How to Put the Shine Back Into Modern Interiors
How to bring the shine back to modern interiors
At sunrise and sunset, the low sun breaks into the interior to flood them with joy in a way no ceiling or wall mount can. However, these times are fleeting and difficult to capture in a busy schedule.
Instead, interiors with shiny, characterful metallic surfaces like brass can capture and reflect both natural and artificial light to create the same golden warmth at any time of the day or night. More charismatic than chrome but less flashy than gold, brass’s brushed or weathered texture sets the perfect accent for interiors seeking that timeless quality.
keep it clean
Adding brass accents to furniture and fixtures reminds me a bit of 1920’s interior style. The decade is big right now, but to remain consistently stylish for years to come, characterful brass accents need to stay clean and simple.
For example, in Lenka Mikova’s 077 Residence in Prague, simple tubular brass fixtures like Axolight’s Ego spot combine with the flat surfaces of door handles, furniture and flush plates like Aquadomo’s polished brass Diamond Flush, along with a modest wall light with a smooth brass background, similar to the Plate and Sphere pendant lamp by Atelier Areti.
stay natural
In the 077 Residence, matching tubular brass fittings such as Stern Engineering’s Antique Brass Tubular 1000 are complemented by natural stone finishes such as white marble, black granite and red travertine. Using other natural materials such as leather, wood and flora can help bring the luxurious look of brass down to earth and ensure it remains accessible. Poltrana Frau’s Ren collection exemplifies this, combining simple walnut veneer A-frames with leather-covered trays and bases, and blending the two materials with brass edging and accessories for a sophisticated look.
The Hide Woodland Retreat, on the other hand, is a cozy retreat for newlyweds to enjoy their first days of marriage, close to the wedding venue of Chalk in rural Wiltshire, UK. With a handpicked mix of contemporary, traditional and natural styles and materials, such as B. the sculptural lamps made of sheet brass, the copper slipper bathtub, the wooden backdrop and the rustic furniture, the romantic retreat in a place and time freed from the rest of the world is not recognizable.
Contrast with color or without
In addition to natural, simple materials, the colors that are combined with brass can have a strong impact on the mood of the interior. Warm gray tones and cool, oceanic colors like turquoise green and all blues provide a stunning backdrop for brass accents. At Restaurant Blau in Stuttgart, Germany, for example, square, frameless blocks of deep blue and gray are divided by brass-colored doors, while the material palette returns to warm amber leather seats and green marble tabletops.
However, a more dramatic contrast can be achieved by keeping the color scheme in check. Tom Dixon’s Scoop chair, for example, comes in the designer’s identifiable range of monochrome tones and metal accents of copper and chrome. But the combination that really brings the chair to life is adding polished brass legs to a dark black seat.
At Apartamento Sardenya in Barcelona, Spain, a monochromatic color scheme of bare white walls and black kitchen cabinets is interspersed with pops of color and patterns of animal-print fabrics and black-and-white marble. As a further contrast to both, the brass kitchen faucet and sink stand out, while strips of brass edging help to divide and identify the space.
communicate accents
By sprinkling magical brass dust over interiors in delightful but carefully considered touches, the brass effect comes out at its strongest. The rule is few and often, rather than hard and heavy. Incorporated brass elements with a common theme or style can instantly connect interiors. For example, clean, flat-brushed brass is easily applied from the bottom up in wall sockets, switch plates and sophisticated wall lights like KAIA’s SIM Frame lights.
Alternatively, the Grand Apartment in Kyiv, Ukraine shows how tubular brass pendants like HENGE’s Tubular Horizontal lamp can work together with similar brass floor lamps and a brass frame over the walls to hold the space together. Both Time & Style’s Transit sofa and Roll & Hill’s Gridlock ceiling light demonstrate how the tubular brass motif can be applied throughout an interior’s range of products.
