Stay on-trend with gold finishes

By Linda Mazur, Designer

Always a distinctive element of design and décor, metallic finishes are easy to incorporate into any space and can often be the heart of the design itself. Metals can inspire creativity or simply be the finishing touches to your space. It’s been one of the hottest finishes in everything from fabrics, paint and wallpapers, to furniture, bathroom fixtures, and tiles.

Shades of gold

Today, we have such an array of gold options from the sophisticated champagne gold finish, to the softly textured finish of brushed gold. One of the most popular gold tones—and one of my personal favourites—is unlacquered brass.

Unlacquered brass has an attractive look and feel all on its own. It’s warm, less formal than polished nickel, and less typical than chrome.  This unparalleled finish is organic, and is sometimes referred to as a “living finish.” Due to the absence of the lacquer, this durable, solid brass finish is allowed to naturally age over time and develop a beautiful patina of colour and texture unique only to itself.

Dress it up

As a designer, I find that this ever-evolving finish is beyond adaptable. This gold highlights a beautifully aged—slightly antique—finish that is warm, modern, and works well with contemporary and rustic inspired spaces. When designing spaces for my clients, I find I’m drawn to unlacquered brass for bathroom fittings, lighting, cabinet hardware, and accessories.

Create an upscaled yet comfortable décor for yourself by adding richly textured gold silk fabric cushions or window panes to your room. Fabric is always a great way to punch up any space, and now companies like Alendel offer many patterns and textures to select from to complement any décor style. Consider sprucing up a monochromatic room by creating an accent wall—yes, accent walls are popular again. Select one of Alendel’s geometric patterned papers in a metallic gold colour with a slight sheen—in low-light the sheen will look exceptionally lovely.

The finishing touch

In a kitchen or bathroom, one of the hardest working elements are your faucets. They sustain a large amount of daily use and as such, choosing the right one goes beyond simply good looks.  You should consider functionality and durability, as well as a finish that offers a timelessness.  Unlacquered brass is the perfect new addition to your bathroom renovations by incorporating it in the faucets. Victoria + Albert is one company that as a designer, I like to turn to when selecting bath products. They are now offering the unlacquered brass in both their popular Florin and Staffordshire Collections—both of which are stylish and will surely complete your bathroom renovation on a high note, all the while impressing your guests.

The coming seasons are the best for encouraging metallic inspiration in your design and décor.  Everywhere you look you see the warm glow of gold, so don’t shy away from it—become inspired and fall in love with gold again just in time for your next holiday party.