14 Modern Ways To Decorate With Gold Accents

Decorating with gold accents has a long history that reaches back over centuries and is associated with royal displays of power (France's Louis VIV, for one, used gilding to project his lofty Sun King brand) and modern day displays of wealth by celebrities and dictators (gold-toned toilets, anyone?).

While it can read as gaudy and tacky in the wrong hands and in excess doses, a little bit of bling never hurt anyone. Gold-toned metallic accents can add warmth to neutral-toned modern interiors, lift a moody color palette, and inject some mood-boosting elegance that works in any space and goes with any color or design scheme.

Have a look at these modern rooms that use tasteful gold accents everywhere from the kitchen sink to the bedroom for simple, high-impact ideas on how to give your interiors a Midas touch.

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Hang a Gilded Mirror

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

This bathroom from Leanne Ford Interiors has soft neutral colors, open shelving, a shapely garden tub with a khaki green base, and a scene-stealing gilded antique mirror that brings the minimalist glam room into focus.
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Pair With Navy

Design by Tyler Karu / Photo by Erin Little

Deep saturated navy paint on the walls makes a strong foil for gold accents in this dining room from Tyler Karu. Warm gold-toned accents also work well against other dark, saturated colors such as charcoal, green, brown, or off black.
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Brighten Up Black and White

Design by Studio London Co. / Photo by Cody Guilfoyle

There's nothing like some yellow-toned gold accents to brighten up a black-and-white color scheme. In this NYC living room from Studio London Co., gold-toned frames on a trio of photographs, the desk lamp, the overhead light fixture, and the office chair add shine and light to a railroad-style apartment.
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Pair With Bold Florals

Design by Studio Henree / Photo by Jenny Siegwart

Gold accents can stand up to the boldest of patterns, like the wall of large-scale Ellie Cashman-designed floral wallpaper in this primary bedroom from Studio Henree. Gold-toned brackets on the slim canopy bed and gold-toned bedside lamps and nightstands add warmth and balance the dark tones of the wallpaper.

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Make a Statement

Fantastic Frank

One way to accent with gold and make a splash while doing it is to focus on a hero piece. In this otherwise demure Stockholm apartment kitchen from Fantastic Frank, a gleaming gold island takes center stage and creates a focal point that doesn't feel over the top thanks to the white walls and toned down Scandinavian style of the rest of the space.
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Mix With Whitewashed Finishes

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

Gold tones on the faucet, door handle, wall light, gilded picture frame, and even the bunches of dried flowers add warmth to this charming white-washed kitchen from Leanne Ford Interiors.
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Keep It Subtle

Ursula Carmona for Home Made By Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona for Home Made By Carmona turned a closet off her living room into a mini home office. A built-in desk and storage is painted in a dark matte blue, and gold-toned accents on the modern pendant light and chair base add some contrast and subtle bling.
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Mix Gold Tones

Design by Michelle Boudreau Design

In this cool-toned, gray-and-white bathroom from Michelle Boudreau Design, gold accents that range from bright yellow gold on the sconce light and lightbulbs to rose gold on the plumbing fixtures adds warmth and contrast.

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Lighten the Load

Home Made by Carmona

For this laundry room makeover, Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona chose matte white Shaker-style cabinetry, glossy black stacked appliances, and gold accents on cabinet pulls and an overhead lighting fixture that turned the compact space into a chic, functional room with a touch of glam.
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Add Contrast

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

Hanging an ornate antique gold mirror on the wall of a living room with contemporary furnishings and an all-white palette adds contrast and a sense of history to this light and airy living room from Leanne Ford Interiors.
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Let the Sunshine In

Design by Kate Marker Interiors

Using gold accessories helps brighten naturally dark spaces like this kitchen pantry from Kate Marker Interiors that features shiny brass open wall-mounted shelving and cabinet pulls, and a gold-toned ceiling light that is shaped like the sun.
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Dress It Up

Home Made By Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona converted a primary bedroom walk-in closet into a stylish dressing room decorated with bird-patterned wallpaper, shelving for shoes and accessories, and gilded accessories that brighten the space.

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Bring Some Midcentury Bling

Design by Michelle Boudreau Design

This Palm Springs midcentury modern style open plan living, dining, and kitchen space from Michelle Boudreau Design is decorated in shades of white, gray, and blue, with warm wood finishes and gold accents that create a cohesive feeling throughout.
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Give It a Gold Star

Design by Curated Nest Interiors / Photo by Jacob Snavely

Gold-toned accents on the mirror, pendant lighting, and starry night gold stars on the ceiling wallpaper adds warmth and sparkle to this blue-and-white kids bedroom designed by Curated Nest Interiors