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Metal Can Be Tamed For Your Needs At Home

It might not be news to you but metal is actually quite a new material that we see in the home. For centuries upon centuries, homes only used stone and wood. Everything you can think of, was made from those two materials alone. Suddenly glass was introduced, clay became the norm and cement was evermore frequently seen. However metal was only introduced into the normal family home really in the early 1900s. Even then it was still rare and it was usually quite poor in quality. Fast forward a mere 100 years, and you have seating that is made from brass, fridges made out of steel, sinks made out of copper, taps made from polished iron and even silver and gold have their place in fine ornaments and traditional decor. Maybe you have never thought about it, but metal is perhaps the most practical and versatile material in your home. You can make pretty much anything out of it and this bodes well for a stylish and highly functional home.


A chimney on the patio

Metal is perhaps the best material to use for your outdoor needs. For one it can handle rain and heat better than wood. It's lighter than wood and stronger so it will also last longer. However it has to be used in the right places. For example, brass patio chairs and seating are great for summer but they don’t allow for much comfort. Metal gets cold very quickly and it takes a long time for it to get warm. Therefore winter and summer will play havoc with a metal seating arrangement. Where you should use metal is for things like a fire pit. A fire pit in the center of your patio, surrounded by seating is one of the best additions to any home. You get a place where even in winter you can happily sit outside.

However for the best kind of heat, you will want a cast iron chimenea fireplace. It's a slender but strong and heavy fireplace which is also portable if you have two strong people that can move it. The chimenea is incredibly popular in places like Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. That's because the compact design allows for a very strong yet controlled heat to build up. The flames inside the fireplace are funnelled upward into the long slender chimney-like structure. The smoke is vented upward and away as well. You can leave the small door open and get a brilliant amount of heat from just a short amount of firewood.

Beautiful, strong and killing power

The kitchen is where you will find the most amount of metal anywhere in the home. For one it's where you prepare your meals with knives and spoons. The kitchen also has metal in the appliances like blenders, microwaves and rice cookers. The oven, washing machines and fridge are also mostly metal. But we don’t even think why we haven’t improved our sink yet. The average home has either a cheap iron sink or a slightly more affluent stainless steel. Both can look mundane after a while, which is why copper sinks are fantastic. But why copper?

Read the Annie and Oak kitchen sink material guide and you’ll see that copper is known to kill bacteria. The copper sinks don’t rust and they can’t stain either. They are lightweight for their strength and size but they also look aesthetically pleasing. Copper is making a huge comeback in kitchens around the country because if treated correctly it can easily last up to 100 years. The apron front sink especially has a long life as is suitable for busy families that have a lot of dishes and cleaning up to do. You can get a classic matte finish or bring the metal to life with a good old polished finish. 

Handcrafted wall art 

Metal is so malleable, it takes skill but an artist can bend the material to his or her will. However, metal that is crafted is somewhat tasteless if it doesn’t fit in well with your decor. If your room has an international theme to it, then a world map made entirely out of metal is something you will want. As well art it should be placed in the middle of a wall which faces towards the occupants in the room. It also has the cardinal direction that is subtly infused into the art. A metal tree of life is also something you will want if you have a room that is based on nature. A room full of plants, flowers and pets like stick insects and beetles, would do nicely with an amazingly complex and finely detailed metal triple picture frame tree. The iron is painted in a matte black so it slides perfectly into a contemporary interior design.

Quintessentially industrial

The industrial interior design style has taken over from the minimalist style. In fact, one could say the two have merged together as they pretty much were going for the same ethos. The industrial style has one thing that you see everywhere, it's perhaps the heart of the movement. Factory-stye drop down ceiling lights with large semi-domed covers made from iron and copper are the quintessential addition to your home. The outside is painted in a silver matte finish while the inside is left bare copper. For an upscale touch you would have the inside polished for an even brighter shine from the reflecting light. 

A geometric drop down ceiling light is also something that fits in well with the modern home. This is taken from the art-deco movement when metal was given a lot of attention for the first time. 

Metal is such a beautiful material. Although it's hard and doesn’t want to bend to human will so easily, artists have tamed and conquered it. A great art piece for your wall, made completely out of iron or copper is something you should add to your home if you want something ultra contemporary. However the kitchen sink made out of copper is more than likely the showpiece of the entire decor of your home. 


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