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Question - too much gold??

Hi - I've been a lurker on this and the other GW forums for years, but just signed on to participate so please be gentle. Many great ideas have come from reading the posts on this forum, i.e., my new laundryroom.

I am getting to the end of reno of my home. The problem seems to be that all of the wall colors are different shades of gold or yellow. I just finished DD bedroom with SW Blonde and it reads very gold in her room. Upon the completion of painting her bedroom, she asked me if I noticed that we have the same basic colors throughout all rooms of our home. She's right.

LR is painted a soft gold (tried 12 qts of different colors) of paint before deciding on the gold 3 yrs ago (can't remember the color). LR is black leather sofa and chairs, cherry cocktail table, marble top antique side table, kind of eclectic if you can picture it in your mind's eye. Lots of gold and burgandy accents.

I have many antique pieces acquired from family that I've used throughout my home. SW case clock in foyer with Sheffield table (both cherry) walls are the same soft gold as LR/DR.

D/R upholstered chairs in a gold damask, DR table is cherry as is breakfront decorated with heavily accented Asian collections from trips to China, Vietnam along with other things collected from travels.

Kitchen is a gold-more yellow which flows into back entry. Roosters have found a home in my kitchen. So alot more red in the kitchen.

My office is a color match of antique lampshade I had mixed at HD. Two very red leather club chairs, black framed photos, more red and black accents. It reads medium linen which flows through hallway to my husband's new office, hall and side entry.

I made a wall hanging after looking at Pier I and not wanting to pay alot of $$ for a wall hanging. I will use that in the interim until I find something I feel really inspired by. I have hung a metal scroll-type accent above it in the foyer to the side entrance of the house.

Downstairs bath is again the medium linen walls - ORB Wall decor is the antique wrought iron pieces. Shower curtain burgandy with gold - good quality and texture.

Upstairs master bath hasn't been touched. Right now it is pale blue background with not much else to speak of. That is a project that will be finished after the MB.

Master has yet to be painted, so I am asking you experts before I buy the paint. Just laid a hardwood floor reads redish cherry and planned to continue SW Blonde in upstairs hall and through to MB - now I am second guessing myself? MB furniture is beautiful old oak by Lexington. Victorian in style.

Our home is not a large one, and I don't like when I go into a home that the owner has broken up every room with a different color. I think it makes a somewhat small home look even smaller? Maybe my imagination or need to justify my "all gold everywhere" home.

Is it a faux pas to have a very similar shade of color on the walls throughout your home. I love the flow, but am I missing something?

I know pics would help, but DH took my good camera on a hike in the Alaskan rainforest on a recent trip. It came back in a backpack filled with 3" of water:(.

Any thoughts suggestions, comments welcome and greatly appreciated.

Comments (13)

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    It's hard to judge without actually seeing it in person, but from your description I would say no-not too much gold. From your description, it sounds as it you have some strong red/burgundy accent colors and an interesting mix of antique and Asian furniture and art pieces. You want the focus on those and not your wall colors, IMO.

    When you look at pictures of homes decorators have done, you'll find that they often use different shades of the same color family with maybe only one or two rooms painted a contrasting shade. E.G., I saw a virtual tour of a renovated turn of the century home and they used the Blonde and Bagel strips throughout with a cranberry shade in the formal dining room and foyer powder room. A couple of the bedrooms were gold, but had one accent wall of dark blue or dark green. And this was a huge 3 story house.

    Was that gentle enough - ;)

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    First of all, welcome back. I am in awe of people who can read text - especially a desciption of multiple rooms - and be able to visualize it enough to comment. There are lots of people here who can do that. Me, I need photos.

    But I was drawn to your post by a similar concern - that with my flooring and wall tile choices, I was pushing too much gold into my house.

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    We have a much larger house and have most of it done off the SW Blonde strip.

    The link is SW Domedary Camel Which is a bit darker than the Blonde and more subtle. I am going to repaint our MB in SW Stonebriar which is similar to DC with even less of the yellow. The Blonde we have in there now, that we love in our kitchen, is just a bit too light and yellow.

    They say that in houses with the same color throughout, the one place you can break away is the master bedroom. I think a nice green would look lovely with the wood you are describing, but there's nothing wrong with keeping the same color, either.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I was just thinking of a nice green, too, Parma. I have SW Blonde in a room adjacent to SW Svelte Sage and it looks great in contrast. I actually like SW Grassland better (one color up from SS), but I let hubby make the call in that space. I used Grassland in another room and just love it. It has cherry furniture and "cherry"-colored leather furniture in it (the office). I think it would look good with oak, too, depending on the shade....

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    One of my DILs whole house is done in Decatur Buff and Blonde. She has DB on the first floor and Blonde on the second and third floors. All the room colors look different, at different times of day, night and depending on lighting outside. I love the unity it gives her home.

