Photograph by Michael Woodall Interior designer Susie Hersker incorporated crinkled copper panels into the alder cabinetry of this master bathroom.

• Exterior applications. Bolock says it is standard procedure at Shiloh Custom Homes to construct roofs with copper flashing and trim that the company lets weather to a natural bronze color. Other architectural trends he sees include using the material as fascia on Contemporary houses, as caps on outdoor columns and beams, and as lighting fixtures situated throughout the landscape. Daschbach likes copper as an accent. He says it works well when paired with other metals, such as wrought iron, to “mix up the colors.” He has added copper accents to exterior stair railings for a bit of flair, and notes that copper doors, gates and garage doors also are popular.

“Copper is a sculptable material,” Pan notes, explaining that it is relatively pliable. “It’s almost like paper—it’s soft and easy to bend.” The architect recalls a home he designed in Utah in which he incorporated copper into windowsills, lintels and lanterns. In short, Pan calls copper an outstanding building material.

Photograph by mark boisclair A kitchen island gains Southwest flair with clavos-studded copper trim and a rack for magazines and books that incorporates hammered-copper straps.

Hersker says copper is an ideal material for covering TV cabinets in outdoor rooms to protect televisions from weather and desert critters. “I often design pocketing cabinet doors and clad them with copper,” the Phoenix Home & Garden Master of the Southwest comments. “It looks great when closed, like a piece of art, and it functions well, also.”
• Interior applications. Copper is a good choice for kitchen backsplashes, cabinetry insets, hardware and bar tops because of its visual appeal, Bolock comments. Among his favorite recent applications were poured-copper panels that wrapped around an island. “You would swear it’s solid copper,” he recalls. “It’s seamless—that’s what’s a little mind-blowing.” He finds, however, that because of the metal’s malleability it can dent or scratch easily; so he discourages using it on a food-prep counter.

Hersker has used copper in the form of incised ceiling panels, range hoods, fireplace surrounds and mantels, coffee table bases, mirror frames, scuppers and even woven into fabric. She also likes the fact that it can take on many appearances, including crimped, crushed, hammered, oxidized and acid-washed.