Restful Bedroom Designs Strike Gold
Don’t be afraid to use this high-octane metallic to create a soft and sunny glow in the bedroom
Susan Redman
June 21, 2015
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff; writer, author, dreamer.
Gold and its softer sister, bronze, were the darlings of the metallics trend at the recent Salone del Mobile exhibition during Milan Design Week 2015. It can be difficult to know how to use gold to great dramatic effect at home without its looking brassy. Particularly challenging is the injection of a glittering gold flourish or burnished bronze finish in the quiet sanctuary of the bedroom. But if you do it right, your bedroom will emit a heavenly glow.
Wallpaper. A fail-safe way to keep the “louder” attributes of gold under control is to use it as a pattern in wallpaper and pair it with white or beige bedding and wall paint. This combination produces a pretty, even dreamy, look, especially if the wallpaper has a delicate floral or filigree pattern. The golden sheen of the wallpaper pictured here works because it has been combined with a beige headboard and lots of white from the bedding, bedside table, lamp and walls.
WallSmart Wilderness wallpaper: Ferm Living
WallSmart Wilderness wallpaper: Ferm Living
Gold accessories. If you are unsure of how to use gold and bronze accents successfully, start out with vividly patterned metallic gold cushions in a two-tone weave or color. If you like the effect, you can add more items as you adjust to the idea.
Tip: With pillows, to reduce gold’s characteristic razzle-dazzle, choose a damask or velvet fabric. The light dulls the gold but also picks it up, depending on the angle at which the light beams hit the nap of the fabric. Because of the inherent textured weave of these fabrics, the effect is less overpowering than with a metallic in a plain weave. Also look for pillow shams and curtain fabrics that feature a weave with a metallic gold thread.
Tip: With pillows, to reduce gold’s characteristic razzle-dazzle, choose a damask or velvet fabric. The light dulls the gold but also picks it up, depending on the angle at which the light beams hit the nap of the fabric. Because of the inherent textured weave of these fabrics, the effect is less overpowering than with a metallic in a plain weave. Also look for pillow shams and curtain fabrics that feature a weave with a metallic gold thread.
Dotty decals. Another simple but impressive way to incorporate a swath of gold in the bedroom is to affix decals to the wall. Decals in a metallic finish are a nonpermanent way of experimenting with this precious metal color in your bedroom decor. Simple shapes, such as dots or crosses, can be randomly placed, giving you a great deal of creative freedom as to how the decals will look as a whole.
Tip: Choose peel-and-stick decals for this project, as they can be easily repositioned and even removed. Plus, the gold dots can be mixed and matched with other shapes, such as triangles and squares.
Tip: Choose peel-and-stick decals for this project, as they can be easily repositioned and even removed. Plus, the gold dots can be mixed and matched with other shapes, such as triangles and squares.
Mirror. Another way to add a golden glimmer to your bedroom is to hang a gilt-edged mirror in a prominent place. Not only will it add form and function, but it will increase the glam factor, too.
Tip: A starburst mirror is always a handsome choice, but you could also update the frame of a vintage mirror with spray paint or gold leaf. This would be a cheaper and more personalized alternative.
Lamp: Bourgie by Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Tip: A starburst mirror is always a handsome choice, but you could also update the frame of a vintage mirror with spray paint or gold leaf. This would be a cheaper and more personalized alternative.
Lamp: Bourgie by Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Lamp. Add the Midas touch to your boudoir by purchasing a simple table lamp with a gold lampshade.
Tip: You can find inexpensive vintage lamps at secondhand markets or thrift shops. If your treasured purchase is made of metal but in a sorry state due to chipped enamel paint, revamp it with a light coat of gold spray paint.
Tip: You can find inexpensive vintage lamps at secondhand markets or thrift shops. If your treasured purchase is made of metal but in a sorry state due to chipped enamel paint, revamp it with a light coat of gold spray paint.
Furniture. Metallics are key to adding sparkle and glam to any space, but if you are hesitant about using gold-colored furniture, start with pieces that you can easily swap out, such as a chair or side table.
Tip: There’s often an old kitchen chair in a relative’s house that has lost its good looks but not its charm. Offer to replace it with something more solid and serviceable (but inexpensive and modern) for the piece of old furniture you have your eye on. With a little paint and polish, your swapped item could be the gold highlight in your revamped bedroom.
Tip: There’s often an old kitchen chair in a relative’s house that has lost its good looks but not its charm. Offer to replace it with something more solid and serviceable (but inexpensive and modern) for the piece of old furniture you have your eye on. With a little paint and polish, your swapped item could be the gold highlight in your revamped bedroom.
The need to uplift a room with a little light from gold’s reflective characteristics becomes apparent on cloudy days. This is a great reason for bringing some bling into a bedroom. And when the weather changes, or you change your mind, an antiqued gold or burnished bronze side table can be moved around the house to a new spot.
Tip: As an alternative to a bedside table with drawers, try a nest of tables. The smaller ones can be pulled out and the tabletops used when extra surface space is required near the bed.
Tip: As an alternative to a bedside table with drawers, try a nest of tables. The smaller ones can be pulled out and the tabletops used when extra surface space is required near the bed.
