10 Cool Ways to Use Stainless Steel in Home Design—From Front Doors to Fireplaces

Once relegated to commercial kitchens and architectural features, stainless steel is becoming an attractive design element for residential interiors, and designers have found applications for the material in almost every room type.

An alloy of iron, stainless steel is typically used for its strength and durability, but polishing, brushing, and powder coating the metal can also create a unique look suitable to a variety of aesthetics and applications. Its subtle reflectivity and muted sheen allows it to both complement other materials and create a contrasting focal point in a space. Stainless steel kitchens in homes have recently become popular, for example. 

Here, designers share 10 innovative ways they have incorporated stainless steel into their eye-catching projects. 

Make an entrance

The entryway to a home helps set the stage for the feel visitors will experience while in the space. This striking, unique entrance beckons guests with a sleek, stainless steel arch that leads to grand double doors. Envisioned by Inglis Architects in Melbourne, Australia, this bold choice was used as an entrance to a single-level apartment for which they did not want the occupants to feel like they were downsizing. “Whilst stainless steel was able to meet our desired formal requirements it also provided accents to the architecture,” director Chris Inglis says. “It has a unique reflective personality that can at times appear dull and lifeless but comes to life with warmth through its interactions with light.”

Go for a bold bed

Designer and AD PRO Directory member Christos Prevezanos of Studio Preveza created a unique blend of classic design with modern elements in a bedroom of this Wallace Neff house in Los Angeles’s Hancock Park neighborhood. “I love how the stainless steel was a nice contrast to the fanciness of the molding in the bedroom and the iron work on the staircase just outside the door,” he says. 

Create contrast

When his clients wanted a space that invited entertaining in their Edmond, Oklahoma, home, Bryan Durbin of Durbin Design turned to stainless steel for its durability and aesthetics. A brushed stainless steel backsplash pairs with a vent hood that extends vertically to effortlessly draw the eye up to the picture windows above. A stainless steel counter completes the look and works to provide another visual break from the Sapele wood-forward space. 

Soak it all in

When you’re fortunate enough to live on a 13,000-square-foot property in Los Angeles, you deserve a little something extra special to help you soak it all in. This bathroom, designed by Megan Dufresne of MC Design, has just the spot to help the owner do that. Its two-person custom soaking tub from Diamond Spas sits 40 inches high, and the stainless steel material helps it retain heat better than standard tubs. It fills from a Kohler ceiling spout and overlooks a lush green space outside. The window features a fog switch that can provide privacy when needed. 

Curve appeal

Nestled in the Hollywood Hills with views of the ocean to the west and mountains to the east, Silvertop was originally designed by John Lautner in 1956 and later completed by him in the ’70s. The kitchen hadn’t been updated since that time and was very cramped, without the modern layout that families desire today. The current owners reached out to AD100 and AD PRO Directory firm Bestor Architecture for their renovation. The bespoke island, created by Ilan Dei Studio in Venice, California, is the centerpiece of the design. The curved stainless steel offers a sleek, softened look that juxtaposes the cypress panels that surround it, offering a contrast in both look and texture. 

Divide and conquer

The Arizona landscape often evokes feelings of peace and tranquility thanks to its wide-open spaces. Designer Emily Yeates of the Phoenix-based design firm Urban Revival embraced that essence when creating this space in a Scottsdale home. In it, large panels crafted from glass and powder-coated stainless steel help define the large space without closing it in. “The wall partition creates an intentional space division and also serves as a stunning finish that draws the eye upwards and keeps the gaze engaged,” she says. “I actually loved it so much that I designed a similar wall in my own home.”

A subtly sleek backsplash

This Manhattan penthouse aims to balance practicality and beauty. “The use of stainless steel adds a modern and sleek element to the design,” explains Natalia Miyar of Natalia Miyar Atelier, an AD PRO Directory member. Just beyond the large picture window are sweeping views of the New York City skyline and the treetops of the iconic Central Park. “Contrasting beautifully with the wooden cabinets built around it, the steel backsplash also reflects the stunning view of the city.” 

The material choice also offers more than a treat for the eyes. “I’ve always thought stainless steel is ideal for a kitchen as it is easy to clean, antimicrobial, and leaves no grout lines like with tile or stone,” she adds. 

Look between the lines

You have to look hard to spot the stainless steel accent in the kitchen of this midcentury-inspired condo on Lake Michigan, but that’s part of the appeal. A thin shelf with hidden supports, which prides function with minimal space, forms part of the design by Chicago-based firm En Masse Architecture and Design in collaboration with Andreas Kokkino. By design, the slender profile of the floating shelf all but disappears into the grout line of the ceramic backsplash, allowing the homeowner to showcase their glassware and other objects that please the eye.

Lighten up the mantel

When you have a small space, it typically pays off to have a statement piece. Designer Noam Dvir of Bond—an AD PRO Directory–listed studio—reimagined the dark, heavy brick fireplace surround in this 450-square-foot apartment in Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood to lighten the space and help balance the proportions of the room. “Stainless steel is unequivocally a New York material,” Dvir says. “Think of the subway, the food carts, and newsstands that you see on every corner. We were inspired by the use of stainless steel in the streets of Manhattan and thought it could work well in a domestic setting.”

The studio stepped out of the box for the fabrication of this design element, too, using a kitchen vendor from the Bowery neighborhood in the Lower East Side, where many restaurants go to get their supplies, tablewares, and more. “It’s one piece that slid on top of the fireplace,” Dvir says. “Aside from its aesthetic character, it’s also relatively inexpensive and faster to fabricate [than more typical surrounds].”

Take it outside

This oasis is tucked away on a tree-lined street near the historical village of East Hampton, New York, and is another project in which Bond—in collaboration with Attn Attn—chose to inject stainless steel. “The house has a beautiful English-style garden, with large trees and lush hedges which create a very private feeling,” Dvir says. They added a contemporary element into this traditional space by using the six-by-six-foot stainless steel square with a knife edge to act as a privacy screen for the outdoor shower just off the pool. “It looks like a cutout in the landscape,” he adds. Its brushed finish also creates a gentle, distorted reflection of the surroundings.