Design Tip – Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Metals

Posted in Accessories, Art, Color, Commercial Design, Flooring, Furniture, Home Design, Interior Design, Lighting, Residential Design, Uncategorized on July 15, 2016

By Julie Ann Segal

As an interior designer, I’m commonly asked, “Is it ok to mix metals?”

And my answer is, “Of course! As long as they’re balanced in the room.”

Some people think that is an interior design no-no, or a that there’s a rule against it. Or, they’re just not sure how to do it.

My advice is to not be afraid to mix metals in the design of your space. Think of each metal as a color, such as brushed nickel being grey and copper as being soft tangerine. Just be careful – it’s all about the right application to create a balance of the metals’ colors or finishes.

For example, in this photo, you can see that we have mixed chrome, brushed nickel, copper and gold metal in this Party Room.

We paid careful attention to where we placed each metal selection – for the furniture accents, light fixtures, and wall art. It’s also coordinated with the wall and carpet colors in a balanced way.

Another example might be something like this – in your kitchen, you have nickel hardware on your cabinets. But you don’t have to stick with nickel for the light fixture! You could consider a bronze light fixture to pull out some of the brown in your granite countertops. It’s all about the application, and making sure the elements of the design work together.