A man has revealed how he used low-cost brass details to give his home a luxury look on a budget.
Reece Smith and Paul Black have become Instagram stars by documenting the renovation of their two-bed Edwardian end-terraced home in London.
Their latest tip is to add brass trims to breakfast bars, bedroom shelves and even windows to accentuate the features already present in your home, without spending a fortune.
“When transforming a space, it’s so important to think about all the little details," Reece said.
"Every view matters because we see space from different angles, so it's important to think about the materials we use and the placement of things.
“Our breakfast bar is a real focal point of the kitchen.
"The resin-based terrazzo worktop is a statement piece, but we like to contrast textures by incorporating metallics - in the kitchen we have lots of brass accents, like our tap and unique light fittings, so it was a no-brainer really to finish off the bar with some brass and tie it all together.
"Adding metal trims to any unfinished edges in your home can give you a really luxe hotel-like finish, but this polished brass flat bar only costs £69."
To get started, Reece and Paul picked up adhesive they already had, clamps and a 3.2mm polished brass flat bar from metals4U.
Next, they applied adhesive directly onto the surface and carefully placed the metal or bar on top of the adhesive, making sure that it lined up to any edges.
They then used a clamp to secure the metal bar into place and left it for 24 hours to set.
To protect the metal from marking, Reece and Paul advise placing some non-abrasive cloth between the clamp and the surface of the metal.
Once it has set, they polished the brass for a super shiny finish.
Next up, Reece and Paul decided to add a brass trim to their kitchen booth window area with three brass sheets worth £48.
Reece said: "I just wanted to add a bit more quirkiness and break up the black in this side of the room as well.
"I think the brass sheeting works really well and makes the space look bigger as it has a polished, almost mirror-like finish.”
To transform this particular window, they used three brass sheets, a Stanley knife and some more adhesive, but said this look can be adapted to fit into all different homes and spaces by ensuring the sheeting will fit in the desired space exactly.
Reece and Paul marked where the metal needed to sit with a pencil and left the protective film on until the project was complete.
The adhesive was applied evenly and liberally and then left to set for 24 hours, before removing the film and polishing it up.
Finally, Reece and Paul also created stunning brass shelves in their bedroom using one brushed brass sheets in a ‘satin polish’ finish, on sale for £16.
They then simply put adhesive on the back of the metal and the existing shelf, clamped it on and waited for it to dry.
Reece and Paul were gifted the metals through Instagram by metals4U but buying the items would cost a total of £133.
COST BREAKDOWN:
Breakfast bar - £69
Window - £48 (three metal sheets)
Shelves - £16 (one sheet)
Total for metals - £133
A man has revealed how he used low-cost brass sheets to give his home a luxury look on a budget.
Reece Smith and Paul Black have become Instagram stars by documenting the renovation of their two-bed Edwardian end-terraced home in London.
Their latest tip is to add brass trims to breakfast bars, bedroom shelves and even windows to accentuate the features already present in your home, without spending a fortune.
“When transforming a space, it’s so important to think about all the little details," Reece said.
"Every view matters because we see space from different angles, so it's important to think about the materials we use and the placement of things.
“Our breakfast bar is a real focal point of the kitchen.
"The resin-based terrazzo worktop is a statement piece, but we like to contrast textures by incorporating metallics - in the kitchen we have lots of brass accents, like our tap and unique light fittings, so it was a no-brainer really to finish off the bar with some brass and tie it all together.
"Adding metal trims to any unfinished edges in your home can give you a really luxe hotel-like finish, but this polished brass flat bar only costs £69."
To get started, Reece and Paul picked up adhesive they already had, clamps and a 3.2mm polished brass flat bar from metals4U.
Next, they applied adhesive directly onto the surface and carefully placed the metal or bar on top of the adhesive, making sure that it lined up to any edges.
They then used a clamp to secure the metal bar into place and left it for 24 hours to set.
To protect the metal from marking, Reece and Paul advise placing some non-abrasive cloth between the clamp and the surface of the metal.
Once it has set, they polished the brass for a super shiny finish.
Next up, Reece and Paul decided to add a brass trim to their kitchen booth window area with three brass sheets worth £48.
Reece said: "I just wanted to add a bit more quirkiness and break up the black in this side of the room as well.
"I think the brass sheeting works really well and makes the space look bigger as it has a polished, almost mirror-like finish.”
To transform this particular window, they used three brass sheets, a Stanley knife and some more adhesive, but said this look can be adapted to fit into all different homes and spaces by ensuring the sheeting will fit in the desired space exactly.
Reece and Paul marked where the metal needed to sit with a pencil and left the protective film on until the project was complete.
