may be offered in satin, brushed, antiqued, matte and polished finishes. Though mixing metals is meant to be less uniform, the finished product should feel intentional. Here are some guidelines to follow:
Do choose a primary metal. When you split your metals evenly, the room can feel disheveled. Make one metal the dominant player, and use another to add dimension.
Don’t mix metals of the same tone. “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.”
Do look at the room as a whole. If your space is light, think about a darker primary metal (and vice versa). You can also draw inspiration from a specific part of the room you love. “Let’s say your favorite thing is your backsplash, or maybe there’s a stone you love. Make everything else work around that,” says Burkle.
Don’t bring in too many metals. “My personal preference is to not have more than two metal finishes in a space,” says designer Lisa Henderson. “I love unlacquered brass on door hardware and polished nickel on cabinetry.”
Henderson adds that in the kitchen, stove fittings count. “We apply the rule of one or two metal finishes, which often starts with the metal fittings on the stove and range. We love coordinating the unlacquered brass finish of a Lacanche range with either unlacquered brass cabinetry and plumbing hardware or polished nickel.” This kitchen she designed follows all of these rules, and the result is a classic, timeless look.
Do use metals more than once. Repeating a metal within a space reinforces the sense that the mix is intentional.
Don’t assume you can mix brands for the same metal. Even if different brands describe their products the same way, that doesn’t mean the metals will match in person. Make sure the look of a single metal doesn’t vary too widely.
Do consider unexpected styles. Here’s one more way to mix it up. Use fixtures of modern shapes and design with more traditional metals. For example, choose a contemporary faucet in an oil-rubbed bronze finish.