Decorating
10 Ways to Find the Silver Lining at Home
Talk about silver service! Make your home shine this season with a host of shimmery ideas and sparkling highlights
With all this talk of gold, bronze and copper taking up residence in our homes – such a big trend on Houzz right now – let’s not forget silver. Because cooler metallics, such as silver, chrome and pewter, can instantly refresh and beautify any room in the house with light-filled shine and shimmer. Whether you dress a bedroom with silver velvet cushions or glamorise a wall with a flash of metallic paint, remember this: Silver is for life, not just for the holidays.
2. Wow with a silver ceiling
This laid-back, eclectic kitchen rockets straight into the designer-label league, thanks to the ornate tin tiles and a covering that adds a swath of silver to the ceiling. And when the sun pours in during the summer, be prepared for a fantastical light show. If you can’t get your hands on tin tiles like these, you could always try a DIY silver painted ceiling for a similar summer glow.
See more ceilings that will make you look up
This laid-back, eclectic kitchen rockets straight into the designer-label league, thanks to the ornate tin tiles and a covering that adds a swath of silver to the ceiling. And when the sun pours in during the summer, be prepared for a fantastical light show. If you can’t get your hands on tin tiles like these, you could always try a DIY silver painted ceiling for a similar summer glow.
See more ceilings that will make you look up
3. Work it with white
Silver and white have long been a fresh and uplifting colour combo and will inject a summery feel into any space – including the kitchen. Here, plain white cupboards have been transformed by the shiny steel backsplash and plinth, while the discreet metal and glass furniture and barely-there white voile curtains add to the light and airy ambience (this colour duo is particularly great for small spaces).
Silver and white have long been a fresh and uplifting colour combo and will inject a summery feel into any space – including the kitchen. Here, plain white cupboards have been transformed by the shiny steel backsplash and plinth, while the discreet metal and glass furniture and barely-there white voile curtains add to the light and airy ambience (this colour duo is particularly great for small spaces).
4. Pair with a hot hue
Silver is the more glamorous big sister to grey and can shake up a space with a delightful gleam. This striking silver painted wall is the perfect highlight to the grey and pink palette, and sparks to life when the sun bounces off it. Add a pair of Moroccan-style perforated metal drum tables – or other silver accessories that conjure up hot climes – and a scattering of sumptuous silvery velvet cushions, as was done here, for a thoroughly eclectic and light-filled look that will see you through the summer months and beyond.
Silver is the more glamorous big sister to grey and can shake up a space with a delightful gleam. This striking silver painted wall is the perfect highlight to the grey and pink palette, and sparks to life when the sun bounces off it. Add a pair of Moroccan-style perforated metal drum tables – or other silver accessories that conjure up hot climes – and a scattering of sumptuous silvery velvet cushions, as was done here, for a thoroughly eclectic and light-filled look that will see you through the summer months and beyond.
5. Add a touch of luxury
Of course, silver, by its very nature, exudes an air of luxury and opulence, but in a lighter, more summery guise than warmer gold or bronze. The owners of this traditional French-style bathroom could easily have chosen to team the grand proportions and magnificent windows with carved timber furniture, but instead opted for a silver-leafed custom vanity that flashes and fizzes in the sunlight.
Of course, silver, by its very nature, exudes an air of luxury and opulence, but in a lighter, more summery guise than warmer gold or bronze. The owners of this traditional French-style bathroom could easily have chosen to team the grand proportions and magnificent windows with carved timber furniture, but instead opted for a silver-leafed custom vanity that flashes and fizzes in the sunlight.
6. Layer the silvers
You can’t go wrong with a silver boudoir for summer. Silver will never be too girlie (while pinks and purples might be a little too saccharine for some to swallow), and it can be anchored with a smart charcoal backdrop for a more masculine or hotel-style take. A sumptuous silver bedhead in soft velvet will harness the look, then you can layer up the bed with silvery grey linens, a plush quilt and piles of sequinned silk and satin cushions – all in a shimmering palette of silver, pewter and platinum, of course.
