Chrome, brass, gold, nickel, black or painted – in matte or polished – there are a lot of metal finishes to choose from when thinking through your furniture, lighting, decorative elements (like mirrors), plumbing, hardware (think: knobs and handles) and more. While you may think you need to stick to a theme, the designers at Two Hands Interiors make a case for mixing it up when a space calls for it. Here’s what they have to say:
How do you approach different finishes in design? Does each room/home need to stick with the same or can you branch out with different finishes?
Rachel: I like to think of a “base” metal that will be used for the “guts” of the house – door knobs, hinges, window hardware, etc. From there, individual spaces in the home can get new finishes introduced, but three finishes would generally be the MAX I would put in one space. The exception being historic or vintage homes – these homes tend to feel more evolved and collected in general and can tolerate a more generous mix of finishes.
Bryn: One of the (many:)) benefits from hiring a designer for a space is their ability to take an artistic approach to design versus something more formulaic. For example, if you purchase a home from a builder, they are likely to have all the plumbing fixtures, lighting and hardware in the same finish. This is done because it is simple to spec pieces in the same finish therefore keeping costs down on the build side. Designers are going to begin-with-the-end-in-mind and think about textiles (fabric and wallpaper) and stone countertops, etc. while thinking about the metal finishes in a room.
Is there a wrong and right way to mix finishes? And what are tips to mix metals the right way?
Rachel: The sheen of various metals needs to be considered – most finishes come in a brushed, matte or shiny version, and my general rule of thumb is to balance a more subdued finish with a more shiny friend. For instance, a stainless kitchen faucet and sink look lovely with polished nickel hardware – but for me, matching the cabinet hardware to the faucet would be too “basic.” One thing I always keep in mind – darker finishes like matte black are going to grab more attention with their high contrast. It’s important to think about how much energy you want a particular element to have – for instance, white cabinetry with black hardware will read much different than white cabinetry with a softer finish hardware like brushed brass. Again, there is no right or wrong, but thinking ahead to how the whole space will work together is important. I think it’s a bit like Coco Chanel’s missive – “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off” – sometimes the simplest approach is best.
Are there metals/finishes that work well together? And ones that really do not?
Bryn: If I’m designing a bathroom or kitchen (places in the home with a decent amount of metal finishes) I’m going to keep the long-term pieces a classic finish and then put the trendy finishes on things that are likely going to be changed out in 5-10 years. For example, I’ll probably keep the plumbing classic in a polished chrome or nickel and then do the lighting in a matte black or brass depending on the overall design scheme.
There aren’t really any rights or wrongs here, but if I had to think of one combination I probably wouldn’t mix a brushed nickel with a polished nickel for example. Combinations I often use in kitchens are stainless steel (appliances and faucet) with brass lighting and hardware. If you are going with a trendy “modern farmhouse” people often combine matte black with chrome.
Is there a limit to how many finishes to include?
Bryn: In terms of the number of metals, again I don’t think there are “rights and wrongs,” but I probably only use two different metals of new materials in a room. But if you are bringing in vintage or antique pieces, I think you can layer in more.
