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Dressing Up the Home A Softer, Gentler Gold Outer Space Showtime Real Estate Trend Predictions Product Showcase |
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A Softer, Gentler GoldNew matte finish gives gold livable yet still-classic tone.The color gold has a timeless element, whether in fine jewelry or home décor. "Gold always adds that feeling of quality," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of the new book "Color Messages and Meanings." "In many cultures, gold is attached to enlightenment; it's the color of the gods, the sun. It's something that is just there in our psyches. You don't even have to think about it or verbalize it — gold means luxury." For the understated elegance that's appreciated by today's homeowner, gold has taken on a new, matte finish that is both beautiful and easy to maintain. "That's definitely the direction things are going," Eiseman says. "If you can soften the look, it's still very classic, but at the same time, it's more livable. The operative word is 'soft.'" As a metallic finish, gold is being used as an accent, and that means you want it to be subtle, says David Brogna, professor of home-products development at the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. It's often paired with stone that isn't highly polished, he says, so it would be jarring for the gold to have a bright finish. "The idea of accenting stone with metal works beautifully," he says. "We're getting all these subtle, satin tones in the stone, so you don't want the metal to be garish." The soft, muted tones that are the hallmark of an Old World finish are the central element of the new Antique Bronze finish in Moen's Kingsley Bath Suite. A golden base blends with black undertones to create a gentle luster that coordinates with virtually any color palette. A full line of bath accessories includes a robe hook, soap holder, pivoting paper holder, 18- and 24-inch towel bars, towel ring, decorative toilet tank lever, toothbrush holder, soap and lotion dispenser, and glass shelf. Gold is a "very, very strong" color in paint and fabrics because it's also a comfort color, says Barbara Decker, president of Denver-based Captivating Design Service, an interior design firm that works with builders in merchandising model homes. "Eighty percent of the overall palette [for model homes] is yellow-based," Decker says. "The overall color of the home feels very warm and inviting." She sees the gold tones of brushed and antique bronze finishes as a look that works just as easily with contemporary design as with an Old World Tuscan styling. "It's kind of an uberluxury finish," she says. "It just adds that wow factor. We're absolutely going to keep seeing it." Becky Spak, senior designer at Sherwin-Williams Color Marketing and Design, couldn't agree more. "We've been bereft of those warmer tones for some time," she says. "The metals are warming up. Many fine jewelers are offering yellow, white and rose gold. That translates into the home. … Before it was always very polished; now we're seeing that antique effect, so it has some subtlety to it. It just catches a little bit of light and gives you some visual interest. Everything's not flat. That's key."
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