While we were taught not to mix our gold and silver for the longest time, this summer, things are heating up as mixed metals move to the top of interior design trends. Designers have been incorporating mixed metals for years to infuse warmth, balance cool tones and create versatility and texture throughout the home. We're here to give you the top five beautiful —and simple —ways to hop aboard the mixed metals trend.
Choose One Dominant Metal
Bourbon Hydrogen 6 Luxury Vinyl by Biyork Floors
Best practice, you should always choose one metal to dominate the color palette of your space. This doesn't mean that you'll be limited to using only this dominant metal, but instead, choosing a leading metal allows for a cohesive flow throughout your home. Select another metal to complement your first. Your dominant metal should adorn the larger spaces and furniture, such as the refrigerator and an oven hood in your kitchen. Your secondary metal can balance out the first through appliances, hardware, and decor.
Incorporate with Lighting
Viper Chandelier in Natural Brass by One Kings Lane available at Lighting One
Lighting is the perfect way to incorporate metal hardware and can easily reflect your design theme. Maybe you're opting for a rustic chic look in the kitchen, so you choose an antique steel brushed pendant to hang over the counter. Or perhaps you want to elevate your living room with a gold chandelier. The trick is to match the metals to your color palette. If you have primarily warm colors like reds and browns in your room, your dominant color should reflect that with brass or gold. You can add accent fixtures in cool tones such as silver or nickel to balance the warm hues.
Install Metal Hardware
Fleur Affodill Mosaic Glass by Emser Tile
A straightforward way to show off metal decor is through your hardware. There's an endless array of places to show off metal hardware such as pot fillers, exposed pipes, cookware, and big-ticket appliances. When designing the kitchen, use your primary metal for your cabinet hardware and use the sink to showcase your accent metal. After you've determined your hardware, you can sprinkle in more metal with trinkets and accent pieces for a personal touch.
Balance Cool & Warm Hued Metals
English Hickory in Earl Gray by Biyork Flooring
When mixing warm and cool-toned metals, you always want to start with one dominant metal and play off of that. For instance, if you opt to go with a gold metal as your dominant, you might choose a black to balance the warm finishes with a neutral accent. Warm metals typically include brass, copper, and gold, while cool metals are silver, aluminum, and stainless steel. The best practice is to pair a dominant warm metal with a cool accent metal or vice versa. Neutral metals such as cast iron and black finishes can be added to either metal.
Use Mirrors for Reflective Feel
Hollywood Oak Porcelain by Emser Tile
Mixed metals add depth to your room, and mirrors can reflect that. By adding mirrors, you not only enhance your decor but also make the room feel more open. Draw out dimensions in your front hall by adding a simple gold mirror to overlook your entryway bench. Make the living room feel bigger with a vintage brass mirror over the couch.
One extra tip: use different metal finishes. Perhaps you have a polished stainless steel sink, but you want to opt for hammered silver cutlery. It's these small details that can add a nice layer of texture to your space without you ever having even to change the type of metal you're using.
