The addition of a few metallic items to an otherwise matte-style interior can add that all important dose of razzmatazz. But there’s such a thing as too much bling: if you go overboard, you risk making your home look gaudy, or even cheap. Here, we’ll offer some advice about how to incorporate metallics in a tasteful way. Let’s get started!
Less is More
Too many reflective surfaces can be overwhelming. Metallic pieces should therefore be restricted to smaller, decorative flourishes. If your entire coffee-table is gleaming, then it risks forming a little bit of an eyesore. Vases, picture-frames and lamps are all excellent candidates for the metallic treatment.
Don’t be Afraid to Break out the Spray
You don’t need to splash out to make things a little glitzy. A little bit of spray-paint can help you to metallicize those drab items. If you’ve got a particular piece that you’d like to design the entire room around, then this approach will help you to get things nicely co-ordinated.
Neutralise your Décor
You don’t want too much competition for attention in anygiven space. As such, the décor that surrounds your metallic items should be dialled back a little. Subtler, neutral shades provide an excellent backdrop. If you’re going for gold trim, then you can help it to ‘pop’ by going for darker cushions and other accent pieces. All of the usual colour-matchingguidelines apply.
Mixing Metallics
There’s no hard-and-fast rule that says you can’t mix metals of different sorts in the same space. Your personal taste is, after all, the final judge of what works and what doesn’t. With that said, it’s wise to start with one metal, and then add the others as minor flourishes here and there.
There are several different sorts of metal for the homeowner to choose from. Of these, the most ‘metallic’ is probably chrome. It’s lightweight and durable, and comes with a distinctive mirrored finish that’s a staple of toilet-roll holders across the country. It’ll never go out of style, and it works equally well alongside wood or marble.
With that said, chrome is vulnerable to dust and scratches, and the reflective finish will show up greasy fingerprints a great deal more quickly than some of the duller alternatives. If you’d like a slight variation on the classic chrome formula, then you might consider black-chrome, which is the same material, except with a darker outer layer rather than a reflective one.
Stainless steel is pleasingly neutral. It won’t gleam in the same way that other metals do, and it requires only an occasional wipe to look fantastic. Homes with stainless-steel everywhere tend to look very contemporary and sterile, and for this reason it’s a popular choice in kitchens and bathrooms. Brass, on the other hand, is a better match for velvety living spaces. It’ll inject a little personality and opulence, particularly if paired with deeper, darker shades of crimson and sapphire blue.