The adhesive was applied evenly and liberally and then left to set for 24 hours, before removing the film and polishing it up.
Finally, Reece and Paul also created stunning brass shelves in their bedroom using one brushed brass sheets in a ‘satin polish’ finish, on sale for £16.
They then simply put adhesive on the back of the metal and the existing shelf, clamped it on and waited for it to dry.
Reece and Paul were gifted the metals through Instagram by metals4U but buying the items would cost a total of £133.
Paul McFadyen, Managing Director at metals4U, explained the trend is growing.
He added: “These great interior hacks show just how much you can save if you know how to be shrewd with materials.
"We have seen an increase in metal sheets used for home interiors over the years as people have begun to share more of their renovation experiences across social media and DIY hacks on TikTok especially.
"Metal sheets are inexpensive and can really add style to the look of a home. Brass is great for the golden shades, whereas aluminium will give you a brilliant silver shine or if a darker metallic is more to your taste, then copper could be a great choice.
"As Reece and Paul have proven, these designs are relatively quick and easy to do. Just ensure you use correct metal polish for maintenance and upkeep, this will keep the material clean and vibrant over time.”
COST BREAKDOWN:
Breakfast bar - £69
Window - £48 (three metal sheets)
Shelves - £16 (one sheet)
Total for metals - £133
A man has revealed how he used low-cost brass sheets to give his home a luxury look on a budget.
Reece Smith and Paul Black have become Instagram stars by documenting the renovation of their two-bed Edwardian end-terraced home in London.
Their latest tip is to add brass trims to breakfast bars, bedroom shelves and even windows to accentuate the features already present in your home, without spending a fortune.
“When transforming a space, it’s so important to think about all the little details," Reece said.
"Every view matters because we see space from different angles, so it's important to think about the materials we use and the placement of things.
“Our breakfast bar is a real focal point of the kitchen.
"The resin-based terrazzo worktop is a statement piece, but we like to contrast textures by incorporating metallics - in the kitchen we have lots of brass accents, like our tap and unique light fittings, so it was a no-brainer really to finish off the bar with some brass and tie it all together.
"Adding metal trims to any unfinished edges in your home can give you a really luxe hotel-like finish, but this polished brass flat bar only costs £69."
To get started, Reece and Paul picked up adhesive they already had, clamps and a 3.2mm polished brass flat bar from metals4U.
Next, they applied adhesive directly onto the surface and carefully placed the metal or bar on top of the adhesive, making sure that it lined up to any edges.
They then used a clamp to secure the metal bar into place and left it for 24 hours to set.
To protect the metal from marking, Reece and Paul advise placing some non-abrasive cloth between the clamp and the surface of the metal.
Once it has set, they polished the brass for a super shiny finish.
Next up, Reece and Paul decided to add a brass trim to their kitchen booth window area with three brass sheets worth £48.
Reece said: "I just wanted to add a bit more quirkiness and break up the black in this side of the room as well.
"I think the brass sheeting works really well and makes the space look bigger as it has a polished, almost mirror-like finish.”
To transform this particular window, they used three brass sheets, a Stanley knife and some more adhesive, but said this look can be adapted to fit into all different homes and spaces by ensuring the sheeting will fit in the desired space exactly.
Reece and Paul marked where the metal needed to sit with a pencil and left the protective film on until the project was complete.
The adhesive was applied evenly and liberally and then left to set for 24 hours, before removing the film and polishing it up.
Finally, Reece and Paul also created stunning brass shelves in their bedroom using one brushed brass sheets in a ‘satin polish’ finish, on sale for £16.
They then simply put adhesive on the back of the metal and the existing shelf, clamped it on and waited for it to dry.
Reece and Paul were gifted the metals through Instagram by metals4U but buying the items would cost a total of £133.
Paul McFadyen, Managing Director at metals4U, explained the trend is growing.
He added: “These great interior hacks show just how much you can save if you know how to be shrewd with materials.
"We have seen an increase in metal sheets used for home interiors over the years as people have begun to share more of their renovation experiences across social media and DIY hacks on TikTok especially.
"Metal sheets are inexpensive and can really add style to the look of a home. Brass is great for the golden shades, whereas aluminium will give you a brilliant silver shine or if a darker metallic is more to your taste, then copper could be a great choice.
"As Reece and Paul have proven, these designs are relatively quick and easy to do. Just ensure you use correct metal polish for maintenance and upkeep, this will keep the material clean and vibrant over time.”
COST BREAKDOWN:
Breakfast bar - £69
Window - £48 (three metal sheets)
Shelves - £16 (one sheet)
Total for metals - £133
ENDS
