where green living, parenthood, and interiors intersect

Monday, October 3, 2011

Monday Color: Copper







I took the easy route today and chose the next logical color after my two recent 'silver' and 'gold' Monday Color posts. But just because I'm not being very creative in my selection, doesn't mean the content can't be. Although copper is a dominant historic building material and can be seen every day in the American penny, it is a unique and enchanting hue when used indoors. In modern decor and furniture, it feels completely fresh and unexpected, having been overlooked due to the popularity of stainless steel and bronze in most every home category for decades. In traditional pieces, whether oxidized or polished to retain its luster, it harkens us back to the past when quality and materials were paramount. The copper pots above and the copper tub below are perfect examples. Of all the metallics, it feels the most warm and sensual. I scoured the internet for beautiful uses of copper (both the 'color' and the metal) and here is what I found:









































Images above:

1. A breakfast room designed by interior designer Peg Berens featuring a custom copper table and copper front armoire.

2. A rustic copper tub in a bathroom designed by Vincente Wolf.

3. A 'test house' in Southern Chile built to test behaviors of specific copper panel products.

4. A detail of the ceiling and lighting at Hong Kong's Sevva, all aglow in warm copper-like hues.

5. Screened-in porch featuring custom laser cut panels by Parasoleil.

6. Traditional copper gutters and flashing on a restored 1893 Victorian home.

7. There may not be any actual copper in this room from Martha Stewart, but each tawny orange-brown hues has the same warmth and depth.

8. The penny-tiled floor at the Standard Grille in New York City.

9. The oxidized copper top of The Sun Tower in Vancouver, CA.

10. A hand-hammered copper bed by Woodland Creek Furniture.

11. Copper Cabinet by David Derksen.

12. Innovations Metalessence Cork Wallcovering comes in Dark Copper and 7 other metallic hues.

13. The Cobre Copper Sink from Ecohaus is made from mostly industrial salvage recycled copper.

14. Linen Sheer Drapery Fabric in Copper by Opuzen.

15. Arts & Crafts House Numbers by Mission Metalworks available from Shop 4 Classics also contain a minimum of 95% recycled copper.

16. Copper Finish Iron Morroccan Candle Holder from Amazon.

17. Kitchen Aid's Metallic Satin Copper Mixer available from Everything Kitchens.

18. I am crazy about the hand-hammered circular pattern on the doors of the Cirque 3-Door Sideboard from Crate & Barrel.

19. Baroque pattern pillow from www.pillowdecor.com.

20. Copper Antler Mount from Crows Nest Trading.