Mixing metals in your bathroom will come naturally to you after reading this post! I know how you feel- I also felt like I was breaking rules and had to do it “the right way” when we designed this bathroom. But I had already designed all our other bathrooms with metals that coordinated and I was tired of matching everything.
I am sharing not only my bathroom but eight other jaw dropping bathrooms where mixing metals worked out so well it will convince you this is the right move!
Table of Contents
Our Bathroom
This bathroom sits in all its’ mixed metal glory off our playroom, just for guests and kids.
Can I Mix Metals In A Bathroom? When To Take a Risk Or Play It Safe?
Yes you can, and you should! The point of mixing metals in a bathroom is to keep the space interesting, more pleasing to the eye and to keep the room from feeling too warm or too cold.
Remember the grey trend? All grey everything until it felt cold and sterile? That’s just one example of what mixing metals will help you avoid.
(I am crazy about the Kensington Pivot Mirror. It’s a great piece, with just a touch of masculinity. We had to wait a few months for it because it was back ordered – twice – and the wait was worth it.)
The brass sconce light is necessary to warm up all the gray and add interest.
After all, that’s the whole point of mixing metals in a room: to make it more interesting! I have big plans for the walls (they are screaming for tile!)…. but for now, here we are.
Sources Used:
similar patterned tile / handle hardware /faucet / pivot mirror / sconce light / amber jars / amber soap dispenser / wastebasket
Mixing Metal Tips For a Bathroom:
When I was planning my bathroom I had so many specific questions, I found the whole thing stressful! If my faucet is nickel, should my towel bar be nickel? If my faucet is brass, can everything else be a different metal? It was hard to gauge exactly which specific items would work together.
Pick a dominant metal, and 2 contrasting metals to use less of. Using a metal for just one item in a small bathroom IS OKAY!
My solution for you? It doesn’t matter exactly which item (ie- the faucet, hardware, towel bar, etc) you choose to be what metal. Truly. The faucet can be the only hardware that is polished nickel in the room!
What matters instead is that you choose a dominant metal that will be repeated the most (at least twice) in the bathroom- and let the rest of the metals appear less.
Here are some other pointers to help you relax:
- Most metals play nicely together no matter the room: black and brass, always a win. Nickel and black, yes, best friends.
- Think of black or dark bronze as a neutral. They just “go” with all the other metals
- I am not in the habit of mixing metals that are similar but not the same. For instance, shiny gold and aged brass? I wouldn’t necessarily do this mix. If you use chrome, perhaps find another metal other than polished nickel. Sharp contrast is best.
- When mixing metals in our bathroom, I kept it to three metals. For a smaller room like a bathroom especially, this is plenty!
- I like to warm up rooms that have a lot of colder shades. If you have a lot of nickel and gray together, work in some aged brass.
Examples Of Mixing Metals in a Bathroom Successfully
The following spaces successfully mixed metals and came up with amazing combinations! I loved finding inspiration of mixing metals in a bathroom when we designed this room. I found it so helpful to see examples of other spaces where it worked. These photos should be helpful if you are still unsure on how to pull this off!
Source: Danielle Moss
This is the trifecta! A lot of polished nickel (her dominant metal), black, and just a touch of brass- all 3 together and looking incredible. I love those pretty lights – her aged brass sconces she picked out go nicely with the polished nickel. Not overly shiny or yellow.
Also – if you are looking for silhouettes – this shop is pretty amazing.
Get The Look:
Source: House of Four Design
Those hand rubbed antique brass sconces are lovely! See them here:
Source: Mindy Gayer
Brass, nickel and black (or is the oil rubbed bronze?) make this bathroom lovely- perhaps lovelier because it’s not matchy matchy.
Source: Emily Henderson
Nickel and black always work together! Black was clearly the dominant, with a pop of silver. Love those ultra modern sconces!
Both images from Studio McGee
This is an incredible example of mixing metals in a bathroom successfully. And proof that nickel and brass do go together! The antiqued silver leaf mirror looks great over the vanity.
How cute is the little natural wood and rope stool by the tub. See that here:
Source: Kelley Nan
I can never decide what goes better with blue – nickel or brass – so why not choose both?
Source: The talented Sunny Circle Studio
So much goodness here. Love her mix of not just brass and black, but also of all the various kinds of tiles. She must have had a vision because it all came together beautifully!
Source: Amber Interiors
Silver was her dominant metal, with black hardware and brass lighting. Amber never disappoints.
Now that you have seen all those gorgeous bathrooms, I hope it gave you the confidence to mix metals easily! Loosely adhere to the guidelines I gave and you can not go wrong!
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You might also like: Our boys’ shared black and white bathroom, or tour our playroom:
Thank you for this article! I’m mixing 3 metals and needed this little nudge to get me through my doubts. Love your blog but man the ads do make it difficult to fully enjoy it.
Thank you for your sweet comment! It definitely is worth taking a risk – you will like it more I think 🙂 And yes, the ads are disruptive I agree. It is tricky to find a balance, as I usually have them running higher during the holidays than my norm, but I go back and forth with the amount because I tend to agree with you, But of course content isn’t “free” either. I appreciate the kind feedback.