Rugs from the Agra collection by Armadillo & Co bathes this living space curated by stylist and designer Sarah Ellison in a golden glow. Picture: Anson Smart
It’s the colour of love, compassion and obvious wealth. No wonder gold makes us feel good.
And at the moment, anything that puts us in a positive frame of mind deserves a second look.
Colour expert for Dulux Andrea Lucena-Orr says gold, which sits between yellow and brown on the colour spectrum, is an instant mood lifter.
“From a psychological perspective, it can give you a warm, happy feeling,” she says. “It’s a beautiful colour.”
Gold brings depth to living spaces. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen. Wall (rear) in Dulux Golden Sand, wall (front) in Apricot Fool
When most of us think about gold, we think of shiny, metallic surfaces, but take away the reflective gloss and it becomes a lot more interesting, says Andrea, because of the way it absorbs light and adds warmth.
“The beautiful thing about gold is that often it has complex undertones,” she says.
“We’re not talking about full-on gold as a metallic. It can have a mustard undertone or it can have a greenish or yellowish undertone, almost a tan colour.”
Gold plays well with others. Dulux design gold effect in Gold Vintage. Stylist Liberty Interiors
Colour expert for Porter’s Paints, Melanie Stevenson, says gold is a surprisingly versatile colour for interior spaces.
“It is super easy to work with, and it goes with so many other colours,” she says. “It sits well with pinks, greys, blues and greens — it works like a neutral.”
Andrea says the colours you pair it with will set the tone for the whole room.
“If it is a formal room, you can use gold with dark green, or white looks good if you want to spruce up the living room,” she says.
Gold has a cocooning effect in this bedroom. Porter’s Paints Capsule Collection in Sundance.
If you’re after a warm, inviting space, team gold with earthy colours like burnt orange, sage and rose, which will not contrast with it strongly but still allow the lustre of gold to shine.
Andrea says using gold is the perfect solution for drab, dark rooms that need a lift.
“I would never recommend painting a dark room white,” she says. “If you want to lift a room on the south side of your house, go with a warm colour in a mid tone. It takes away that bluish reference from being on that side of the house.”
She knows from experience the difference it can make.
“I once painted a guest room on the south side of our house gold,” says Andrea.
“It’s a great colour. The first time I went into that room after we painted it, I knew I had done the right thing.”
More: armadillo-co.com; dulux.com.au; porterspaints.com; sarahellison.com.au; libertyinteriors.com.au
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