The Winter Olympics are here again, and with them we’ll be seeing plenty of bronze, silver and gold. The greatest of these, of course, is the gold. Gold doesn’t have to disappear from your life when the Olympics are over! Gold makes a comeback every two years with the worldwide games, and gold is making a comeback in the home design game as well!

The Virtues of Gold

Gold in the home goes back thousands of years, almost as long as people have built homes. It has appeared throughout history in every age and every fashion.

It’s not just the intrinsic value of gold. Its yellow color makes it a warm metal. Whether it’s in furniture, lamps, windows, tapestry or rugs, it evokes fire and sun for a homey, cozy feel.

Decorating with Gold the Right Way

There are dozens of ways to perk up you home with gold. Before you get started, take a few minutes to consider how to achieve the right balance with the precious yellow color. Here are some principles that will help your interior decorating become a prize-winner!

A Little Gold Goes a Long Way

It doesn’t take a lot of gold coins to buy goods in the marketplace, and it doesn’t take much gold color to enliven a room. In fact, excessive gold leads to a tacky, gaudy look. As it turns out, the times when gold home decor has (briefly) gone out of fashion have been the times when it was overused. Today’s gold design is tasteful and restrained.

Gold Likes a Neutral Palette

Gold really shines (pun intended!) in a room that’s dominated by subdued tones such as whites, beiges and grays. These background colors let gold be the accent that stands out! However, don’t dismiss gold if your room has green or blue walls or a red sofa. The effect will be a little different, but the championship qualities of gold are always there.

Whatever colors you pair with gold, balance is critical! The gold should be the accent and not the primary color, and it should be tastefully distributed within the space.

For a different kind of balance, complement gold with soft textures. Think about sleek gold played off of velvet or wool. Also, gold is happy to share the spotlight with natural elements such as wicker baskets and exposed wood.

It’s Smart to Start Small

After all, even Olympic champions didn’t win the gold all at once! If you start with a little, it’s easy to add more gold, but it’s less fun to scale back once you’ve passed the point of balance. Decor is an ideal place to begin! It’s easy to move it around and see how it looks in different parts of the room.

Gold Plays Nice with Other Metallics

You may have heard that it’s incorrect to mix gold and silver. Don’t believe it! After all, three types of metallics look just fine together on the Olympic podium! Touches of multiple metallics such as silver, copper, brass and even shades of gold (think rose gold) can be combined for a flowing, seamless look.

Practical Tips for Gold Decorating

Ready to begin your personal quest for the gold but not sure where to start? Try a few of these tips to set out on your path to the golden prize!

• Replace a few items such as curtains, rugs and throw pillows using ones with gold accents.
• Begin with just a few items of gold decor, maybe something as simple as gold balls in a glass vase. Place a few pieces of gold decor on a bookcase shelf, or try them in different spots about the room.
• Highlight gold by using it in lighting. Look for pendants and chandeliers that emphasize glass as much as gold, maybe using the gold as trim. Choose a gold lamp on a desk or nightstand. Match a gold-colored lampshade with a gold base.
• Bring gold to your windows by something as simple as replacing curtain hooks and curtain rods. Choose sheer drapes of a light golden hue.
• Select a gold metallic coffee table or a wooden table with gold legs.
• Build a different type of gold accent table by glamorizing your dining table for a special meal. Use gold-themed napkins, rings, tableware, trays and gold-rimmed bowls.
• Swap out old picture frames for ones with gold borders.
• Hang a gold sunburst mirror. These mirrors tend to be small, but the impact of the sunburst design is many times its size.
• Don’t forget the hallway; it’s a place to set the atmosphere for arriving guests. Some gold cushions on a bench or a gold-edged mirror establishes the tone of the home.
• Upgrade your bathroom. Pick some gold-spangled tiles. Replace fixtures with golden ones – they enliven a neutral tub or sink. Try matching gold accents in towels, shower curtains and bath mats.
• And one of the simplest: replace knobs and pulls on dressers and cabinets.

Even if you never win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, you can deploy gold to win first prize in home design!