Midas Touch: Add Luxury to Your Home With Gold Interior Accents

by Carlisle Homes

Make a statement and integrate opulent gold interior accents into your living scheme! Here’s how.

Tired of your plain interior scheme? A few touches of gold could be just the thing to bring it to life. Renowned for its luxury feel, this classic metallic adds instant warmth and interest to a space. And it’s right on-trend, appearing everywhere from living areas, bathrooms and bedrooms to kitchens in some of the most fashionable homes across the globe.

Here’s how to add luxe gold to your interior, according to our expert interior designs.

Keep it simple in a kitchen

A few carefully considered touches of gold will add opulence to your kitchen and elevate it above the norm. For a subtle sense of luxury, pair gold accents with white or pale grey cabinetry and marble-look benchtops. Or, for a more dramatic look, add gold touches to a navy or black kitchen.

Try adding a sculptural pendant light in a gold finish above your kitchen island, adding a brushed-gold tap or finishing off your cabinetry with brushed-gold hardware. Barstools with slender gold frames are another way to make an impact.

A little goes a long way when it comes to a metallic like gold, so a ‘less is more’ approach is best when adding it to a room scheme. Unless, of course, you’re going for a maximalist look, in which case the sky’s the limit when it comes to gold accents.

Mix it up in a living area

The secret to making gold sing in your lounge or family room is to mix it with contrasting materials, colours and finishes. Try pairing high-shine gold pieces with brass accents or brushed gold components for a luxe, layered look. Then add softness to your scheme with sumptuous fabrics such as wool, linen and velvet in neutral colours to create a sense of balance.

There are plenty of ways you can integrate opulent gold into a lounge or family room. You might opt for wallpaper with gold highlights, metallic print cushions or curtains, or a rug with a hint of gold. Or for a more low-key look, introduce a standard lamp or coffee table with a gold base, or a tabletop or mantel display consisting of a gold candle, bowl and vase set against neutral soft furnishings and natural woven accessories.

Keen to keep the budget in check? Why not upcycle a piece of old furniture side table legs or some decor pieces you’ve grown tired of with a couple of coats of specialist spray paint, such as Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint in Gold.

Think beyond fixtures in a bedroom

Touches of gold are perfect for turning your bedroom into a glamorous retreat. Dress up your walls with a gold-print wallpaper or create a feature wall by using it on the wall behind the bed. Alternatively, choose a bedhead with gold stud detailing or have it upholstered in a muted-gold fabric, accessorised with one or two feature cushions in a soft gold print.

Furniture and lighting is another way to introduce a pop of gold to the scheme; think a brushed gold or brass bedside table, a pair of gold wall sconces either side of the bed or a table lamp base with a gold finish. For an old-world feel, choose pieces in dull gold, such as a gold-framed mirror or ornate picture frames.

Again, neutrals are the way to go when it comes to the surrounding colour scheme, but you may wish to steer away from light neutrals in a bedroom and create a cosier feel with earthy browns, mustard and cream.

Make a luxe statement in your entry

As transitional spaces, entryways don’t tend to have much in the way of furniture, so focus instead on introducing gold on your walls and flooring. Think a gold starburst mirror, a floor runner shot through with gold, artwork in gold frames, decorative wall sconces, or a slender console table with a gold frame.

Add magic to your bathroom or powder room

Gold is a timeless addition to bathrooms, and works beautifully in both classic and contemporary homes. Go dark and moody with charcoal floor tiles and a black vanity, paired with accents of gold in tapware and joinery handles. Or create a light and airy feel with marble-look tiles or benchtops, a light woodgrain vanity and gold hardware and taps. Love pattern? Opt for Moroccan-inspired patterned tiles on the floor and walls in cheerful shades of jade or aquamarine paired with gold fixtures.

Or add whimsy and fun to a powder room with accents of gold. Seek out floor tiles with flecks of gold or line the walls with wallpaper in a playful gold pattern.