A funny thing happened on our way to a future of smooth, sleek plastic sheathed electronics and appliances. Formerly mundane 20th century metals like stainless steel, brass and aluminum suddenly became cutting-edge, avant-garde luxury materials. Whereas decades ago these materials were primarily used in banal, commonplace items, today they have been redeployed to satisfy our craving for the chic and contemporary.
A perfect example of this luxury material trend is Apple products. For the last decade, almost every product that the giant luxury electronics company has produced has been wrapped in shining aluminum and glass. It made no difference if it was a MacBook Pro, an iPhone or an iPad Mini – they all used solid aluminum cases. Millions of consumers eagerly paid top dollar for the high-end industrial design aesthetic. And why not? The aluminum shells are unequivocally durable, pleasingly solid and thoroughly modern.
Of course Apple products are not the only place where metal as a luxury material has made a comeback. Swiss luxury mechanical watches that retail for thousands of dollars – and oftentimes more – are just as likely to be clad in a high grade stainless steel case as one of gold or silver. Regardless of whether the manufacturer is Rolex or Omega or some of the more niche makers like IWC or Audemars Piguet, all of them offer stainless steel cases on some of their (very expensive) products.
Taking a walk through a modern, high-end kitchen also reveals just how desirable base metals as a luxury material have become. The drawer pulls are either stainless steel or solid brass that has been plated to give different color effects. The appliances – the stove, refrigerator and microwave – all have a skin of stainless steel. And of course the sink is stainless steel and the faucet chrome-plated brass. Sometimes even the backsplash and ceiling tiles are made of metal – everything from tin, to copper, to the ubiquitous stainless.
It might seem odd at first glance that lowly aluminum and company merit such admiration in the current age. For decades everyone thought the future of luxury materials would be dominated by plastics and other high-tech synthetic materials.
But then the future became the present and we realized that plastic is actually not a very great material after all. It yellows and become brittle with age. It cracks and chips easily. It feels insubstantial and fragile. In fact, today plastic spends much of its time imitating more upscale metal surfaces.
In the end, we are better off for becoming reacquainted with some of the old classics like brass, aluminum and stainless steel.
