Copper malleable as design medium

Once again, the Copper Age is upon us. The metal is warming up more and more homes, outshining the ubiquitous stainless steel and brushed nickel.

It's everywhere - and we're not just talking bright copper kettles.

"Copper has always been a traditional accent in kitchens as copper pots and pans, and as pitchers or pieces of copper gracing the tops of cabinetry," says Geri Higgins, owner of Portfolio Kitchen and Home in Kansas City. "Now, it's reinvented itself."

As a kitchen mainstay, copper has cropped up in countertops, range hoods, cookware and cutlery. In the rest of the home, candlesticks, picture frames, lamps, planters and fixtures take on its beauty. Even fabrics are woven with copper filaments, adding iridescence to throw pillows and draperies.

The look is warm, rustic, aged.

"People are always looking for new and exciting and different products to use, even if they are millennia old," says Randall Sisk, owner of Kitchens by Kleweno.

Practical and economical, copper feels at home in any setting.

"Copper can easily translate into traditional or contemporary, depending on the application and design," Higgins says.

Plus, its biostatic surface prevents the growth of bacteria. Hospitals commonly use copper doorknobs to reduce transmission of disease.

Still, as fab as copper is, keep your pieces to a minimum.

"Too much of any good thing is not good," Higgins says. "Copper should be a fabulous accent. You wouldn't want a copper apron-front sink with a copper backsplash."

Also, Sisk warns, know what you're getting into when you purchase pure copper.

"You have to understand what it will look like and how it's going to wear," he says.

Copper has a "living finish," which means the surface will vary in color and tone over time.

"It changes with every swirl of the dishrag or with every pitcher of margarita placed on its surface," he says. "Where it doesn't get a lot of attention, it's going to turn green."

Oxygen reacts slowly to create a removable patina on copper surfaces (such as the Statue of Liberty's lovely green patina).

"If you want it to be pristine, then it will be extremely high-maintenance," Sisk says. And a protective coating isn't necessarily the answer.

"Copper that is treated won't turn, but if you scratch a treated surface, it will be noticeable," Higgins says.

But many accent pieces take on the rich, homey look of copper without the maintenance. Copper-colored glass, appliances and wall coverings offer the luster without the fluster.

Shine on.

To keep your copper proper, doityourself.com recommends these home remedies:

Rub the surface with lemon halves dipped in salt.

Polish with a cleaner of equal parts salt, vinegar and flour. Wash in warm water, rinse and dry.

Apply a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Leave on for five minutes, wash in warm water and dry.

Polish with ketchup or Taco Bell hot sauce. Seriously.