Brass Decor: Styling It in Warm and Cool European Interiors

Brass is the one metal that refuses to commit to a style, which is why it turns up in both a Danish farmhouse kitchen and a Paris apartment. The trick is to match the metal to the room's other finishes rather than to a rule book.

Warm rooms: go all in

If your home has walnut, terracotta, leather, ochre walls or aged brass fittings, brass decor should be repeated. Two or three brass objects at different heights look deliberate; one brass object next to walnut looks like a mistake.

This is the case for a brass deer or a brass bird on a sideboard - the material does the styling work.

Cool rooms: brass becomes the accent

In rooms with white plaster, pale ash, concrete, chrome or glass, brass is the warm note. One piece, placed where the eye lands, is enough. In a Scandinavian interior a single brass object on a pale shelf can look like a museum piece, which is exactly the effect.

Clear hand-blown glass sits especially well beside brass: the glass reflects the metal's colour and softens it.

Caring for brass

Unlacquered brass darkens and develops a patina - that is normal and most people like it. If you prefer the bright finish, a dry cloth after handling is usually enough, and a little wax or clear oil adds protection. Keep brass away from cooking steam if you want it to stay bright.

Our brass pieces are cast and finished by hand, so small variations in tone are part of the character. Each one is packed separately and dispatched within one to three business days, with shipping options shown at checkout for US and EU addresses.

The pieces we would pick

Solid Black Walnut Wood Pen Holder, Chinese Geometric Brass Inlay Desk Organizer, Square Wooden Pencil Cup for Office & Home Decor - $105. You can see the current listing, stock and delivery options here: https://www.glaraga.com/products/solid-black-walnut-wood-pen-holder-chinese-geometric-brass-inlay-desk-organizer-square-wooden-pencil-cup-for-office-home-decor?utm_source=content&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=eu_na_wave2

Solid Brass Ginkgo Leaf Metal Sculpture, Large Golden Ginkgo Tabletop Statue with Black Marble Base, Modern Luxury Home Decor Ornament - $200. See it here: https://www.glaraga.com/products/solid-brass-ginkgo-leaf-metal-sculpture-large-golden-ginkgo-tabletop-statue-with-black-marble-base-modern-luxury-home-decor-ornament?utm_source=content&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=eu_na_wave2

Enamel Colored Brass Deer Sculpture, Lost-Wax Cast Copper Deer Statue with Black Crystal Base, Elegant Tabletop Decor for Living Room Foyer Office - $260. And here: https://www.glaraga.com/products/enamel-colored-brass-deer-sculpture-lost-wax-cast-copper-deer-statue-with-black-crystal-base-elegant-tabletop-decor-for-living-room-foyer-office?utm_source=content&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=eu_na_wave2

One more thing

If you are unsure whether brass or painted glass suits your room, tell us what the rest of the room looks like and we will point you at the right piece.

Browse more handmade pieces in the studio: https://www.glaraga.com/collections/best-seller?utm_source=content&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=eu_na_wave2

And the short version of who makes these pieces: https://www.glaraga.com/pages/about-us?utm_source=content&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=eu_na_wave2

Disclosure: this article contains links to the Glaraga store. If you republish it, please keep a visible disclosure that the author may earn a referral from those links.