Mixing Metals … yay or nay?

The short answer is – yay!

You can read on if you want my explanation or if you need convincing… 🙂

Remember the days when most everyone bought matching sets of furniture, especially in bedrooms and living rooms? How boring was that? But now the trend has totally changed and not too many people I know buy that way anymore. It’s just too predictable and yes, a bit boring.

I think the same could be said for matching hardware in a house. It used to be that brass and chrome were about the only choices out there. We didn’t have the full spectrum of metal finishes that are available today, so now mixing things up gets a bit more complicated.

Or does it?

The question of mixing metals often comes up in kitchens, probably because there are so many possibilities for metallic finishes … faucets, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, appliances.

If you have polished nickel faucets, does that mean you have to go with polished nickel hardware? And what about that amazing antiqued brass light fixture you’ve had your eye on? Is it a no-go unless you do all antiqued brass?

Here’s a few examples that will give you an emphatic “No!”

I am obsessed with these giant brass pendants in Bobby Flay’s lovely Hamptons kitchen. But brass everywhere would be a bit much. See how nicely it pairs with wrought iron table legs, polished silver hardware and rustic silver barstools?

Ok, so I kind of have a thing for antiqued brass light fixtures. I realized that lately they have been popping up in many of the inspiration images I’ve been pulling out of magazines or pinning online. I really like how they become the star of the room and other metals become kind of neutral.

Niche Interiors

The kitchen below mixes brass lighting, chrome stools and a silver mercury glass backsplash gorgeously, don’t you think?

Pairing antiqued finishes like brass or bronze with something like chrome is a great way to get that mix of old and new that I love.

Here’s another kitchen that uses brass for the cabinet hardware, mixing it with polished nickel shelving brackets, an oil-rubbed bronze pendant and stainless steel hood.

via House and Home

This time, in the bedroom …another gorgeous antiqued bronze lantern … mixed with gold and silver accents … including a polished silver reading lamp. Who says all the lighting has to be the same?

via Lonny

Gold frame, brass lantern, antiqued nickel table legs. I love it.

Country Living

Again, some might think that with a silver-based coffee table you need to do silver frames on the wall … not so! The mix of metals makes this room feel so much more layered and interesting.