Page 36 - 2018 Your Home Your Way

36 THE BRANDON SUN • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • 2018

Using metallic on items such as chairs or on an exposed wire chandelier can change the look and feel of space. (The Associated Press)
METALLICS CAN WORK IN MANY SPACES

Decorating is all about adding a bit of cheer and sparkle, a task brassy, the silvers appear a bit whiter, and even shades of rose gold
made easier by the recent popularity of all things metallic. With and coppers are a bit less orange.
winter’s shortage of daylight, the sheen of metallic furnishings, fabric So even if you’re using several colours of metals, she says, “that
and decorative pieces can add a dose of the brightness and warmth palette becomes a bit softer.”
so many of us are seeking. Another way of getting metallic shine in a subtler way: Use mer-
“We love metallics because of the glamour they lend to our lives cury glass, which shows a range of soft colours in a metallic sheen
by catching and refracting light,” says New York-based interior de- when it catches the light.
signer Young Huh. Huh says mercury glass is her favourite metallic “especially in vin-
And “there is nothing more magical or festive than metallic tage or retro feeling ornaments. It’s not too garish and looks well
touches during the holidays.” day or night. Buy some boxwood topiaries and pair with mercury
The trick, she says, is not going overboard with too much glittery glass, and you’ll have a wonderful winter look that isn’t confined to
goodness. Christmas.”
“A little sparkle goes a long way,” Huh says. “If everything is high- Crestin agrees: Last year, she mixed in mercury glass candlehold-
octane shine, your home will look a little sad in daylight.” ers of different sizes with greenery along her mantel, and loved the
We asked Huh and two other interior design experts — Massa- look enough to do it again this year. They gave off a warm glow even
chusetts-based Kristina Crestin, and Sarah Fishburne, director of when the candles weren’t lit, she says.
trend and design for The Home Depot — for advice on using
metallics during the holidays in ways that will look great all winter. CASUAL COPPER
Last year, after Crestin found a pretty “Merry Christmas” sign
HARD MATERIALS, SOFT LOOK made of punched copper, she began adding more copper items to
Fishburne has been seeing a trend toward softer metal shades, her holiday decorating. She included planters covered with copper
which look sophisticated. “A little more white going into them is foil (similar to gold leaf), copper serving bowls for entertaining, and
the best way to describe it,” she says. The golds are paler and less LED lights on copper wire that she wove into holiday greenery.