Care and Keeping of Brass

Brass is back, baby! Like most trends, we see them come, go and return again with a twist.  Shiny gold was popular in the 2000s; we see it in most homes today in doorknobs and light fixtures. Now the gold has a brass patina, less yellow and shiny.  Here’s the thing about trends – you don’t have to get rid of your silver and other metal decors. Collect what speaks to you and mix it up. I prefer pieces that tell a story.

I picked up this sweet tray for $1 at a resale shop.

I’ve had fun finding brass trays and cricket boxes in resale shops and estate sales. You can leave them tarnished, or if you want to try and polish your pieces the process is very easy. I like using Brasso, a creamy, multi-purpose metal polish for a variety of metals including brass, copper, stainless steel, chrome, aluminum, pewter, and bronze.  It is super easy to use. Take a clean, lint-free cloth and apply a generous application of the cream onto the rag, then rub in. Continue until your piece is completely covered and rubbed, then wipe off with a clean cloth. I cleaned a half-dozen pieces in about an hour. I put on an episode of Castle and buffed away.

Before

Brass trays make pretty serving pieces and catch-alls for keys. I think they are lovely on vanities for makeup and perfumes. How about using a tray to deliver a coffee and pastry to your guest during their stay? Brass cricket boxes can hold so many surprises and supplies. I have one in my powder room discretely hiding tampons for guests. You can fill them with small vases of flowers for a lovely tablescape, on your coffee bar to hold Keurig pods or tea bags, and of course, cricket boxes are perfect for paperclips, pens, and small note pads. You can find a variety of sizes on Etsy and eBay. See how pretty they clean up?

So next time you see a few brass trays at Goodwill, one man’s trash can be your pretty, new treasure!