When designing a room, metal finishes can be a really exciting part of the materials mix, which is why we've teamed up with Corston Architectural Detail to bring you the ultimate paint and metal finish combinations for your renovation projects. Bringing you the best of both worlds. Corston Architectural Detail offer a variety of switches, sockets, door handles, furniture handles, hardware and lighting in coordinating finishes, are made to last.

But where to start? Well, we’d recommend thinking about what you want from your hardware. Would you like your finishes to stand out and make a strong statement, or would you prefer them to sit subtly in the background? This will make the paint colour decisions a lot easier. Don’t worry, we’ve carefully selected a few of our favourite combinations to suit different looks and interior styles to help you out. 

Antique Brass 

This finish brings warmth and class to a scheme and works with most colours except for greys. With a vintage and nostalgic feel, it's best to pair with colours that have a similar tone and mood. Warm neutrals like Sunday Soul and Good Intentions and off-whites like Mindful and Modest will help create a warm and inviting look that complements the brass finish. Because the Antique Brass is slightly darker than untreated brass, with more tonal variation, this makes it perfect for making homes feel a little more relaxed and lived-in. 

Grab a Warm Neutral Sample Pack and play around with different brass and paint combinations. 

Soft shades of pink or lavender like Granny Chic or Shampoo & Set will help create a romantic and feminine feel with Antique Brass on your hardware and switches, we’re loving this combo in bathrooms and kitchens at the moment. Try using Good Intentions on your walls paired with Granny Chic on your woodwork and Shampoo & Set as an accent colour to tie the look together. 

Love the look? Grab our Pink Sample Pack to find your fave shade to go with your Antique Brass Corston products. 

Deeper shades like Gumption and Nomad paired with Corston’s Antique Brass finish will create a more sophisticated and moody effect. We’re huge fans of a tonal colour scheme, so why not go for a dark shade like Gumption on your walls and ceiling to make your space extra cosy and then pair with Mindful and Cold Brew to create a cohesive, grounding colour scheme. The Antique Brass will be the star of the show. 

Wanting to go dark and moody to really make the metal pop? Grab a Gumption sample to test it out for yourself. 

Polished Nickel 

This finish works with everything for a cool, edgy look that looks modern and contemporary, it's a very versatile finish. It’s a sophisticated choice with warmer undertones than chrome, you can’t go wrong with this finish and it will never date. 

Lighter shades like Just, Barely and Low Salt will help create a classic and timeless look and pale blues like Hamilton and Lie-in will help create a subtle and calming effect. 

Polished Nickel and Soft Blues paint colours are a classic combination, grab a sample pack to pick your shade. 

While bolder colours, such as The Drink provides a more dramatic contrast. We particularly love dark kitchen cabinets or doors, try combining The Drink with Margot walls and a Just, Barely ceiling for the perfect colour balance when paired with Corston Polished Nickel handles and hardware. 

A deep blue will make the polished nickel really pop, order a sample to see for yourself. 

Bronze 

This finish has a warm feel to it, so it's best to pair with colours that are earthy and natural. Bronze is a dramatically dark finish with richness and depth so it’s important to choose a colour palette with warm undertones.

Pairing Bronze with neutrals like Cargo and Debate Club will add some complementary depth to your space. We’re huge fans of a darker ceiling so why not try Debate Club on your ceilings and Cargo or Pampas on your woodwork. 

Are you a fan of timeless neutrals? Check out our Neutral Sample Pack to find the perfect shade. 

Warm greens like Hello Vera and Pan, work well with this finish and create a calming and organic feel. Try pairing a neutral with a green undertone like Kind Regards with Pan and Nomad for the ultimate biophilic space. Or pick a rich, dark shade of brown like Hardback to create a cosy and inviting look when paired with this dramatic finish. 

Warm greens and Bronze handles are the perfect combinations for your kitchen cabinets. 

Clear Switches and Sockets

So we’ve covered our favourite paint and metal combinations, covering hardware, lighting and switches but we’ve got one more for you….Corston Architectural Detail introduced their incredible Clear Switches and Sockets, for those who prefer a colourful switch rather than a metal feature. 

These products come with a clever paper template, making it easy to cut around COAT samples. Whether you want to blend into your walls or make your colour pop with a contrasting shade, mixing and matching has never been easier. Plus, it's cheaper than buying tester pots - with no mess or drying time, it's a win, win! 

Order your samples to try it out for yourself, simply draw and cut around the template. There you have it, your colourful COAT x Corston Switch or Socket. 

Finding the perfect combinations really depends on the statement you want to make in your room. We’d recommend ordering a few paint samples along with Corston Samples to create a few mood boards so you can really visualise the whole scheme.

If in doubt you can also book a colour consultation to answer any of your burning questions. Design professionals are also invited to join Corston Architectural Detail's trade programme, you can learn more here.