Should light fixtures match hardware or plumbing fixtures?
There are a lot of opinions out there regarding mixing metal finishes in a space. And, of course, everyone has an opinion.
However, if you look at most well designed interiors — at successful and beautiful projects you see on Instagram or some of our industry’s leading media outlets — you will notice what I’m going to talk about today.
Mixing metal finishes in a room can deliver a thoughtful and more layered look.
You don’t have to match all your metal finishes in a room.
It’s rather like matching all your jewelry to one color. There was a time when that was done a lot, I can remember doing it myself. But these days, it is normal to see a thoughtful blend of mixed metal finishes throughout a home.
Here, below, in one of my bathroom remodels, we did brushed brass light fixtures with satin nickel plumbing fixtures. The satin nickel was great for maintenance, while the brushed brass added some warmth and color to the room.
Mixing Metal Finishes - This bathroom has satin nickel plumbing fixtures and brushed brass on the light fixtures. | Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
In this country or cottage style kitchen remodel we used a black finish on the pendant light fixture over the island and an antique pewter finish on the cabinet pulls. With it’s look of an “unfitted” kitchen, incorporating the two finishes works well.
Mixing Metal Finishes - This country / cottage style kitchen combines black finish on pendant fixture and antique pewter finish on cabinet pulls. Carla Aston, Designer | Miro Dvorscak, Photographer
The master bedroom, below, has polished nickel cabinet pulls that match what we did in the master bath. We were going for a boutique hotel look in the bathroom, with Carrara marble and gleaming hardware and I wanted that detailed wardrobe to have the same effect.
We did the bedside lighting in satin nickel though. With the grasscloth and all the fabric combination on the bed, it is nice to have those lamps more subdued here.
Polished nickel cabinet pulls on wardrobe style closet built-ins in a master bedroom redo. | Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
Polished nickel completed this special look of the cabinetry details in this wardrobe style closet. | Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
Mixing Metal Finishes - Satin nickel on the bedside lamps subdued their look here so that the gorgeous fabric combination and dark wood furniture could stand out. | Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
Seen in Dwell on Design’s LA home tours a few years ago, this bathroom mixed metals effectively. The black sconce and and cabinet pulls work well with the chrome plumbing fixtures.
Mixing Metal Finishes - Bathroom seen in Dwell on Design’s California home tour, Architects: CHA:COL, Inc.
This master bath has almost all the metal finishes in a brushed brass.
However, the barn door hardware was done in satin nickel so that it would blend in more with the wall. I didn’t want the industrial nature of the track system to stand out here. I really liked that the brass stood off the blue and gray so well and wanted focus there. .
Mixing Metal Finishes - This bathroom mixes a brushed brass throughout most of the bath with a satin nickel on the barn door hardware. | Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
Mixing Metal Finishes - This bathroom mixes a brushed brass throughout most of the bath with a satin nickel on the barn door hardware.| Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
In my own kitchen, I used polished nickel cabinet pulls and a dark bronze finish on the lighting. The door hardware throughout my house is dark bronze.
In here, I wanted the nickel to add a little gleam and to show up on the dark upper cabinetry there.
Mixing Metal Finishes - This kitchen has dark bronze lighting which relates to the dark espresso color in the room. The polished nickel cabinet hardware gleams off both light and dark cabinet doors.| Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
While there are instances where the metal finish on a light fixture needs to match everything else, there are even more instances when it shouldn’t. So don’t feel forced into matching when choosing a metal finish for your special decorative light fixtures.
Instead...
Mix your metal finishes to achieve a layered, developed look in your room.
(This post was first published in 2014 and refreshed with new images and commentary 8/2020.)