Kitchen and Bath
A trend we have seen take center stage is mixed metals! As it is very popular, it can also be very hard to fully accomplish this in a sophisticated way! Don’t worry! We are here to break it down for you!
Let’s start with the basics!
Types of Metals
Bronze/Gold
Copper
Nickel
Matte Black
Stainless Steel
These are the top five popular metals! There are more, but for this lesson, we are going to stick with the most used metals that are mixed in bathroom and kitchen designs.
Design Tips
Now that we know the top metal choices, let’s go over a few tips on how to achieve the perfect mixed metal look! Here are some things to consider.
Tones
*Metals can be classified in three different tones; warm, cool, and neutral.
Black matte is a neutral metal making it perfect for mixing! This is important to keep in mind when choosing your metals! Don’t be afraid to mix in a little black, after all, it will help balance things out. Always remember, when in doubt-use black!
Warm Undertones
- Nickel
- Brass
- Gold
- Copper
Cool Undertones
- Stainless Steel
- Aluminum
- Chrome
Choose a dominant metal in your space’s desired toned. This will be the main metal of choice within the desired space and the other metal colors will be used as accents. As we will be mixing metals, it is good to have a majority ratio like 80:20, 50:30:20… etc in your design plan. In the kitchen photographed to the right, you can see that the majority of the hardware is brass, a warmed toned metal, creating a warmly toned space.
Balance
Use height to balance things out! Keep things balanced by keeping your hardware metal all the same for cabinetry and another metal for lighting. Another way to balance things out is by keeping your metals on the same plane. Don’t keep your dominant metal choice in one place! Be sure to spread your dominant choice out evenly. This will keep your space from looking like a toddler designed your space, to an actual well thought out design.
Less is More
Keep things simple and stick to two metals. Your dominant and accent of choice will be a guaranteed success! Go for three if you have a large space, but any more could result in a chaotic mess.
Looking for more trends? Check out our bathroom and kitchen design blog to keep your style up to date!
