By Joy Kraft
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Gold, silver, copper, nickel, bronze and their decorative metal cousins always have had a place in the home. But wrought iron and brass were the design workhorses.

David and Marge Wheatley of Richwood had metal tile accents installed in their kitchen's backsplash. (Glenn Hartong photos) | ZOOM |

The other metals were found on the dining room table, glazing china and crystal, or in the living room, lending a soft shine to a mirror's edge, a fireplace fixture or subtly threaded into upholstery fabric.

These days, copper and bronze in particular are moving throughout the home, adding their sheen to glass, slate and ceramic tiles on kitchen backsplashes and counter edging, bathroom mirrors, shower walls, tabletops, even floors.

And they pair handsomely with the nickel, pewter and stainless plumbing fixtures topping customer request lists.

The selection of metal tiles from manufacturers including Questech, Planet Diva and Boyce & Bean is "beautiful, like jewelry. I want to wear it," says Jill King who handles marketing for Kemper Design Center in Sharonville.

They started showing up in kitchens and baths about five years ago, says Marymac Schooley, manager of the Kemper Design Center Cincinnati showroom, but have been a mainstay on customer wish lists the last three years.

"We started getting into the commercial look.," says Ron Auer, designer and president of Auer Kitchens in Finneytown. "People said they wanted stainless steel, but they didn't want it to look too commercial, so we'd pull away a little, introducing other natural materials. Or they'd want a little of the metal without the look being heavily commercial . . ."

Pewter bumble bee tile by Planet Diva

Homearama, the annual showcase for new-home construction, gets credit for spreading the word, says Jim Stephens of Van Gogh Capabilities in Milford, a stone and ceramic master.

"There were four or five homes with more modern designs that beautifully showcased the use of metal tile and finishes and helped promote metal and glass this year," he says.

Transitional copper

It was the unique coloring in the copper-top table from Arhaus Furniture that snagged Pam Staun of Madeira.

The open-floor plan in her enlarged and newly renovated home called for a table between the kitchen and great room. The Stauns chose an oblong hand-hammered copper-top table from Arhaus in Blue Ash. They liked it so much, they chose a coordinating copper-top table for the home's entryway.

"We have a lot of earth tones and a big stone fireplace. The copper flowed really well with the dark greens, leather and brick-colored upholstery," Ms. Staun says.

Polished metal tile by Questech

"Copper adds another dimension, another element to the design. We're seeing it a lot more," says Susan Fehring, the Arhaus interior design consultant who guided the Stauns.

"It's cold to the touch but actually adds a warm look to the room. And it's aesthetically pleasing to the eye, a handsome alternative to the traditional woods," she says.

The heat process that Arhaus uses on its signature line of copper-top tables adds another element - color. It's not the copper-penny finish you are used to. "You get a variety of colors - black, purple and red," Ms. Fehring says.

"On the tables, we use a type of lacquer that protects wood or copper against water damage," she says. You can wipe the tables clean with a damp cloth, an important plus to a mom with young children, like Mrs. Staun.

Labor to make a copper-top table is "intensive,'' says Ms. Fehring. It is constructed on a wood base, then heated and hand-hammered. Copper-top tables are more expensive than an all-wood table.

But it's easy to care for; Ms. Fehring says her coffee table stands up to her teenagers' wear and tear.

Backsplash accent

Margo and David Wheatley have taken a hands-on approach to decorating their home in Triple Crown Estates in Richwood, making their own design decisions, filtering suggestions from experts and artisans working on their home.

When Mr. Stephens of Van Gogh Capabilities suggested the addition of bronze tiles to the Wheatleys' kitchen, they picked out the tile and gave him the go-ahead to add 4-by-4 bronze accents to the tile backsplash.

"We have a lot of earth tones in the kitchen" says Mrs. Wheatley, mentioning granite counter tops, ceramic floor, stainless steel and contemporary cabinets.

"It really adds a lot of color and jazzes it up a little bit," Mrs. Wheatley says of the tile.

Mr. Stephens used only three pieces of tile above the stove and two pieces on each wall in the butler's pantry, an important distinction from tiling a large space in metal.

Like jewelry

Less-is-more is the decorative guideline.

Because it's more expensive than regular tile, "you want to use it like tile jewelry," says Ms. Schooley - "a trim on a countertop, a mirror edging, shower walls or floors, fireplace mantel, just a touch does the trick. It depends on the budget, the counter top and how elaborate people want to be."

Cast metal tilework by Planet Diva | ZOOM |

Choose metal accents the same way you select hardware for cabinets and drawers. Take a door along when choosing tile and consider the hardware and drawer pulls to coordinate.

Copper and bronze go best with light or natural finishes or light-stained maple, says Mr. Auer. Silver and pewter stand out more dramatically when paired with cherry or the darker-stained woods.

Light fixtures, utensil holders and other kitchen accessories can pick up flashes of the metal accent chosen.

Don't worry about mixing metals with ceramic, granite, stainless steel, stone and marble.

A variation "adds another element to the design," says Mr. Fehring.

Just remember, a little goes a long way.