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Metal design Tips: Luxe look for less

Going organic is the natural way architects and designers improve the look and feel of a project design. Metal, stone and wood are all favoured aesthetic boosters. But if you’ve not got the big budget, take a look at some of our top metal design tips to help you achieve a luxe organic look for less for interiors and facades:

Money-saving metal design tips: Interiors

Industrial chic isn’t a ‘new’ interior trend – ornate metal has been a decorative favourite throughout the eras. But modern metal interiors have a new twist on the tradition, with brass, copper, gold and silver tones and customised metal forging fashionably ahead. Here’s how you can save on costs when incorporating metal into your space:

• The beauty of metal is that you can spare the expense by opting for a basic base metal with a luxury finish. Gold and silver coatings dipped over steel or aluminium perforated metal or  woven wire mesh give a rich impression and are much more durable and easy to manage too. Gold-coated ceiling panels Arrow Metal created for Basement Brewhouse
• If you can’t customise, glamorise! If perforated metal is for decorative use only, standard, regular perforation patterns can be glammed up by playing with the open space, perforation sizing and direction. It’s amazing how a few simple changes can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary.
• Make a statement with metal by going up. Metal balustrade is a great cost-effective way to showcase metal, with perforated metal and wire mesh each creating their own unique and fresh looks for stairs and balconies that maximise the sense of space.Image sourced from La Maison d’Anna G
• You don’t have to go too heavy metal to promote your passion for organic materials. Carefully-chosen metal accessories and additions such as a touch of metal mesh in cupboard doors, perforated metal lightshades or even perforated metal pictures can make all the difference when paired with other naturals like glass and wood.Images sourced from Phelan Design Office

Exterior metal design tips: Facades and cladding

A uniquely-designed perforated metal façade is often top of the architectural wish list. An envelope that can be customised to encapsulate the building vision, a perforated metal façade doesn’t have to be bespoke to be beautiful if you’ve not got the budget:

• Standard perforated profiles are now anything but square – or round. Did you know that our new standard tooling options at Arrow Metal include intricate geometric shapes? These unusual perforations can create the ultimate development wrap-around without blowing the budget on a fully-customised CAD design. 
• How about a customised cut? Perforated metal for facades can be precision cut to any shape and size. Or make waves with a series of folds for a style that goes beyond basic metal.
• It’s not just the cut but the finish that counts. Coloured metal is high on the trend spectrum – the winner of the Best Tall Buildings 2018, the Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore, boasts a bright red metal façade. Choose a standard profile and add visual interest instead with a coloured coating of your choice.

Metal design inspiration and expert advice

We can help you maximise your metal budget. Talk to the expert Arrow Metal team on (02) 9748 2200 or tell us about your project requirements through our online enquiry form. For more inspiration and to discover our metal capabilities, take a look at some of our finished Projects.