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Most of my downstairs is done in Decatur Buff. The master bath is one shade down (Putnam Ivory), the study is brown, dining room bluegreen, and my girls bedroom wing is a goldish color of yellow. The upstairs is Traditional Tan, and one room has the same yellow.

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I used colors from the SW Blonde strip as well. My LR and office (note connected) are both Restrained Gold, my DR, which flows off my LR, is Mannered Gold, my Kitchen, FR and Media room are all Blonde. Hallways and Guest room are Ivoire.

    Where I veered from this color strip was my daughters BR--Romaine, with the bathroom Lace Wing (one shade lighter than Romaine). Our MBR is Aleutian, with the bathroom two shades lighter--Onward. AND, in the DR that is Mannered Gold, we have a tray ceiling. I did the top tray in a beautiful blue called Flyaway and sponged clouds. It's a gorgeous contrast to the dark Mannered Gold. I plan on doing details of cloud shadows using Blonde and Restrained Gold, along with some gray tones and bright white.

    I love the way the rooms flow from one another. They feel so connected and "right". And as someone else mentioned, these colors are so different depending on the level of sun. It's always such a nice surprise to see what the rooms look like at different times of the day (new home build so we don't live there yet).

    I also don't have any furniture set up, but that will be the easy part, I think. We have a furniture store here that does the same thing as Ethan Allen, where the salesperson also has a degree in Interior Design and will help coordinate pieces. I plan on using that service when the time comes.

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I just did my bedroom in Mannered Gold & can't tell you how much difference it made from the Ivoirie that was in that room. My whole downstairs is Ivorie, Blonde, Restrained gold in DR, & Mannered Gold in master bedroom. Also I have Eddie Bauer Amber Yellow in the kitchen & it flows great with the other colors Here is the new pic of the Mannered Gold if you wanna peek........Bonnie

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mannered gold in master bedroom

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Thank you kindly to everyone for your insights.

    I finally picked some bedding accessories today. Dark chocolate nicely textured coverlet, silky embroidered/beaded duvet with browns, copper, champagne, chocolate shams, champagne tailored bedskirt and some scalloped valances with a crystal bead-type trim.

    I am going with the Blonde throughout the second floor. I like the continuity of color and not a big fan of accent walls. Also, as many of you posted, the Blonde reads differently depending on the time of day, etc.

    I think too, accessory-wise, I do have many "distractions" for the eye.

    I like the green suggestion and may now repaint my laundry room. I am going to pick up some samples and try them. There is only one window in the laundry room and living on a heavily wooded lot does not make for an abundance of light. Our cabinetmaker just installed a wall of cabinets (cherry reading more brown than red) over my W/D and the countertop does have some green tones. Great idea, thanks for the tip.

    I wish I had my camera in good working order, I would love to share some pics. Any event, thanks for your thoughts and I always enjoy reading the very informative and creative responses to questions posed. It is my daily indulgence!

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    i like your new bedding - a lot
    i don't think you have too much yellow unless the rest of your furnishings don't contrast- if they're yellow too you could get a bit tired of it
    i also like the idea of green with yellow (black, brown, blue, red-all would contrast nicely

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Bonnie - I actually almost purchased something very similar to your bedding. I was worried that it may be too dark for our MB. DH loves light colors so I really try to compromise. LOL We have nary a heavy window treatment in our home. If it were up to him everything would be a shade of beige.

    I love the look of your room, very elegant and put together. Do you have an area rug at the foot of your bed? I think I may have seen your pic or a similar pic, but there was an area rug at the foot of the bed. Very nice bedroom. Love the Mannered Gold. I guess I am just a "gold girl".

    Next, will be trying to find some runners and/or area rug for the end of the bed. With the new hardwood, my dogs are having a hard time sliping and sliding. Last thing I need is an injury:(.

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Hi Work in progress.......Thank you so much for your sweet note & compliments. :) I do have a Kathy Ireland Provencial Ebony rug at the foot of the bed & in the bathroom. I use to work p/t at an Interior Store where I got all my rugs & flooring at discounted prices but the store closed in April. I am now working at Stein Mart in the Ladies Boutique 3 days a week. Our windows on the back were so BRIGHT in the morning....brand new house out in the middle of a cotton field that too dark wasn't even an issue here - LOL! The sun woke you up at 5:00 AM ...my DH actually picked this bedding at Ray's custom bedding & linens. I liked the one with red in it alittle more there but I let him pick it since I picked all the things for our other house & felt like I wanted his opinion. I got that out of my system now - :) Good luck finding the perfect rug for your bedroom & with the painting....you are right , the blonde reads very different in everyone's house. The Ivorie in mine almost looks blonde at times.
    My bullmastiff can't stand up very good in our home on the laminate wood either.......she is an outside dog though. The pups can get very dear to our hearts, can't they! Bonnie

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    WIP, the bedding you described sounds wonderful!! I like the warmer colors, and beads are right up my alley :^)
    Bonniee, your home is lovely!! Where did you find your NEW DR curtains???....I love that red and cream big check!