How do you design a glam room? Add shiny chrome!
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
I’m a designer who prefers muted tones. Yet even I admit to being drawn to silvery, metallic things every once in a while.
Maybe it’s Shiny Object Syndrome, but there’s something irresistible about a glossy finish: its mirrored surface feels shamelessly fun and decadently glam.
And we all need a bit of glam in our lives — a refreshing reminder to bring levity and luxury into our spaces.
In interior design, there’s no better way to create glam style than through silvery chromed surfaces. Depending on how you style it, it can look Hollywood chic, or masculine with an sleek edge.
Chrome can be introduced through light fixtures, accessories, or even a statement furniture piece. It’s a luxurious texture that helps add personality to a white box apartment. And when paired against traditional furnishings, polished chrome makes for a striking style juxtaposition that instantly enlivens an interior.
Chrome was all the rage in the 1970s (read more of my thoughts here), and today it’s making a design comeback with its popular retro vibes. Late Mid Century lighting by Robert Sonneman, Brutalist furniture by Paul Evans, and even Deco Revival pieces from the 1980s — all with their metallic shiny surfaces — are the IT looks these days.
Follow along for inspiring ideas on how to introduce metallic chrome finishes for glam decorating style.
- Ksenya, founder of Time & Place Interiors
Here’s a classy, masculine interior with muted, neutral tones, punctuated by a striking contemporary chrome chandelier above a custom dining table. Design: Sean Anderson / Photo: Haris Kenjar
Chrome is front and center in this glamorous but fun Tribeca living room design, with a tubular steel contemporary chair. Design: Olivia Stutz / Photo: Sean Litchfield
In contrast, here’s an example of a quietly eclectic living room that gets a pop of modern through a Mid Century chrome floor lamp. Design: Carter Design / Photo: Laure Joliet
A modern chrome drum side table looks super sleek besides a leather lounge chair in this clean and simple home design. Design: Nikki Amodio / Photo: Joyelle West
In my own New York City living room, I repeated chrome surfaces between a German vintage reading lamp and the Mid Century pebble box accessories. Design/Photo: Time & Place Interiors
Glam + bold is the name of the game in this Parisian entryway design, with a bench by a French designer and a shapely 1970s floor lamp. Design: Rodolphe Parente / Photo: Philippe Garcia
Chrome accents can also be part of furniture bases, to add a crisp touch. Here’s a scene from a New York design studio where a Mid Century rosewood desk is paired with a chrome chair by the designer Joan Burgasser and a chrome table lamp by Robert Sonneman. Design / Photo: Lovehouse NY
The bath is a natural place to employ chrome finishes, especially when you want to lean into a glam, sleek look. Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
I particularly love when rustic woods are juxtaposed against glam chrome. This ribbon table lamp from the 1980s not only enlivens the beams this Parisian loft, but also echoes the chrome in the 1970s Italian vintage lamps hanging in the hallway. Design: Studio Baha / Photo: BCDF Studio
A chrome roundup, for your own glam style
I’ve assembled a curation of chrome and metallic surface home decor pieces, including a mix of vintage + modern designs that would add a touch of fun glam to your space. Click the images for links to shop my handpicked selections.
Let’s elevate your design with luxurious finishes
Time & Place Interiors offers turnkey interior design for discerning New Yorkers seeking a curated space. Founder Ksenya Malina uses her signature combination of vintage and modern designs to craft luxurious spaces with unique character. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call to discuss your design plans with Ksenya:
