Kitchen Planning: A how-to guide to mixing metals

I have the good fortune of designing so many lovely kitchens, some brand new, some renovations and some quick facelifts. One subject that always comes up with clients is the topic of mixing metals in design. Is bronze okay with chrome, or stainless okay with black? The answer is yes. You can mix metals, and in fact, the movement in design is to create a space that looks curated, refined and personal. Mixing metals provides you a great opportunity to customize your kitchen and create a unique tailored look.

Let’s have a look at some of the common questions that arise when trying to choose metal finishes for your kitchen.

I’m giving my kitchen a facelift. Do my appliances have to match my faucet and door hardware?

Absolutely not! Design is a balance and the key to great design is pulling together elements that have a similar character or style. Design styles can be married together by using a bridging colour. As an example, if you have a brass light fixture and bronze appliances, like the Fingerprint Resistant Sunset Bronze appliances from Whirlpool, you can use lucite door hardware as a bridging material to tie it all together. The styles complement each other without competing for attention.

Or, how about using black appliances for a hit of traditional elegance? Whirlpool’s Fingerprint Resistant Black Stainless Steel appliances are a gorgeous upgrade to what we have typically seen in stainless and have a lustrous black patina. These appliances pair beautifully with brass, chrome or even oil-rubbed bronze. The addition of modernized classic handles allows this appliance suite to integrate beautifully in to almost any kitchen design scheme.

I’ve shown below. In this example, the black is actually our bridging material.

Next design question is: Do my appliance metal colours have to match?

This question is particularly challenging, but the reality is that sometimes we don’t replace all of our kitchen appliances at once. So how do we approach this design dilemma when we are integrating new appliances over time? Including a new kitchen appliance that has a finish that complements your existing ones is as easy as using a coordinating design material to pull together all your finishes, while you build your new appliance collection. Whirlpool’s Fingerprint Resistant Black Stainless appliances upgrade the look of traditional stainless while providing the perfect blend of smart features and durability all wrapped up in a sleek black matte look.

Installing a backsplash or even art that includes black and grey tones will go that extra mile to tie the new look together.

I hope you love all these options as much as I do!