Gold IS A Neutral - How To Use Gold In Your Home
Morning! Popping on here to talk a little about my favourite metal (obvs) and to share a few ideas on how to incorporate it into your home. This post came about after my friend Kate Watson-Smyth, who runs the UK’s number one interiors blog Mad About The House got in touch about using a photo of our brass bathroom vanity cabinet, which is still my favourite thing in our house and is certainly a conversation point when people come to visit. I couldn’t help but share a few of my other favourite examples with her and so we decided to do this as kind of a collaboration of sorts. Do go and read her post and what she has to say on the metallic matter. If you’ve followed Kate for a while, or read her best-selling books, you will know that her interiors mantra is ‘Something Old, Something New, Something Black and Something Gold’. Try it, it works!
Back to our bathroom vanity cabinet. The carcass was built by our builders using birch ply and I then ordered bespoke brass fronted birch ply doors from Custom Fronts, who answered my brass bathroom cabinet prayers when they introduced this new line, just as I had begun planning our bathroom makeover almost two years ago. I then painted the whole room black to allow the brass cabinet to shine. I love how the brass dulls down over time, then a quick lick of Barkeepers Friend and it’s shiny as new again.
Despite my obvious love of gold, that’s not to say I love it indiscriminately and even I get it wrong sometimes. Last month I removed the Jonathan Adler gold-splattered wallpaper which I had hung in our lounge four years ago, after a growing sense of discontent. It was an absolutely stunning wallpaper but the contrast with the inky blue walls was too much. My tastes have changed and this was no longer working for me. I’ve painted that wall the same as the rest, and painted the ceiling a dusky blue grey instead and it looks so much better.
Speaking of ceilings, here’s what Kate has done to the ceiling in her study…
She painted it in metallic gold paint by Mylands, along with their Threadneedle on the walls, and Rothschild Street on the fireplace. I have been in this room and can confirm it is every bit as warm and rich as it looks here. That’s the thing with gold, it’s rarely cold like other metals can be, particularly when it has an antique or burnished finish.
This is one of my favourite kitchens by design duo Humbert et Poyet (above). They have placed the brass cabinets at the top which, I have to admit, is probably a bit more practical than having them at the bottom. It’s also reflects light and acts like a mirror in the small nook kitchen.
Jenna Lyons, the former creative director of J Crew, does not have a small kitchen in her Soho loft apartment. But she does have a high shine metallic brass splashback, worktop and sink.
Image via T magaazine
From a design point of view I love that the worktop, splashback, sink and shelf all merge together. The metal they have used is highly reflective and when paired with the dark cabinets, gives it a major glam luxe feel. I dare you to look at this image and not imagine yourself making cocktails for your ever so chic party guests. No? Just me then. I love it.
Is there such a thing as too much gold? That depends entirely on who you are talking to. This is the kitchen at the headquarters of Danish fashion designer Stine Goya. She also has an entirely pink room too, so it’s fair to say she is not afraid to be bold in her interiors choices. This Chelsea kitchen is by Reform, also Danish, and I love it, but I would opt for a different colour to the ochre on the walls.
There is also this stone cold stunner of a kitchen in the home of Alex McCabe, co-founder of home textiles range Kip & Co, which makes me question all of my life choices to be honest. Lately I have been drawn almost exclusively to simple clean lines in kitchens, understated etc But this is exceptional. It was featured on My Domaine back in 2017 and it still stands out for its originality two years on.
But using brass in the kitchen doesn’t always have to be done in a flash, look at me, way. You may recognise this kitchen from the BBC series McMafia. It’s the home of Sommer Pyne, who runs House Curious, and hosts events here in her home, as well as hiring it out for location shoots. Here the burnished brass brings a touch of glamour to the Scandi-modern-boho kitchen, which is Sommer’s signature style.
For my last two images, I thought I’d show you something a little different. Marisa from @Oakappledecor has panelled her stair kicks in brass which is a lovely way of adding interest to a staircase beyond paint and carpet.
Meanwhile Michaela at @theoldpiggery has a gold leaf cocktail bar. I love this idea. The bar is built into a cupboard and is the interiors equivalent of ‘business at the front, party at the back’. Imagine the joy when Michaela points you in the direction of here for a glass, and you open the door to be greeted by this. Such a clever (and fun!) idea.
There concludes my gold round-up. Hopefully that’s given you plenty of ideas of how to work it into your home. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
