Rich, regal and oh-so-luxurious, gold is back with a vengeance in home decor. My love light never dimmed for this precious metal and its ability to warm up a room and imbue it with style. Depending upon your passion for gold, you can go high luxe by washing your room in it. Or you can add just a glint here and there to thread in a tiny touch of luster. Here are the top five ways we're decorating with gold.
- Turn on a gold lamp to give a room a glamorous glow.
When I design a room, I often use accent lamps as a tool for contrasting color, texture or pattern. It's a simple way to give a space something special and unexpected. If you want a touch of glamour in your decor, use a gold lamp or two. My favorites right now are styles with cleaner silhouettes with a matte or rubbed finish.
What makes these gold lamps so much fresher and more interesting than the super shiny brass that was so popular 40 years ago? Contemporary lines, with a shape that is beefy, not spindly. Also, these lamps stand alone, not in the matched sets we used to see in living rooms in the '70s and '80s.
- Use bold and brassy gold accents to add zing to your spaces.
Lots of home accents right now sport a bright, brassy, high luster finish. We are all about pairing the precious with the everyday, the regal with the rustic. So we are having fun braiding brilliant metallic accents into rooms that also feature lots of natural fibers and organic lines. The surprising balance makes the space feel exciting.
If you have a traditional look to your home, consider giving it a booster shot by putting a cluster of trendy gold pieces on your mantel, coffee table or buffet.
- Increase the value of your artwork displays with gold frames.
I love artwork framed in gold. The finish is timeless and classy, and seems to perfectly set off the works it showcases. I have a grid of botanicals that hangs on my dining room wall. The matched frames help make the presentation cleaner and more powerful. But when it comes to creating art montages, one of my favorite treatments, the secret to success is to toss together a wide berth of dissimilar frames, mixing together all kinds of sizes, styles and shapes. Be sure to stick in several gold framed pieces to give your treatment a bit of warmth.
- Set your table with gold dishes for memorable meals.
Gold and cream dishes? Be still, my beating heart! This color combo is timeless and transcendent. While I am a confirmed dish-oholic who never met a set I didn't lust after, I go back to my set of antique china over and over again because it is so versatile. I can dress it to the max by pairing it with crystal goblets, silver and white linens. Or I can pull it down by using twiggy wicker chargers and casual linens. The key to keeping gold fresh is to mix it with different plate styles and unexpected splashes of color.
- Reconsider fixtures in gold finishes.
For a while, it seemed that everyone with a house built during the age of brass was scrambling to replace all their hardware with nickel and silver. Stop! I've never ascribed to the theory that every light fixture, door pull and hinge in your home has to be of the same metal. I have long loved a mixed up, evolved look where lots of finishes work together to give a home singular appeal.
When we remodeled our lake house, I picked oiled brass fixtures for my kitchen. But I also adore nickel, silver, bronze, you name it. Decorating trends come and go, and that ebb and flow gives us a constant infusion of ideas that help us keep our spaces fresh and relevant. But, I urge you to never feel like you have to redo your home every time the designers run in a new direction. Your home should be filled with what you love.
This column was adapted from Mary Carol Garrity's blog at nellhills.com.
HomeStyle on 08/23/2014