Mixed Metals
Mixed metals are here to stay! How to achieve the perfect blend
There are plenty of misconceptions and unwarranted suggestions circulating in the world of decor and design. These outdated adages, though well-intentioned, often prove to be bad advice. Building a custom home, like building your wardrobe, is about creating a personal style and integrating details that bring you joy. Restricting ourselves to arbitrary decor rules can reduce a design’s ingenuity and overall aesthetic. Just like we love to wear white well after Labor Day, we love an intentional design full of carefully curated combinations of metal fixtures and finishes.
Matching Metals Intentionally
Please don’t misunderstand us, there are many gorgeous ways to use uniform metal finishes in a space. We love the statement that a purposeful aesthetic full of the same finish can make. The consistent gold finish in this vanity area of our Chesterfield home accentuates the depth of the space. The luxurious look also makes the grey cabinetry and black mirror pop in a way that would not be possible without the intentionally matched metal hardware. In our Chesterfield home, the beautiful cohesion of the gold metal finish brings out the unique tile flooring in a wonderful way.
Open Concept Floor Plans
Many of our clients prefer open floor plans. And we can see why. An open layout makes your home feel bigger and makes entertaining with friends and family feel effortless. Using one uniform metal finish across your open concept home limits design possibilities and makes it much harder to have fun with fixtures. Determine the overall goals for your build and don’t be afraid to use different finishes of metal to achieve your dream design.
In Episode 8 of our series Behind the Design, The New White Kitchen, our designer Katie Dalzell describes how the team used a variety of metals – including stainless, aged brass, nickel, and painted metal – to create a unified, connected, and visually engaging design. Dalzell explains that “as long as the overall style and aesthetic is consistent from one metal to the next, mixing metals will always elevate the look and feel of your space.” A cohesive mixture of metal finishes can work together to create an environment that you’ll be proud to call home.
Incorporate different metals into other parts of the design without meticulously matching every piece of hardware. The bold frames of the above-the-sink windows in our Vinson Home are accentuated by the painted metal fixtures our team integrated into the space, making an even bigger impact on the modern design of this custom build. The rest of this kitchen has a variety of metals, colors, and beautiful appliances that make for a naturally charming and contemporary kitchen.
Choosing Your Finishes and Fixtures
Instead of choosing to use one metal finish throughout your home, choose similar metals based on your color palette. If the overall goal of your design is to keep things light and bright, consider using darker metal finishes such as aged brass or painted metal to add warmth and rich depth to your space. If your space is on the darker end of the spectrum, use lighter finishes like stainless or nickel fixtures to brighten things up.
Our team did a great job of incorporating mixed metal finishes into the open floor-plan of the Corley home’s bright design. We included rich black shelving in the kitchen’s layout to pair perfectly with the bold black fixtures used in the areas seen outside of the kitchen.
If the thought of incorporating mismatched metal finishes throughout your home’s design makes you nervous, consider using a consistent style and aesthetic throughout your build. Adding individual pieces of decorative lighting with both gold and painted metal finishes helps add interesting design details and pairs nicely with other wood and metal finishes used throughout your new home’s plan.
Building a custom home and designing a place to call your own can be overwhelming. The overall goal when designing your home will be much easier to meet if we lose the fear that comes from following outdated design guidelines. Intentionally mixing metals is a great way for you to add interest and personality to your build. With the right team and vision, an array of mixed metal finishes will help you achieve your wildest design dreams.
Once you have determined the overall aesthetic and atmosphere you are striving to create in your new home, let our team of design experts help you figure out what metal mixtures will get you excited about every finish, fixture, and detail of your custom property. Contact us today for more insight into building and designing the perfect home for you.
