Decorating with gold – 5 beautiful ways to give your home the Midas touch

Use this lustrous hue to create rooms that radiate warm and luxury

decorating with gold
(Image credit: Mylands /Monica Fried Design / Nicole Franzen Photography / Jaime Beriestain Studio)

One of the most uplifting colors, decorating with gold is sure to lift your spirits and it is perhaps not surprising that this joyful option is experiencing a modern renaissance in interiors.

From subtle flecks of gold detailing to full-on gold walls and ceilings, metallic gold brings warmth and radiance to every surface it touches. Along with its mood-enhancing qualities, gold is a highly versatile color that can be paired with many other shades to make a home look expensive and rich.

‘Luxurious gold brings in a touch of warmth and optimism to a room, perfect for bringing a sense of positivity into the home,’ says Justyna Korczynska, senior designer at Crown. ‘The color creates a sense of calm with a feeling of restfulness and well-being.’ 

The decorating potential of gold as a room color idea should never be underestimated. 

Decorating with gold at home

Hugely diverse decorating with gold can be used to create spaces that are stimulating and energizing, fun or formal, to cozy and welcoming. Here's how a selection of our favorite interior designers use gold to curate beautiful spaces. 

1. Paint the fifth wall

Gold bedroom with gold ceiling and metal bed

(Image credit: Mylands / Manolo Yllera)

‘Historically associated with wealth and opulence, gold hasn’t typically been chosen for bedrooms for risk of appearing garish, but its warm tones create a gentle, glowing atmosphere ideal for an intimate and sophisticated space,' says Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands. 

Design studio Sella Concept drenched this room floor-to-ceiling in FTT-001™ to great effect; it’s a space that feels modern but enticing.

2. Use gold to liven-up kitchen cabinets

Modern kitchen with gold cabinetry and white countertop

(Image credit: Jaime Beriestain Studio)

'The gold color is an invitation to dream and to travel,' says Jamie Beriestain, founder, of Jaime Beriestain Studio. 'I don’t use it a lot, but sometimes it can fill a space with light. I loved that the kitchen, a room that is usually not the “main character” of the flat, became the center of attention.’

3. Enhance a small powder room with gold walls

Modern powder room with gold walls and marble countertop

(Image credit: Monica Fried Design / Nicole Franzen Photography)

Using metallic gold paint at home is ideal for introducing texture and 'movement' to walls – and it gives a unique finish with not much effort.

‘We achieved the golden ochre walls with a plaster limewash paint from a French company called Ressource,' says Monica Fried, founder, of Monica Fried Design. 'It makes a wonderful complement to the Cipollino Fantastico stone, vintage Swedish sconces and brass fittings.’ 

4. Add luxury to a main bedroom

Modern bedroom with ochre walls and floral design wallpaper

(Image credit: Surface View)

‘The natural beauty of Japan will infuse your room with a sense of peace and history,' says Daniel Field, managing director, Surface View. 'With its flecked gold backdrop, this wallpaper mural lends opulent texture and grandeur to the bedroom, making it more than just a place to sleep.’ 

5. Go bold in the bathroom with an all-over metallic color scheme

Modern bathroom with all-over gold color scheme

(Image credit: James McDonald / Barlow & Barlow)

‘We had a lot of fun designing this space for Drummonds,' says Lucy Barlow, co-director, of Barlow & Barlow. 'We’re always encouraging clients to go bolder, and gold makes a room feel luxurious. A downstairs loo or a modern powder room is a great place for gold as it can tie in well with brass or nickel sanitary ware.’ 


Pippa Blenkinsop
Contributor

Pippa is a contributor to Homes & Gardens. A graduate of Art History and formerly Style Editor at Period Living, she is passionate about architecture, creating decorating content, interior styling and writing about craft and historic homes. She enjoys searching out beautiful images and the latest trends to share with the Homes & Gardens audience. A keen gardener, when she’s not writing you’ll find her growing flowers on her village allotment for styling projects.