Do You Mix Metals?

Via HGTV

We are going to begin tearing out the bathroom this week!!  Cue the sweaty, panicked terror.  I need you to think exceptionally warm thoughts, because our plan is to shower in the guesthouse (which boasts our only other bathing facilities).  We can only use the shower out there if the ground has thawed enough for us to turn the water back on (the lines aren't insulated).  Truthfully, I'm not 100% sure that the bathroom out there even works, but I'm hopeful.  Because we're going to be doing much more of the work than we intended, we need to get going - yesterday.  No time to wait for warmer weather.  Worst case scenario, we end up taking cowboy baths in the laundry room tub - which would have been a luxury for our ancestors.  A luxury!

Although I've locked down the cabinetry, tile, and counters (eek), I had a few more decisions to make last week.  I don't know why, but this renovation has seemed to involve many more decisions than the last bath reno we tackled.  I think last time "not crappy" was good enough for me, but now I'm more particular - plus I feel pressure to get it perfect, because we can't afford mistakes or do-overs.  One of the more difficult decisions was one of the smallest: the finish on the faucets and lighting.  Geesh, I agonized over that.  Gold (brushed or brassy) is definitely having a moment, and while I can appreciate how beautiful it is, it just isn't for me.  Although I wear gold jewellery and my favorite handbags have gold hardware, I just cannot commit to it in my home - and I've tried! 

Elements of Style

For silver-loving folks, chrome seems like the most modern, and perhaps even classic choice, but I really dislike how spotty chrome gets - even with the magic cleaner I found.  And - this will sound completely nutty to you metal mixing aficionados - but I've realized that I don't like pairing chrome with brushed metals.  Although I mixed metals a bit in the townhouse (chrome, black, oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel), in the lakehouse I'm been striving for a totally unified look with all brushed silver.  Even though I can look at spaces like the ones below (two of my favorite rooms, actually) and appreciate how gorgeously and expertly the metals have been mixed, I just cannot commit to this look in my home either.

Smitten Studio

DecorPad

I just really like brushed silver, and I just really like when metals match.  It's one of those things my weird little brain zeroes in and fixates on.  I think it's because the lakehouse is somewhat small (1300 square feet - smaller than the townhouse, actually), so I like the eye to skip over hardware and not be drawn to different styles or finishes - it's why I like all white walls and trim too.  Because so much of the metal in the lakehouse - from the door hardware to the trim on our furniture and the stainless steel sink and faucet in the kitchen - are brushed silver (which is no accident), I'm staying the course.

Brushed nickel for the bathroom it is!  It's not a very common choice - which is why I was waffling so much.  It had a heyday in the 90s, but the fixtures I've chosen are so simple, I think it will have a modern feel.  I might end up with some subtle metal mixing anyway.  We've settled on the Kohler Purist faucet with a single lever in vibrant brush nickel, but the brushed nickel seems very warm.  In the photo below, the left is brushed nickel, the middle polished chrome, and the right is brushed bronze.



Although I'm a bit nervous, I'm also pretty excited!  I think this matchy-matchiness is going to make my brain and I very happy.  After spending so long creating a neutral, people-pleasing space, I'm really relishing the opportunity to just focus on what I (and Hubs, when he chimes in) want.  Anyone else like coordinating metals and finishes?  Or are you all metal-mixers?  If you are a metal-matcher like me, enjoy a little eye candy: 

Desire to Inspire

Style at Home

Style at Home

Urban Outfitters via Pinterest

EST Magazine

Style at Home

Desire to Inspire

The last photo is from a gorgeous, must-see house tour and the homeowner seems to love gold with the same passion I feel for brushed silver.

How to Paint a Brass Bar Cart Glossy White

This bar cart makeover has been a long time coming.  Because I found a great dining room cabinet right after buying this for the dining room, I decided to use the cart in the hall in lieu of the chevron useless table:

Because the hall has beige and dusty teal tiles, I thought the bright colour I originally planned would look weird.  My Mom concurred and suggested a glossy white, which we also thought wouldn't look too offensive with the grey smoked glass. 

Although the brass was a hit with some folks, the finish was worn in a lot of spots, and the finials had to go:

Luckily, the finials unscrewed easily, but then there was a weird, welded on frame to hold them in place inside the frame of the cart.  We replaced the finials with slices of wood dowel, which we glued in.  But then, paint was necessary to hide our hack:

Here's one last look at the cart in its gold glory (which actually could have been pretty):

Here it is, all shiny and new.  I used Rust-Oleum Universal Primer and Paint in one, in gloss white.

Alright . . . let me level with you folks: it's lovely and it complements the white embroidery on grey silk down the hall.  It doesn't scream for attention, which is good, because this is a busy part of the house with views to the kitchen, half bath, living room and more.  But if I were keeping this, I think I might fiddle more.  Something about it looks . . . not right.  I am thinking charcoal grey would be pretty!  Or maybe that greyish mint I used on the table?  I won't be fiddling, though, because (conveniently), the colour Mom helped me pick out will look perfect in her sewing room and there's no place for this in the lakehouse.  So convenient.

Look how nicely the little wooden dowel caps are hidden with paint on Mom's new cart:

For now I'm using it, and I love the practicality of the two shelves compared to our previous useless table because I've got little nicknacks on the bottom (a piggy bank for loose pocket change, a small Hungarian dish to store the iPod I grab when I go for a walk, a teak tray from Denmark that I snagged at VV), but the top is cleared for landing!  I plonk my purse there the minute I get home . . .

. . . and it's a super spot for the townhouse features sheet so people can grab one right away during showings or open houses.

Whether or not I like it, or get to keep it, it feels good that it is finally done!

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