It’s one of those things that people seem to get tripped up on: how do I mix metals in my home?

It might be one of those categories where it feels like there are rules, and because hardware is not most people’s favorite part of the selection process, it can feel easy to get it “wrong.” Plus there’s so much of it, it is an investment, and someone else has to change it out if you change your mind. That can feel like a lot of pressure!

In my opinion, mixing metals feels more collected and interesting than if it was all the same. It is also more timeless. Metal finishes come in and out of popularity, and if you have a mix it can be harder to date the renovation.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Think in systems

Metal finishes show up on plumbing, appliances, door and cabinet hardware, and in furniture. If you think in systems, you will always have a base level of coordination. In this bathroom, all the plumbing is silver and everything else is in the gold family. No, the golds do not need to match perfectly, but they should have the same undertone, whether yellow, pink, or brown. Here the lighting is brass and the cabinet hardware is bronze, making it less matchy, but the warm brown undertones are nicely coordinated.

Choose a Fixture With the Mix

One easy way to make sure the finishes feel coordinated? Put them all in one fixture, then draw each tone out to other pieces. In this kitchen we used pendants at the peninsual in black, brass, and glass. We repeated the same black on the sink sconce and the brass and glass in the island pendant. Extra credit: the barstools mix a brass base with black leather seat. Same tones, different materials.

Silver Finishes Always Work

Because chrome and nickel have been around forever and have shown up in plumbing in every design style to date (think Victorian to Modern Farmhouse), you can’t go wrong with these. Kitchens are particularly friendly to chrome and nickel, as they often have stainless steel appliances or accessories for the plumbing to relate to. In this South Minneapolis Kitchen, the client wanted an industrial vibe in her cabinetry, and we doubled down on the faucet in a commercial style. Then we warmed things up a bit with bronze pulls.

Introduce non-metal materials

Even when you ace the mix of standard metal finishes, it can feel good to break it up with some non-metal materials added in. In the kitchen above, the white enamel lighting offers some breathing room.

In this bathroom, we mixed chrome plumbing and brass lighting and mirrors, but added crystal to the cabinet knobs, which feels softer against the white. (And yes, the base of the knobs is brass but chrome would have worked, too.)

In this kids bath in a lakehome, all the plumbing and hardware is black. We used sconces in black, white, and wood to add interest and connect to other elements in the room (white countertop, wood panelled ceiling.)

Don’t Forget the Textiles

Okay, now that you are becoming an expert, let’s get advanced. Many wallpaper and fabrics are available with metallic accents. This can be the perfect, subtle way to reinforce your hardware finishes. In this bathroom, the plumbing is nickel (as it is throughout the home) and the lighting and bath accessories are gold. We love that the wallpaper has both gold and silver, too!)

Furniture has Metal, too

In a kitchen, chairs and stool can be another opportunity to tie in your metal finishes—after all, a metal stool is durable and easily cleaned. In this kitchen, we used the mixed-finish fixture technique with our island pendants, then repeated the brass on the sconces and knobs, and brought the black to the counter stools. (Note that the silver plumbing rule also plays out here—a chrome faucet feels right at home with the stainless steel coffee maker and mixer, even though our large appliances are all paneled.)

Mixing Metals in Other Rooms

This line of thinking can apply to spaces outside the kitchen and bath as well. In the lake house project, we have black and brass finishes throughout the lighting and plumbing scheme, and we brought the mix to the bedrooms, too. In furnishings, I generally go for low-sheen metals, so you can almost think about the metal as a color, not an effect. Here the black metal bed frame and gold metal base on the nightstand both repeat in the bedding.

What do you think: feeling more confident and ready to tackle this task? It’s a lot to think about, but breaking it down this way limits the options, making it less overwhelming (and more fun!) to master the mix.

How To: Mix Metals