More: Get in the Mood With Fifty Shades of Grey
You can’t go wrong with a silver boudoir for summer. Silver will never be too girlie (while pinks and purples might be a little too saccharine for some to swallow), and it can be anchored with a smart charcoal backdrop for a more masculine or hotel-style take. A sumptuous silver bedhead in soft velvet will harness the look, then you can layer up the bed with silvery grey linens, a plush quilt and piles of sequinned silk and satin cushions – all in a shimmering palette of silver, pewter and platinum, of course.
More: Get in the Mood With Fifty Shades of Grey
7. Let it shine
Fans of ultramodern styles shouldn’t dismiss silver as a decorating tool that’s solely for the traditional home, because this cool metallic can add real dynamism to contemporary spaces, too. The slick, graphic silhouette of this living room was transformed into something very special, thanks to the silvered wallpaper and gleaming upholstery.
Fans of ultramodern styles shouldn’t dismiss silver as a decorating tool that’s solely for the traditional home, because this cool metallic can add real dynamism to contemporary spaces, too. The slick, graphic silhouette of this living room was transformed into something very special, thanks to the silvered wallpaper and gleaming upholstery.
8. Make it muted
If high-shine silver is just a little too flashy for your tastes, consider a more muted brushed finish. This pale sage kitchen really comes to life with matt silver bar stools, fisherman’s lanterns and brushed-steel appliances, creating a fresh, happy ambience to which guests will gravitate for a relaxed summer brunch.
If high-shine silver is just a little too flashy for your tastes, consider a more muted brushed finish. This pale sage kitchen really comes to life with matt silver bar stools, fisherman’s lanterns and brushed-steel appliances, creating a fresh, happy ambience to which guests will gravitate for a relaxed summer brunch.
9. Ramp up your rustic
Rugged raw timber, the dominant feature in this elegantly converted stable building, and high-shine chrome are not an obvious mix. But the unexpected contrast is a sleek touch that highlights the new-versus-old design of this clever conversion. You could try giving a rustic kitchen a polished twist in a similar way with chrome kitchen appliances set against stripped antique timber panelling.
Rugged raw timber, the dominant feature in this elegantly converted stable building, and high-shine chrome are not an obvious mix. But the unexpected contrast is a sleek touch that highlights the new-versus-old design of this clever conversion. You could try giving a rustic kitchen a polished twist in a similar way with chrome kitchen appliances set against stripped antique timber panelling.
10. Prettify the powder room
Many a modern-day princess would lust after this fairy tale powder room, made magical thanks to the generous use of silver and mirror. The star piece is the bright silver benchtop bowl, echoed by the silver-leafed mirror, elegant sconces and classic silver accessories. Because a girl can never get enough of the shiny stuff, right?
TELL US
Do you love the sparkle and shimmer silver can bring to a home? Please share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
MORE
Heavy Metals: 12 Rooms With Dazzling Metallic Decor
Bathroom Inspiration: Add Shimmer and Sparkle With Metallics
Pressed Metal: Emboss Your Kitchen With a Style All Its Own
Many a modern-day princess would lust after this fairy tale powder room, made magical thanks to the generous use of silver and mirror. The star piece is the bright silver benchtop bowl, echoed by the silver-leafed mirror, elegant sconces and classic silver accessories. Because a girl can never get enough of the shiny stuff, right?
TELL US
Do you love the sparkle and shimmer silver can bring to a home? Please share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
MORE
Heavy Metals: 12 Rooms With Dazzling Metallic Decor
Bathroom Inspiration: Add Shimmer and Sparkle With Metallics
Pressed Metal: Emboss Your Kitchen With a Style All Its Own
If you’ve fallen out of love with your restrained, neutral decor, then let a little sprinkling of silver work its magic. Long, billowing curtains in silvery crushed velvet or cool pewter silk will lift a traditional design scheme, while mirrored glass furniture and a glamorous wall mirror will help catch the light and fill the room with summery charm.