How to Use Metallic Color Accents in Your Home

As fashion can often dictate home décor trends, it is important to note that metallic colors have made their comeback! We've seen this look in shoes, handbags and nail polish and now they can be introduced into your home for some serious impact! Here are ten creative ways to use metallic color accents to get your home looking gorgeous!

1. Tin Backsplashes & Kitchen Ceilings - There are an abundance of beautiful patterns and designs available in the form of tin tiles made from sheets of metal. Add significant warmth with copper or bronze or add some cool shine with silver. These come in a variety of sizes, the larger ones working best for ceilings, while you could use smaller tiles for the backsplash area in a kitchen. These add a lot of drama and are much easier to install than ceramic tiles. They can add a lot of personality to a bland kitchen. Copper, a popular choice, is complemented by both warmer and cooler tones like pale blue and creams for a French country look. These are available at most large hardware store retailers.

2. Fireplace as a Focal Point - Anyone lucky enough to have a fireplace might want to consider adding some glitz and glam to make it the show stopper of the room. This can be done in the form of painting the brick or wood on the fireplace or just the mantle itself. By painting out the brick in a silver color, you will add some bold sophistication, glamour, as well as a more contemporary feel to the space. If you love your fireplace but want to give it a boost, think of replacing and/or updating the mantle by providing a floating shelf in chrome or silver, by painting it. It's a simple and inexpensive way to use metallic colors in your space. Another great idea is to purchase wrought iron pieces and spray paint or brush on the metallic shade of your choice to give your wall art a quick lift.

3. Create an Accent Wall - One really great way to add a lot of depth and interest to a room is to paint 3 walls in one single color and use the focal wall (generally the wall behind a bed or behind a sofa etc.) as your area to add a bit of drama. Instead of using a flat paint color, why not add a metallic glaze to the accent wall once it's been painted? It's an easy process involving an extra coat of paint/glaze, and the overall effect can be very elegant, or funky depending on the colors used. You have control over the level of heaviness you want to add. Light and sheer or opt for more of a heavy and opaque appearance.

4. Wall Art - There are endless ideas for adding interest to your walls, one of them is by adding wall art and photo frames. For clean lines and a more elegant feel, use an art grouping of similar photos developed in black and white framed in a set of metallic silver frames. A grouping of 4 or 9 will create a nice square shape and provide just the right amount of sparkle to your room. You can also transform wooden or metal frames that you already own by spraying painting them with chrome for a contemporary look, or perhaps gold or copper and then insert some art prints inside for a unique look for any room. These groupings look wonderful over a bed, over a sofa or that empty wall that you don't know what to do with.

5. Décor Accessories - Add some flair to any room by adding splashes of metallic color with home décor accessories. The great thing about accessories is if you spend your money on the key furniture pieces you can experiment and change out accessories as you wish or as the season calls for them. Add some chrome candlestick holders to add instant sophistication. Try out a stunning mirrored coffee table finished off in chrome detailing for some vintage Hollywood appeal? Use lamp bases and shades as inspiration as well. You can now find a vast array of lamp bases at almost any store in your area.You'll find every metallic color ranging from gold, antique bronze and copper to stainless steel silver, chrome and metallic black! Add a complementary shade to your room's scheme and you've added instant style!

6. Reuse & Repurpose - Whether you love antiques, garage sale finds or already own perfect furniture pieces that you adore, you can still transform their look with a good old coat of paint! Metallic colors are a great way to accent or update a piece of furniture. You can paint a headboard in copper or silver and it will gain instant appeal and be the center of attention in your bedroom. Likewise a dining sideboard with the right details then painted out in black and accented with a chrome or silver on the inset, can be just the touch your room needs to give it that contemporary jumpstart of art deco appeal.

7. Hardware - Many people forget about the instant transformation that drawer pulls and knobs can provide. Modernize a kitchen quickly with some chrome or silver cabinet hardware or warm up a space with some beautiful antique bronze. Why stop there? Be sure to co-ordinate with your faucet and sink as well. This is a great tip when accenting updated furniture pieces too, after paining them, be sure to add style-appropriate hardware to complement the overall look you are trying to achieve.

8. Custom Fabric - With so many stunning fabrics to choose from, choosing a custom fabric is a great way to personalize your space. Perhaps you have a favorite armchair or ottoman that you cannot bare to part with, by adding your own choice fabric, you instantly inject your personal style into the room. Many colors are available with a metallic sheen to them or simply purchase the metallic color of choice like silver velvet for a tufted ottoman, or gold shimmery silk for new drapery panels. For a smaller budget, use smaller splashes of metallic flair by using toss pillows or a throw that uses the metallic color you desire.

9. Candles & Chargers - With a minimal investment you can add gorgeous accents to your space by introducing candles in your metallic color of choice. These color options are no longer deemed as holiday-worthy only, they are now celebrated throughout the year. Use a scheme of black, white silver and red in a room by using silver as your candle choice, or use warmer earthy tones with a set of tiered gold candles. With so many shapes and sizes to choose from, it is important to consider the overall function and style of the room and ensure that the candles you use reflect that. Square and rectangular are more contemporary in shape, whereas tall cylindrical pillars or round candles are viewed as more traditional, with tapers being ideal for a dining room setting. Using gold, or chrome chargers under dinner plates for an elaborate setting. It can be just what your dining room needs for that next dinner party. This will add instant glitz but ensure that each charger is the same color, feel free to add a different design for both the host and hostess settings.

10. Mirrors - On their own, mirrors can add a lot to a room creating additional light, the appearance of more space and the frame and shape dictate the style for the room. If you've got an old mirror that you're bored with, why not re-paint it and give it new life? This is the ideal place to add some drama, it could become a focal point all its own. Be sure to cover the actual mirrored inset before spraying the frame. What a great way to keep utilizing what you already own! The color options are endless, traditional style calls for gold, while transitional (a mix of contemporary and traditional) calls for antiqued bronze or even a leafing effect with gold or silver leaf. For a modern appeal, add chrome, silver or a black paint with metallic fleck.