Using Metallic Colors in Room Design

No matter the design, metallic colors offer a modern touch of luxury to any room. With the luster and smoothness of metal, metallic colors bounce light around a room, creating a feeling of depth. Here are some tips to help you make your room a bit more sleek and polished using metallic colors.

Paint. Bring the sheen and luster of metal to your walls in any hue you could dream up. Metallic paints have long been used as faux finishes for objects that easily pass as metal-- think of lamps and picture frames. Now you can bring them to the interior of your home to liven up any room. Rich metallic colors can be overbearing so break them up with crown molding or even white lines that give the illusion of molding. An accent wall is a great idea if you are not yet ready to immerse yourself in metallic splendor. Create tortoise shell finishes with several metallic shades at once. Antique your walls with a metallic shade and a glaze. Heighten your walls with stripes. There is a metallic paint color for any style. Check out a few of the metallic paint colors offered by Modern Masters at Modernmastersinc.com!

Wallpaper. Metallic colored wallpaper comes in a vast array of designs. From marble swirls, faux copper squares, to elegant black velvet lace atop faux metal background, these wallpapers are the easiest way to glam up your walls. Use them in any room that you want to feel more glamorous. Check out the metallic wallpaper collection offered by Ballard Designs at Ballarddesigns.com!

Flooring. Metal flooring is resilient, making it a great choice for high-traffic areas. The smooth metal tiles and planks are easy to clean and maintain. The wide array of choices available complement any design style, offering both luxury and warmth to any color scheme. It can also be installed over many existing floors. Design a whole floor with metal flooring, or use it to accent intricate floor designs made of vinyl, ceramic, or other material. While making faux metal finishes on other materials, like wood flooring, is an option, nothing beats the elegance of metal flooring. Carina Works is a leader in elegant eco-friendly metal floors. Check out their metal flooring portfolio online at Carinaworks.com!

Appliances. The professionals use stainless steel appliances in the kitchen so why can't you? If you are afraid of your kitchen looking too industrial, have no fear. Just limit the steel to one focal point or accents -small appliances like toasters--and you will be fine. A great focal point would be a stainless steel stove or perhaps a shiny stainless steel refrigerator. You can make these colors warm with warm-colored countertops or cabinets. If you need to tone down the steel, try putting a wood hood over your stove or applying wood veneer to your refrigerator. If you cannot afford the stainless steel appliances but want the look, try a stainless steel foil with adhesive backing to cover the facing of your stove or refrigerator. Don't overdo it by making your dishwasher stainless steel! Instead, face it with a veneer that matches your cabinetry for a smooth aesthetic flow in your kitchen. In addition to the kitchen, spiff up the laundry room with washers and dryers in metallic color. Check out Maytag's offerings at Maytag.com!

Countertops and Backsplashes. Metallic laminates bring a sleek look to the kitchen or bathroom. They come in titanium, aluminum, iron, gold, pewter, and stainless steel finishes that can be textured to appear hammered, dotted, herringbone, shiny, or polished. Some are copper, bronze, and black to create an antique look. Laminates can be placed on the facing of appliances, drawers, cabinets, countertops, and even used as backsplashes. Metal tile used for flooring also make great backsplashes. Check out the gallery Chemetal offers at Chemetal.com!

Fixtures. Add immediate style to your home by replacing ordinary fixtures with stylish ones. Faucets, sinks, showers, and lighting have become works of art. Unique shapes and finishes complement any style. Check out the catalog offered by Moen at Moen.com and the dazzling light fixtures Kichler offers at Kichler.com for ideas.

Furniture. From rustic to retro, metallic furniture updates any style. To keep furniture from looking too cold, accessorize with soft textures. Upholster a metal barstool with any fabric you like or use throw pillows to soften a metallic couch. You can also add a metallic sheen to any existing wood furniture by using fabric with a metallic sheen. You can also look for furniture pieces that have metallic accents. There is no need for the whole furniture piece to be made of metal. Choose furniture in the colors of metal like gray, silver, or copper. For example, a lush gray leather couch may suit your tastes better than a minimalist chair with a chrome frame. With metallic colors the possibilities are endless. Check out the collection of furniture Spacify has to offer at Spacify.com!

Drapes. Drapes can offer the shine and luxury of metal to your windows. Metallic drapes are made from silk, rayon, nylon, polyester, yarn, or knit. Add the subtle shine of panels or the royalty treatment with heavy fringed drapes to your rooms. All of your favorite patterns can be found in shiny fabric. Find your polka dots, stripes, and paisley in new colors schemes. Imagine a striped curtain in earth tones with bronze accents. Imagine paisley on gray fabric with shiny silver accents. Contempo Curtains has a great selection at Contempocurtains.com!

Bedding. Metallic colors can make a bed look fantastic. Whether you are decorating your bedroom in metallic colors like granite, or in fabrics that look metallic like silk, satin, or rayon, there are an infinite number of choices out there for your taste. Mix and match matte colors with shiny ones on your bed. If you go with a granite theme, choose a few colors from your favorite granite. Teal, purple, and gray could be a granite color palette. You could use dark gray sheets of any matte fabric, add a shiny rayon comforter in purple, and throw shiny silk teal, purple, and silver pillows on top. Or switch things around and begin with purple satin sheets. The possibilities are endless. JCPenney's Home Collection has wonderful bedding ideas at JCPenney.com!

Wall Art. You can find wall art made out of iron, travertine and non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass, and stainless steel. A lot of metal wall art comes in abstract forms or in natural deigns like trees or vines, making them universal in home interior design. Metal wall art also comes in the look of paintings or fancy mirrors. Mirrors themselves offer a silver shine to the room and tend to make a room look bigger than it is. Artful Home offers a nice collection of metal wall art at Artfulhome.com.

Rugs. Rugs are very versatile when it comes to looking like metal and metallic colors are pretty common in rugs. Though you may not find shiny rugs so often, matte colors in grays, silvers, and coppers abound. Geometric patterns in the weave can look very similar to metal objects. Imagine a gray rug with a weave similar to the shape of interlocking chain links. Rugs of today come in various shapes and colors. Squares, circles, and stop sign shapes are very popular. Artistic abstract designs on the rug can mimic shapes you have in your room already. If you have rounded shapes in your room, mirror them with round rugs or rugs with round designs on them. Bring your creativity and your taste when shopping for rugs to make your room spectacular. There is a rug for any style. You can cover your whole floor with metallic color carpeting, or accent with a few rugs. Check out the inmod designer rug collection at Inmod.com!

Accents. Accents can bring panache to a room, especially in metallic colors. Accents should bring your personality to the room. A bronze lamp, a glass vase blown with a pearly silver finish, mahogany wood candleholders with silver leaf accents, a shiny chenille throw, a silver set at the bar, or gold leaf sculpture could be just what your room needs to feel complete. Put accents in every room. Use just enough accents to make your room look finished, but not enough to make it cluttered. For a few shiny ideas check out the wonderful accents Wildwood offers at Wildwood.com!