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Exploring Antique Furniture and Home Decorating Ideas
Home Decor Trends: Mixed Metals
Mixed metals are "particularly hot right now" according to an article I read in the Wall Street Journal on the Top 5 Interior Design Trends for 2015. LA designer Jamie Bush thinks it looks "too staged" to match every metal finish in a space. London Designer Kelly Hoppen especially likes mixing warm-toned metals with cool ones.
I agree that mixing metal tones can make a room more interesting and personal. I've never been a fan of matchy-matchy furniture, as I said in my blog post on Eclectic Decor. Many of our customers feel the same way - which is why they are such fun to chat with. Our vintage home accents show that people have always mixed metals happily, like this 1950 French vintage coal bucket which blends brass and copper beautifully - plus Delft ceramic handles!
This tasteful house in Boston mixes metals elegantly with various gold and silver tones. The generally neutral furniture and walls (painted with Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige, 975) create a subtle canvas for the metal elements to shine. The old re-gilded mantel mirror is traditional for 19th century homes in the area.
Our client Natalya S. also mixed metallic tones in her kitchen to create great visual texture. Natalya bought the carved antique buffet from us and you can read more about her kitchen furniture and decor in my Antique Renaissance Buffet in California Client Spotlight.
This Florida house built in 1926 is on the Historic Register. It was renovated, right down to the bathroom with mixed metal finishes. The gold-framed mirrors look wonderfully opulent against the chrome/silver faucets, cabinet hardware, and what looks like a silver-toned chandelier. If the entire bathroom were gold... it could be a bit over the top! Too much silver or chrome might make it too cold. The gold mirrors warm it up. These gilded mirrors were custom made but they look similar to some of our gilded antique-inspired mirrors.
The layering of different metal tones can create many different effects from a welcoming glow to sophisticated chic. Play with the cool metal tones of silver, pewter, chrome, nickel, aluminum and steel, and mix in the warmer metal tones of gold, copper, bronze and brass. Black wrought iron works neutrally to befriend any metals. I hope you enjoy mixing your metals, whether it's a trend or not!