By Edilka Anderson
An easy way to add a touch of elegance and depth to any room in your home is to take the plunge and mix your metals.
New or vintage, gold, brass or silver, when you decorate with metals you’ll have the opportunity to create interesting focal points that catch your eye, and add character to any room. There’s nothing quite as stunning or romantic as a table set with grandma’s candlesticks, or as versatile as a bold picture in a striking gold frame.
Worried about good old-fashioned rules that suggest metals should not be mixed? Fear not! Go for a more uniform look by sticking with brass three ways: polished, brushed and hammered. Different pieces with different textures that are antiqued or satin (a mix of matte and polished) can sit gracefully side by side, or share the same room, these days. Curate them to add some flare along with a statement piece of furniture and you won’t be putting your décor into overdrive.
Mix and match pieces in different metal finishes will also give you the variety you’re looking for to offset the dominant colours in the space. In the kitchen you could add copper kitchenware like SMEG retro toasters, hammered copper breadboxes, pans and racks that seems to be all the rage. And avid cooks should know that it’s no longer a design faux pas to mix the copper look with your brushed stainless top-of-the line gas stove and steam oven trims. You could also add brass handles for a pop of colour, and remember handles can always be updated when you need a change.
Decorative art in cool silver, warm gold, or bright colours fits right in too with lamps, accessories and picture frames adding pizzazz to your chosen colour palette. Switch up your fireplace screen by giving up the predictable black for beautiful brass.
Mirrors with a metal frame add depth and show off the reflective feel of your metallic. The trick is, according to experts, to always let one metal take the lead in larger spaces or piece of furniture, while the additional metal will be complimentary.
Using light with a darker or more rustic tone of the same metal works too. Just don’t mix more than 2 or 3 metal-based accent pieces and remember to distribute them evenly so they don’t start to compete or distract from your main theme.
Select gold as the lead if you’re opting for warmer colours like orange, red or yellow but, if your décor features neutrals like black or white, you’ll want to take the opportunity to get a pop by mixing different metals and finishes more freely. Silver goes nicely with blues, greens and even mauves.
Whatever your pleasure, 2020 might just be your year to add a tad more “polish” to your life. And, why not set the table like grandma did, light the candles and use the good dishes. There’s no time like the present for a little romance.
