When I told our contractor I was planning on mixing metals in the kitchen, I got a concerned look. He may have doubted me a little bit, but his point being mixing metals can be done very wrong. I get it, but I was excited to make it work.
The mixing metals trend has gained immense popularity lately for its ability to add depth and a touch of character to living spaces. It’s a luxuriously effortless look.
If you’re willing to take the risk and follow some simple guidelines, you can achieve a visually captivating space with the right combination of metals. I’ve never been a fan of matchy-matchy anything, really. Metal finishes being no different!
In this blog post, we’ll explore the art of mixed metals in a kitchen to create an effortlessly put together space. Using a combination of polished nickel, aged brass, and polished brass we’ll create a stunning and balanced space.
Mixed metal kitchen inspiration:
My inspiration started where all of my inspiration starts… Pinterest! As I was pinning photos for my “dream kitchen” I picked up on the pattern of mixed metals. I love how layered and lived in it looked. Almost feeling more welcoming and collected.
Some of my favorite designers that do it so well are Jean Stoffer and Studio McGee.
What metals mix well together?
The key to successfully mixing metals lies in creating a cohesive look that doesn’t overwhelm the eyes.
Select metals that contrast enough not to clash. For example: opt for warm metals mixed with cool metals. Mixing brushed nickel with polished nickel won’t give you the dimensional look you’re probably after. Think along the lines of mixing navy with black… they are just too similar.
Instead, a mix of unlacquered brass cabinet pulls with oil-rubbed bronze pendant lights, for example, would leave you with a lovely contrast.
In our kitchen, we are opted for the primary metal being aged brass juxtaposed against the cool-tone of classic polished nickel sink faucet and pot filler. This dynamic play between warm and cool tones creates a visually engaging focal point that draws in the eye and adds loads of depth to the space.
How many metals can you mix together in a room?
Design experts recommend a general rule of thumb: Limit the number of metals being used to 2-3 metals max in a space.
Select a dominant finish
One way to achieve a balanced mix of metals is to limit the number of metals being used in the same space.
Select only a few different metals to keep the space cohesive and allow for some repetition.
For our kitchen, the dominant metal was aged brass which was used on the pendants, hardware and picture light.
Add accent finishes
For the secondary metal we included polished brass for the gallery rails and sconce light fixtures.
And for the accent metal we went with polished nickel for all of our plumbing fixtures. The cool hue of the faucet and pot filler not only help tie in the stainless steel appliances, but the I LOVE the reflective nature of them and how they bounce warm light around the room.
Create categories when mixing metals
Keep metals the same within their categories:
plumbing fixtures – hardware – light fixtures – accents
When mixing metals in a kitchen, it’s important to establish a sense of balance and organization. There are plenty of ways to categorize the metals in your space.
One example being combo: sticking to one metal for all plumbing fixtures, a contrasting metal for your cabinet hardware and potentially a third metal for secondary accents.
Each metal should have the opportunity to be repeated a few times throughout the space for a beautifully layered look with tons of visual interest.
Remember, just about any metal can be mixed with black
For a splash of additional dimension, we’re also incorporating some black touches to play off of our new black banister that’s just off to the side of the kitchen peninsula.
Introducing black into the mix is a great way to add depth and drama to your kitchen design. After all, black is considered a neutral color, didn’t you know?
In our case, the black banister serves as the perfect anchor to tie everything together. Repeating black in the stairs and rods of the pendants also helped to blend in our stainless appliances that have some heavy black elements to them.
Where else can you mix metals, other than the kitchen?
If you’re followed along for awhile, you know I love mixing metals throughout my house! Check out this article on how I mixed and matched door handles throughout my home.
Regardless of your design style, mixing metals is a versatile and engaging approach to creating a beautiful kitchen. Don’t be afraid to mix different metal finishes!
I love how the variety of sheens allows the eye to really moves throughout the entire space, not necessarily settling on one metal type.
The warm-toned metals mixed with the coolness of the nickel plumbing fixtures were the perfect mix of metal finishes for me and a design feature I’m so glad I took the chance on.
If you have a hard time diverging from matchy-matchy metals, I hope I’ve at least tempted you take on your own mixed metal story.
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Girl Behind the Blog
I’m Jess, the creator of Oak & Grain. A mid-west girl at heart who now resides in Raleigh, NC. I love finding old things and giving them new purpose by way of refinishing or incorporating unexpected, overlooked thrift store finds in the modern home. I work full-time in medicine and I love dipping into my creative side and in the process, keeping my sanity. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube to see more behind the scenes action.
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