In this post, we’re tackling questions about mixed metals and woods, favorite paint, plus sharing some of our favorite places to shop local for accessories!

Q: How do you mix wood colors without clashing?

Our rule of thumb is to stay within the same color tone or hue. This is especially important when you have several wood finishes in the same room. Try to keep them all in a cool pallet or warm pallet if possible. Wood flooring typically has several colors throughout the grain. You can use this as your pallet and pull both light and dark colors of stains for your beams, cabinets or even furniture.  Notice how, in the picture below, the wood top on the console matches the warmer tone in the wood flooring.  The feet on the sofa pull out the gray tones and the built-in cabinets in the background match the darker portion of the grain.

2. What are your favorite paint colors?

There are so many great colors available and we have many faves!  Before going with a color, please take in to account the amount of natural light in the room, the exterior surroundings, the size of the room and any permanent fixtures such as granite and cabinets. We talk more about this in this post.  Here are some of our go-to colors:

3. Do you recommend mixing metals in a space and how would you do that?

Pick your top 2-3 choices in metals for your space. Use one as the primary selection and the other as an accent.
Mixing the tones of metal will always lead to a successful design. Brass and nickel are warm while chrome is cool. Some of our favorite combinations are:
Antique brass and black
Brushed brass and polished nickel
Chrome and black
Stainless steel, brass, and black (only go with three finishes if you’re working in a large space that can handle the changes or if you have a statement piece, like a vent hood, you want to stand out).

4. Where do you buy your fresh cut flowers?

We love picking up fresh flowers at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  This is where we go to get most of our quick florals for photo shoots and styling. If you want flowers that last a long time, a reputable florist will ensure the freshest flowers available.  We’ve had arrangements from Toni’s Flowers last up to three weeks!

5. Where do you shop locally for accessories?

Since we are so close to HomeGoods, we check their inventory regularly. We also shop accessories at Mathis Brothers and Shoppe Sasha on Brookside. When given a budget, we mix high and low end pieces so the project has some ‘wow’ moments. Shopping the various stores in Tulsa allows us to do just that.

Thanks to our Instagram community for asking such great questions!  We appreciate all the love and support you give us daily.  If you found this post helpful, please be sure to share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. using the share tabs below.

Have a question you’d like to see answered in a future blog post?
Email: info@kirkendalldesign.com with the subject: Ask KD