Highlights. For those who prefer a more dramatic look in their boudoir, create a contrast with golden highlights against somber tones such as gray, grape or black. A gold- or bronze-framed headboard or a fine gold trim on a piece of furniture creates just enough of a bright spark, especially when the piece is placed near a dark slate or plum-colored wall.
Tip: You can get this look by antiquing the wooden part of an old headboard, which you can pick up from a vintage market or on a website that auctions secondhand furniture. Buy some gold-leaf-type paint from an art supplier or craft shop and apply it with some scruffy old paintbrushes. Work the gold into all the scrolls and crevices. When it’s dry, paint a light burnt umber color on top and then almost immediately wipe it off with a paper towel, especially on the high-relief points. A little umber should stay in the crevices, producing a sensational antique effect.
Tip: You can get this look by antiquing the wooden part of an old headboard, which you can pick up from a vintage market or on a website that auctions secondhand furniture. Buy some gold-leaf-type paint from an art supplier or craft shop and apply it with some scruffy old paintbrushes. Work the gold into all the scrolls and crevices. When it’s dry, paint a light burnt umber color on top and then almost immediately wipe it off with a paper towel, especially on the high-relief points. A little umber should stay in the crevices, producing a sensational antique effect.
Feature wall. Throughout the ages, gold has symbolized wealth and power, and has been associated with extravagance, luxury and prestige. Don’t be afraid to be bold and use gold confidently. Here it has been painted on a huge headboard that dominates the room, but as it’s the standout feature in a largely monochromatic setting, this flamboyant accent works.
Tip: Approach this idea as if you were dressing a theatrical set that can be redesigned for future play. Paint a floating headboard, which can be positioned semipermanently behind the bed. Repaint it in a different color for a quick bedroom makeover.
Tip: Approach this idea as if you were dressing a theatrical set that can be redesigned for future play. Paint a floating headboard, which can be positioned semipermanently behind the bed. Repaint it in a different color for a quick bedroom makeover.
Folding screen. Another grand idea for a showy headboard featuring gold is to use a gilded Japanese or Chinese folding screen, flattened out and attached to the wall behind the bed.
Collectibles. Gold blends easily with modern furnishings and adds a touch of luxury, glamour and sometimes whimsy. Curate a dazzling display of gold-colored pieces you’ve found at markets or thrift shops, or that were even stowed away at home.
Tip: Mix your golden treasures with pieces made of other metals, such as copper, bronze, nickel, silver, brass or pewter. Your dazzling display will certainly command attention, and if your artistry strikes the right note, it might even become a permanent showcase.
Tip: Mix your golden treasures with pieces made of other metals, such as copper, bronze, nickel, silver, brass or pewter. Your dazzling display will certainly command attention, and if your artistry strikes the right note, it might even become a permanent showcase.
Tell us: What do you think of this hot metallic hue? Post your thoughts in the Comments.
More:
Metallic Home Decor Shines On
Master the Metallic Mix of Gold and Silver
More:
Metallic Home Decor Shines On
Master the Metallic Mix of Gold and Silver
Related Stories
Decorating Guides
Design Pros Share 10 Favorite Creamy White Paints
By Becky Harris
These off-white color choices include versatile tones, warming hues and pleasingly soft shades
Full Story
Kitchen Countertops
What Kitchen Countertop Colors Should You Choose?
By tidgboutique
Consider these popular colors and styles to get the look you want — no matter what material you use
Full Story
Colors of the Year
Pantone Picks a Peach for Its 2024 Color of the Year
By Jennifer Ott
See how to use this juicy hue to create calm yet flourishing spaces inside and outside the home
Full Story
Decorating Guides
5 Ways Designers Are Working With Rich Warm Tones Right Now
By Becky Harris
Interior designers describe their strategies for using rich warm colors to create an inviting home
Full Story
Colors of the Year
10 Paint Colors Ready to Take Over in 2024
By Jennifer Ott
Blue is huge, but dark hues and warm tones also find favor among major paint companies’ 2024 Color of the Year picks
Full Story
Decorating Guides
How to Mix Colors and Make It Work
By tidgboutique
Don’t want to confine yourself to neutrals but lack the confidence to embrace colors? Check out this pro advice
Full Story
Events
7 Color Trends for 2024 at Maison & Objet
By Claire Tardy
New harmonies and unexpected pairings at the fall 2023 trade fair set the tone for next year’s interiors
Full Story
Decorating Guides
9 Ways to Layer Warm Neutral Colors for Comfortably Refined Rooms
By Becky Harris
Design pros share advice for building an inviting palette, introducing high contrast and mixing textures
Full Story
Decorating Guides
How to Create a Cohesive Color Flow Throughout Your Home
By Erin Carlyle
Designers share eight techniques for avoiding a choppy feeling in your spaces
Full Story
Decorating Guides
How to Get Your Ceiling Paint Color Right
By tidgboutique
Here’s how to tweak the shade of your ceiling paint to get the effect you want
Full Story
My former bedroom was painted a deep teal green-blue (SW Newburgh Green) and had only one bay window. I covered part of the adjacent wall with interestingly shaped vintage and new mirrors with hand-carved gilt frames and it really bounced the light around and looked ravishing against the deep teal.
Having seen the gold you have reinforced my opinion that I prefer silver.
I used gold in my hand-painted wall, my bedside tables, and my closet doors, a headboard I made, chairs I recovered and my bedspread.