How To Mix Metal Finishes In A Room

Q: Hey guys! What’s your opinion on mixing metal finishes in a room? Thanks! – Shelly

A: Do it! We don’t really like anything that’s too matchy-matchy, so as long as you make it look deliberate and layered (as opposed to haphazard and mismatched) the end result can be chic and elegant.

But what’s the trick for making it look intentional and not mismatched and wonky? Well, as one example, let’s look at our previous house’s finished den. We had a chrome-based floor lamp in there, along with oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods and they both stood on their own and didn’t look mismatched because we repeated both colors & materials again throughout the room (in the dark fireplace screen, tabletop accessories of both colors, and even the TV’s silver frame) which led to an intentional vibe. In other words, nothing is a sore thumb when you have a number of oil-rubbed bronze thumbs sharing a space with a number of brushed nickel thumbs. Does that make sense?

Let’s take this house that we crashed here as another example. There were a lot of stainless elements (the hood, the appliances, etc) and the lantern was a hammered gold color along with some other accessories in the room, so it all looked intentional and layered instead of accidental or mismatched.

In short: as long as you don’t do all chrome and one thing in an oil-rubbed bronze finish, it should look clash-y. Instead it’ll look intentional, layered, and possibly even more effortlessly stylish than strictly sticking to all one tone. Although in particularly small “concentrated” spaces like a modestly sized bathroom (with a faucet that’s just a few feet away from the showerhead and a light fixture) you may want to keep things consistent (like going with modern chrome all the way or antique bronze for every fixture and door knob) just because things that close can look less layered and balanced in different tones. The last thing you’re going for is an I-updated-half-the-fixtures-but-left-the-rest-so-they-don’t-match effect.

So that’s our take on the whole hardware quandry that haunts many a homeowner. And speaking of finishes (like oil-rubbed bronze, antique brass, wrought iron, chrome, and brushed nickel) we’d love to know your absolute favorite. We’re torn between the easy care (no fingerprints ever!) of brushed nickel and the quiet elegance of a simple oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod. Tell us all about what floats your boat in the hardware department. We’re all ears.

Psst- Itching for our take on matchy-matchy furniture? Check out this post all about what we think the “rules” should be in that department.