How To Style Vintage Brass
I’ve thrifted a bunch of vintage brass items lately. I grabbed two little brass gourds with curlicue stems at an antiques booth at the strawberry festival I attended with my daughter a few weeks ago. I put them on my mantel with two brass candlesticks that were my grandparents.’
Recently, I found a few more items at Savers that fit perfectly with my updated dining room vision, and I’m loving how the pieces look together AND I have a plan for my fireplace and dining room makeover which I’ll share more about later.
For now, let’s talk about pairing brass with woven textures.
Top left: my mantel collection which is a mix of baskets I brought back from Bali and a couple thrifted ones paired with inherited and thrifted brass pieces, bottom left: brass candlesticks from Sazerac Stitches, bottom right: basket wall art from Pottery Barn, top right: brass-look candlesticks from Z Gallerie to hit the high/low.
A woven basket gallery wall feels timeless to me. I have always loved baskets. I grew up in a rural area in far Northeastern California that was rich with Native American culture and I remember loving Native American baskets as a child. It felt so magical to me that gorgeous designs were handwoven into something that was useful in the everyday. That combination of highly skilled craft, art, and practical use is still something I love searching for when collecting items for my home. A highlight from my trips to Bali was both visiting basket weaving workshops and bringing back beautifully handmade baskets.
I love that cultures worldwide have found endless uses and innovations for artful basket making. One of the best gifts ever given me was a big handwoven herb-drying basket and loads of fresh parsley from a friend’s farm. Baskets feel intentional and meditative, full of history, warmth, and the hope of abundance and usefulness.
I also love brass (or items with a brass look, as I’m certain some of my thrifted items are) paired with woven textures. I love pairing items with complementary tones and contrasting finishes. It’s more than okay to mix elegant, higher-end pieces with found or thrifted items, and since a storied, collected look is my favorite look, I actually recommend mixing old and modern, high and low cost, found and purchased items.
Okay, short note about design plans for the mantel (I can’t wait to get into this project!): 1) I’m going to strip the paint off that beautiful wood mantel that’s likely original and very old, 2) I’m going to stain it a color that coordinates with the original floors - kind of a light honey tone, 3) Since someone painted the fireplace bricks white, I’m going to warm them up by painting them a deep taupe, and 4) I’m considering painting the walls and ceiling a soft green to help pick up the color of the green marble slab at the base of the fireplace and contrast with the wall art in the room.
I know the boho vibe is making a comeback, and honestly, it’s a vibe that I’ll probably never completely part with, regardless of whether it’s trending. I guess, as a California girl, I come by it naturally. My grandparents used to have a giant vase full of pampas grass at their lake house and I always loved that they cut the oversized wands of grass themselves from the side of the road. Guess I come by my little roadside treasure hunting hobby honestly, too.
As a child born in the early 80’s brass was very prominent in home decor during my childhood and into my teens. I felt very lucky to scoop up pieces from that era recently to add some shine to my mantel. I wear variations of gold hoops almost daily, and little touches of brass feel like the gold hoops of my fireplace. They add just a little glimmer.
Is mixing brass and woven textures the tonal dressing of home decor?
To style vintage brass at home:
Pair Brass with Natural & Organic Materials
Terracotta and clay - Unglazed pottery, terracotta pots, and sculptural clay objects feel earthy yet polished when paired with brass
Marble and stone - Marble and travertine are beautiful with brass
Wood tones - I love a midcentury wood & brass combo, and these days, I’m also loving super light wood tones paired with brass for an airy look that doesn’t lean farmhouse. Check out this washroom.
Linen and natural fabrics - Brass loves to be paired with texture, natural items, and neutral to warm tones. I know because I asked brass if they liked it. They said yes.
Color Pairings
Deep greens - Mossy, olive, and dusty emeralds are my personal favorites
Terracotta/rust tones - I love spaces that lean into desert vibes
Navy and deep blues - These colors feel rich and refined and your brass accents can make the space feel more ornate or neatly tailored depending on their style
Warm neutrals - I do love a warm neutral with brass but I feel like the neutral on neutral on neutral days are a tiny bit tired and this may be trending out at the moment in exchange for more color - something to think on.
Textures & Finishes
Matte black accents - I love a bit of black in a space, it both grounds and elevates the room, and looks great with brass
Velvet - While I do regret that nobody turned me into a vampire when I was 35, I feel like brass and velvet are a tricky little combo if you don’t want your space to feel like the waiting room of your local palm reader or vampire next door. This combo can also read very hotel lobby bar to me, but I do love this lamp.
Boucle fabric - Lean in, boucle is lovely.
Concrete & Stone - She’s cold, brass is hot…classic.
