Bold Use of Gold

Gold used to mean tacky, ostentatious and over the top. Rococo was out of fashion and only Middle Easterners swamped their houses and cars with gold everything. Because gold means prosperity, and no better way to flaunt it than to have a lot of it. When living there, I found it curious why little home decor, there and in Chinese markets, featured silver or chrome. The answer, I was told, was simple: silver was cheaper and therefore not an indication of status. 

With the rise of metallics being used for all sorts of contemporary themes and the rules out of the window on decorating walls, chairs, cabinets, you name it, in shiny reflective glossiness followed by the mass appeal of everything that speaks of old in Shabby Chic, gold has made a comeback. Not just as a picture frame, or an accent, a lamp stand. But as a fully fledged color in its own right, to be the feature and the main attraction. 

Stately grandeur has always been drenched in it, Baroque, the big brother of Shabby Chic, is now appraised and appreciated again for its impact and fantastic, fairytale ethos. Let's have a look at some old extravagance and some new takes on it. We're Going for Gold in a big way! 

Gates into a bedroom...how delicious. But it's the bed that gives the whole room importance.

Another amazing antique bed paired with simple white, just stunning. 

Autumn comes to gold grandeur! Wonderful imaginative realization. 

Bit of a sucker for gold wall decor, this one is a real statement. 

Pastel golds give this room such dignified expense. 

 A gold bath. I'm there.

Incredible ornate doors give off a warm glow. 

Old school Rococo done beautifully. 

I use this a lot when decorating - all woodwork in a room, frames and coving, gold. It yells fab. 

Such feminine authority in this designer. Absolute instinct on what is right and how to mix it. 

Crazy about the antique screen. 

The frame is picked up and matched by the chairs. It's just enough. 

Empire greatness. See how the gold decor makes the amber glow of the wood tone sing. 

What a mirror!

Staggering mirror action going on there! 

Man, how gorgeous is this antique screen seductively giving a taste of the impressiveness to come. 

A delicate tableau, expressed delightfully. 

Note how the wonderful fireplace is faintly echoed in the pale wallpaper and the elegant filigree of the furniture. Perfection. 

Hello green and gold chair! Who needs more than that? 

Restrained expertise. 

Lastly...I'm digging the gold glass crystals in the chandeliers. Lovely! 

All photo credits here