Gold is making a home décor comeback in a big way and I for one couldn’t be more excited! One of my favorite places where I’ve seen gold popping up recently is in kitchens and bathrooms. And not in that builder-grade, brass-that-looks-like-gold style that you may be thinking of. I’m talking gold with different textures, gold in unique places, and gold all over!
Whether you want to do a total total kitchen remodel to include this trend, or want to start with something small, like fixtures, you must include gold somewhere in your home ASAP if not sooner! Here are a few designer-approved ideas to help you bring gold hardware into your home.
Go Brushed Gold Wild
When you first think of gold hardware, you might picture the polished, shiny gold fixtures that were popular in the 1980s. It doesn’t have to be this way! Today’s fixtures are brushed, bringing in the subtle luxury and warmth of gold without being ostentatious or looking dated.
Cabinet pulls, faucets, even appliances are using brushed gold now. It’s all over, like the oil rubbed bronze trend that was (and still sometimes is). Try swapping out your cabinet hardware or installing brushed gold hooks in your bathroom for a subtle, warm glow of this gold look.
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Take Advantage of Gold Undertones
Classic gold has very yellow undertones (hence “yellow gold” or “golden yellow” crayons). But if your room has more cool tones, a yellow gold might not work for you and could make your room feel dated and builder-grade, rather than something you put your stamp of personality on. Consider instead a gold with some silver or green undertones, like a champagne gold.
If yellow gold just isn’t your thing, look for gold hardware that has a rosy hue. The rose undertones give the gold fixtures a warm feel. Depending on the finish you want, you can either set a trendy (brushed) or classic (lightly polished) vibe in your kitchen or bath.
Mix Metals
If it’s not in your budget to update every fixture in your kitchen or bath, that’s okay! The rule against mixing metals is a thing of the past.
Do a simple update by replacing all your cabinet pulls and towel bars with gold. To continue to strengthen the gold in the room, update your soap dispenser, toothbrush holders, etc. You don’t have to change over everything in the room to incorporate this trend.
In the kitchen, update your drawer pulls and handles to your favorite gold hardware. Be sure the style still fits with the theme of the rest of the kitchen! If you have a brushed nickel faucet that you absolutely love, add additional gold accents in a cool tone so it coordinates well. You could also play off existing gold hardware by updating your utensil crock or another piece of décor with a gold-tone. This is a fantastic way to update your kitchen to the latest trends without spending a fortune on a remodel.
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Look Up
When updating your kitchen and bath hardware, don’t forget to look up! You can make a statement by swapping your light fixtures to ones with more gold in them. Making a move like this will add warmth to your room while staying on trend.
This also a great way to use gold hardware in your design if you don’t wish to change your cabinet pulls just yet or if they’re already gold. Simply select a light fixture (or light fixtures) that incorporates a touch of gold and coordinates with the current color of your hardware.
Keep in mind that your new light fixture may affect how the light looks in the room, depending on the tone of the fixture you choose.
Use Oversized Gold Hardware
To really make a statement with gold in your kitchen and update it to the latest trends, switch your drawer pulls and handles to some that are gold and oversized. Oversized kitchen fixtures are definitely having a moment and there’s no better way to max out the trendiness factor by making them gold! A handle or pull is considered oversized if it is over 6” long. These handles tend to look very sleek and modern and can update any style kitchen.
You can also mix and match lengths of pulls as long as you keep like-lengths together. That is to say, don’t use a short handle and a long handle on cabinet doors that open to face each other. Similarly, don’t use different sized drawer pulls on a stack of drawers. Both of these styles will leave your room feeling messy and chaotic, not sleek and modern. Instead, use small pulls on upper cabinets and longer pulls on the lowers, for example.
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Incorporate Vintage Hardware
One good thing about gold making a comeback instead of being a new trend is that there are lots of opportunities to incorporate vintage pieces into your kitchen or bath! I have seen some beautiful gold drawer pulls that date back much further than the garish gold of the 80s. Instead of fading into the background or looking obviously 80s, vintage gold hardware really draws the eye thanks to the detail and craftsmanship.
Go Geometric
Geometric shapes in a beautiful brushed gold finish are the perfect addition to any modern room. I especially love to use geometric drawer pulls in a bathroom, which typically sees rounder fixtures thanks to the toilet bowl, tub, and sink bowl. Geometric drawer pulls and cabinet door knobs help to balance the roundness of these anchor pieces and pull the space in a modern direction.
Bring gold and the geometric idea of these shapes into your décor as well. Use trendy 3D shapes as accent pieces on the wall or open shelves. For example, I love the idea of a 3D gold wire planter that holds a humidity-loving indoor plant!
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Think Outside the Box
Hardware is more than just door knobs and faucets! When you’re thinking about fixtures in your space, think about any other exposed metals.
Maybe you have industrial-style shelves in your kitchen with lengths of pipe between each open shelf. Instead of swapping out each length of pipe, consider painting them in a muted, sophisticated gold to keep them looking fresh and modern.
If you have a claw foot tub in your bathroom, you might consider painting the feet gold. With the correct corresponding cabinet hardware, you can freshen up the look of your bathroom but keep it feeling vintage at the same time.
