-Steel for interior design-
Besides the structural function, steel as well provides unique interior scenarios, it's a material with nearly 4,000 years old, dating from 1800 BC. For instance, the Chinese of the Han dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) created steel by melting together wrought iron with cast iron, gaining an ultimate product of a carbon-intermediate steel by the 1st century AD.
Steel is an alloy of iron and other elements, primarily carbon, which is the most used in construction given to its high tensile strength, low cost and fast installation. Steel base material is iron, which depending on its temperature is able to take on two crystalline forms (allotropic forms), body centered cubic (BCC) and face centered cubic (FCC).
There are several types of steel, they vary by the amount of carbon content in them and their additives or mixtures. You can notice that all the metals so far have been ferrous, having been basically made from iron ore. So is steel, however its main difference is that all the impurities have been oxidised out of the iron and carbon and other minor additives mixed with the metal.
STEELMAKING PROCESS
It is the process for producing steel from iron ore and scrap. Impurities such as nitrogen, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur and excess carbon are removed from the raw iron, and alloying elements such as manganese, nickel, chromium and vanadium are added to produce different grades of steel. Limiting dissolved gases such as nitrogen and oxygen, and entrained impurities in the steel are also important to ensure the quality of the products cast from the liquid steel.
Nowadays, there are two major commercial processes for steelmaking, namely basic oxygen making steel, which has liquid pig-iron from the blast furnace and scrap steel as the main feed materials, and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, which uses scrap steel or direct reduced iron (DRI) as the main feed materials. Oxygen steelmaking is fuelled predominantly by the exothermic nature of the reactions inside the vessel where as in EAF steelmaking, electrical energy is used to melt the solid scrap and/or DRI materials. In recent times, EAF steelmaking technology has evolved closer to oxygen steelmaking as more chemical energy is introduced into the process.
As an interior designer it is necessary to know the basic forms of steels as mild steel and stainless steel due that they form a wide component of the metal used in today’s buildings. For instance architects such as Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhas and Tom Kundig, are an example of how steel can become an elegant and unique experience.
Minimalist, stark and sleek fit perfectly right into contemporary design. However, the best metal finishes are:
Nickel
Stainless steel
Chrome
Metallic touches:
Accessories
Fixtures
Furniture
Room dividers
Mirrors
(1,2) Garret Cord Werner Architects & Interior Designers (3) Meat packing duplex, Houzz (4) Flavin architects, Houzz
Stainless steel
It has been used in the architecture, building and construction since the 1920’s. For visible applications such as a curtain wall, roofing, bollards or safety railings, stainless steel is aesthetic and functional. An increasing variety of stainless steel used in building and construction has expanded. The more highly alloyed molybdenum containing stainless steel are preferred by the architectural, structural and interior design firms due to its enhanced corrosion resistance.
However, you need to consider factors such as air pollution, salt exposure, weather patterns, design and cleaning frequency in order to select stainless steel if good long term performance is desired.
(1) Pedestrian bridge at Cheung Kong Center, Hong Kong, Cambric, Photographer: Catherine Houska (2,3) Marina Bay Sands Art and Science Museum, Marina Bay Singapore. Photos: Nicole Kinsman (4) Colored 444 shingles, Federal Center South, Seattle. Photo: Kovach (5) Type 316 coastal residential swimming pool, railings and other details, Photo: Bradford Products
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Trends
Like wood, the metallic inspirations are materials that never go out of style. From the warm gold brass, and copper accents to the cool chrome, nickel and stainless steel applications metals offer a wide variety of options including colorful ideas for your interiors.
Copper shades
Ideal for a cozy and aesthetic finishes for every season. From hammered copper countertops to custom kitchen backsplash tiles copper is the answer for a unique touch.
A return to green living with corrugated metal
If you are interested on a rustic and natural approach to metallic finishes, you can try the appeal of corrugated metal. During the last years metals has been used in walls, ceilings, sides of cabinetry. So, what a better way to save money with this trending solution.
Architectural details with corrugated metal materials
There is a huge variety of corrugated sheets, ones are more resistant, brighter or cheaper, and depending on your goal, corrugated sheets provide a wide diversity of options. While the appeal of using this versatile material, as a finish is popular, the ability to bend and mold the ribbed metal into curvilinear forms is a whole new universe.
Cool silver metallic finishes
For bathrooms the four main palette tones are Chroma, Sentience, Entwine, and construct. These silvery metals are durable and have a high reflective qualities, coming in a variety of finishes from a dull brushed finish to highly polished sparkle in any light.
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