Mixing metal finishes is a fun way to add depth and personality to a space. It also helps a room look more curated – like everything has been gathered over space and time. Plus, with so many metal options to play with, how can you not mix them together! This being said, mixing metals can be tricky and we are often asked by clients what our top tips and tricks are for successfully mixing metals.
If you have been wanting to try to mix your metal finishes, here are our top tips:
Don’t mix and match too much.
The absolute maximum amount of metals we would recommend mixing is three. Going crazy with metal finishes is an easy way to make a space look sporadic, so limiting how many metal finishes you mix to a low number (like three!) is a good guideline for keeping it under control. If you decide to use a third metal, use it sparingly and as a way to draw attention to something, like a cool accessory or a special piece of art.
Choose a dominant finish.
When you start thinking about which finishes you are going to mix, select one as the dominant finish and use it as the base that you mix over metals with. Don’t forget that you can use accessories, mirrors, art, and accent tables to mix different metal finishes into your room!
Mix vastly different finishes.
What we mean by this is, mix warm & cool finishes together or light & dark finishes together. Mixing two finishes that look similar won’t make an impact. For example, black and oil rubbed bronze wouldn’t read differently to your eye if you glanced in a room. In our Refined Urban Abode project, we mixed copper with nickel. They mix well together because one is a very warm tone and the other is cool.
Keep like-items the same metal.
This tip helps things looking organized, even if multiple metals are being used. For example, if you are mixing metals in your kitchen, keep all the light fixtures in the room the same finish as each other and all the plumbing fixtures the same finish as each other.
Choose finishes that speak to you and your style, don’t worry about trends.
If a finish is all the rage right now, don’t worry about having to add it to your home! Just like everything else in design, metal finishes have their moment in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean you have to partake. Pay more attention to what speaks to you and your design style.
Use duel-tone fixtures to help you mix.
Some plumbing fixtures and light fixtures come with two metal tones. This can be a helpful way to naturally mix two metal tones! A good example of this is our Black & White Bath & Kitchen project. In the bathroom, we used duel tone faucets that are black and nickel and paired them with black cabinet pulls and silver lights.
When in doubt, pair with black.
Because black is a neutral color, you can pair it easily with any other metal finish! Silver and black, gold and black, copper and black… it all looks good!
If this seems like too much for you,
don’t worry! I space looks beautiful without mixing metals. Not mixing metals is a more classic, traditional approach to metal finishes. For example, our Glamorous Glass Ensuite only uses nickel and other silver-tone metal finishes and it looks amazing because everything automatically goes together.
XOXO,
