7 Effortless Ways to Infuse Metallics Into Your Home
Add some glamour and warmth to any space with these small, simple touches of metallic finishes.
Stainless steel and other metallic finishes might make you think of cold, sterile commercial kitchens, but infusing hints of metal into your home decor can seamlessly bring warmth, texture, and depth to a space.
From tiles and wallpaper to hardwares and light fixtures, we're sharing seven easy ways to let metallic shine, without going over the top.
1. Create a Metallic Feature Wall
This silver-and-gold marbled mural by Calico Wallpaper, forms a palette of coordinated tones in the living area.
Photo: Dean Kaufman
Feature walls are a great way to create a focal point in a room and to experiment with color, pattern, and finish. Wallpapers with metallic finishes, as pictured above, make for a great feature wall because of their reflective nature, which bounces off light and catches the eye.
2. Install a Metallic Light Fixture
Modern furnishings, a decorative metallic pendant, and colorful artwork decorate the dining space.
Lance Gerber
You may have noticed that many light fixtures are often available in a range of metallic finishes, from polished chrome to a more matte copper. Part of this is because the reflective surfaces of these items help to bounce and disperse natural and artificial light.
Fixtures like chandeliers and pendants that are often installed overhead assist in bringing the eye upward, especially when they shimmer from a metal-like surface.
3. Use a Metallic Backsplash
Like glass, metallic backsplashes help reflect light in a kitchen. No matter what shade you choose—whether it be silver, gold, or bronze as shown above—these metals will keep the space airy and bright while making your kitchen feel warm and luxe.
Photo Courtesy of ANTHONY PROVENZANO ARCHITECTS
Metal surfaces in the kitchen might make you think of stainless steel countertops or appliances, but there are countless other ways to bring metals into this space, with your backsplash being one of them.
4. Apply Subtle Metallic Details
In this urban townhouse, a Zodiaq® London Sky countertop wraps the wall behind it to become the backsplash, providing a polished backdrop for design details and vignettes. Its muted color complements dark wood cabinets and rich, metallic accents.
Photo: DuPont
Using metal finishes in small amounts, like a metallic baseboard or metallic hardware, can also have a big impact. One of the easiest ways to do this is by switching out hardware that is already made of metal, such as drawer pulls, doorknobs, and hinges. And because hardware is simple to change, you can easily swap out various finishes when you're in the mood for a new look.
5. Paint a Door With a Metal Finish
This metallic gold door shines bright to welcome guests to L.A.'s Hotel Covell. Against a backdrop of more textural, aged elements—like the brick wall—it's a smooth, glam touch.
Bethany Nauert
As the portal into a home, your entance door is one of the most defining characteristics of a house. Whether it be made of metal or painted with a metallic finish, the door can be both eye-catching and classic, while also hinting at the design of the rest of your interior space. It also makes for great contrast between an otherwise matte or monochrome exterior, and can be easily repainted or refinished as necessary.
6. Be Utilitarian
Orrill wanted the kitchen to be the central hub for entertaining, so everything is kept inside minimalist cabinetry—except for the copper pots and pans hanging on the back wall.
Photo: Caren Alpert
For a low-budget but high-impact version of artwork, consider hanging everyday metal pieces, such as copper pots, tools, or gardening items.
The metallic finishes will bring shine and depth to a space, yet hanging them in an artful way will allow them to be easily accessible, as well as aesthetically pleasing.
7. Purchase Metallic Planters
Brilliant copper naturally complements earthy tones, like brick and marble.
Courtesy of Article
A few copper, silver, or gold planters/pots will always provide a strong visual contrast to matte greenery and colorful flowers. The metallic finish acts as a neutral color, but the shimmer of the metal draws the eye.
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