Material selection during the design process strongly determines architectural character, defining the overall look and feel of the composition and space. Architects draw upon many devices when developing a material palette. Selections can reference the site or adjacent structures, or can be drawn from local building conventions, the climate and weathering concerns, or the building form itself. Sometimes the selections are a result of a specific client directive or are a creative solution to the project’s budgetary constraints. Other considerations are the quality of light a material might render or its tactile quality and colour.

Then there are those material and colour combinations that just belong together, contrasting and complementing in perfect harmony. Let’s take a look at a few of those pairings.

Concrete + Wood

Cool grey punctuated by a warm wood: This combination of engineered and natural materials holds a special appeal for many.

The character of a raw material, like concrete, is accentuated when used near a more tailored material, such as wood. And because grey is a neutral tone, it complements the tones found in natural woods.

Steel + Wood

Like concrete, steel is an engineered material. But unlike concrete it appears light and very precise, a result of its fabrication process. Steel is often combined with wood for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

Contrasting colouration calls attention to the functional duties of each component while displaying their inherent qualities — natural graining and machined precision.

Glass + Paint

The combination of a highly saturated paint and a single sheet of floor-to-ceiling clear glass appears effortless, understated and forceful. In small spaces this treatment can be used very effectively.

Glass allows deeply saturated paint colours to advance and is a classically modern complement to any colour palette.

White + White

There’s a reason architects begin their training with compositional exercises done using only one material– white museum board. It forces a focus on form, hierarchy, solid and void. That’s why white on white is a favourite of many architects and designers.

White is a classic neutral colour that highlights form.

White + Wood

This union has a humbleness to it that I find really appealing. Natural wood tones can be used sparingly when paired with white surfaces; it requires surprisingly little wood to enliven a simple space.

It’s a simple, casual and accessible combination. Wood tones highlight important elements, while the white ensures that the overall space remains bright and airy.

Black + White

The dialogue here is one of contrast. In such contrasts, black represent architectural interventions, while the white areas highlight the existing structure.

As in a simple black and white photograph, composition and contrast are capable of producing striking beauty.

Brick + Steel

Recycled, weathered brick contrasts the highly machined steel allowing the salient qualities of each material to be revealed.

Brick’s washed, mottled tones and imperfections contrast the chiseled, perfect lines of steel. Saturated, strong colours act as the shadow in a field of colour.

Wood + Stone

These two natural materials, in almost any colour and form, play well together. Both materials exhibit natural veining and graining that can be used to accentuate movement in a space.

When used together in ways that highlight their natural properties, wood (light, warm) and stone (massive, neutral) each enrich the other.