GOLD RUSH Is ON In HOME DECOR RISMEDIA, Designers are once again going for gold. The metal has been on the decorative outs for a couple of decades, but it’s making its way back into home decor — this time in a burnished, warmer form. Gold and other yellow metallics are showing up in furniture, lighting, even fabrics and wall coverings. They bring a little glimmer to a room, a little understated glamour. This isn’t some ornate casbah look or a return to staid Colonial style, however. Today’s gold metals are soft and subdued, often with the complex look of handcrafting. Doty Horn, who runs the color marketing firm ColorVoyant in Holicong, Pa., thinks gold’s resurgence is tied to the economic recovery, but not because of its association with money. Gold is in the yellow family, which she said is a happy, positive color. “It’s a sign of optimism,” she says. Rose gold is especially popular now, Horn said, its pinkish hue adding complexity without the hardness and rustiness of copper. Brass is coming back, too, although in a lower-luster finish. Indeed, “the finish really is key,” she says. Shiny gold is out. Gold with a more complex, matte finish is in. The reappearance of gold is also an indication of the renewed popularity of traditional design, albeit with a fresher, more modern twist, said Jennifer McConnell, vice president of design for furniture maker Pearson Co. McConnell likes adding little gold accents to furniture pieces — maybe a gold-leafed stretcher on a bench or antique brass ferrules on the tips of a chair’s legs. Nailhead trim in gold metals is starting to replace chrome, she said, and gold leaf is popular on accent tables as a way of adding just a bit of glitz to a room. Even shiny brass has its place in the gold comeback, although McConnell tends to use it in small doses and often in combination with antique brass so it doesn’t look dated. Her company introduced a modern cabinet last season with an ivory shagreen front and an Art Deco...
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:35:10 +0000
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