Gold is a popular color in interior design that exudes elegance, power and wealth. There are many colors that go with gold for a beautiful and effortlessly chic finish. Whether you’re designing a bedroom, living room or bathroom, colors that pair well with gold can make all the difference in a space.
Some homeowners may want a complementary color like blue that will match with gold for the perfect contrasting vibe, while others might prefer a classic combination like black and white with metallic accents for a sleek, modern look.
With so many different color combinations, it can be a challenge choosing what looks good.
To inspire you, we’ve compiled this guide on the best colors that go with gold. From black and white to blue, explore these complementary colors to find combinations that pair well with gold.
Colors That Go Well With Gold
Black
Black and gold is an incredibly chic color combination that makes for a bold and stylish statement in any room. Metallic colors like gold have an innate elegance, while dark colors like black typically have a sleek and trendy feel. When black and gold are paired together, the combination is a luxurious modern look that will elevate your space.
When working with this color scheme, you’ll want to use black as the dominant hue in the room and keep gold as an accent color. Too much gold in interior design can come across as gaudy or garish. Using it sparingly will keep your design feeling more tasteful and restrained.
Because black and gold are such a timeless duo, they can be incorporated into an array of design styles. In a modern minimalist dining room, you could offset matte black walls with a brushed gold pendant light.
If your tastes trend towards maximalism, deck out your powder room with textured faux crocodile wallpaper, an ornate gilt rococo mirror, and a vanity topped with gold-veined black Portoro marble. For a vintage, art deco-style living room, look for black wallpaper adorned with gold geometric patterns.
White
White and gold is a bright and airy color combination that can make any room feel elegant and ethereal. The color white is perennially popular in interior design for a multitude of reasons. As a neutral shade that can be matched with virtually any other color, its versatility is unparalleled.
White is the most reflective hue on the color spectrum. Every other color absorbs light to some extent, but white reflects it right back. Using white as a base color in your room instantly makes any space feel larger and brighter. Adding in some gold accents further enhances white’s reflective qualities.
The union of white and gold can be incorporated into nearly any style of interior design. For an all-white kitchen, adding gold accents like drawer pulls, faucets and pendant lights can make the space feel contemporary with a hint of glam. In a bathroom, consider using all gold fixtures and gilt-edged Moroccan fish scale tiles to create a spa-like environment.
Blue
Blue is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing color options, making it a beautiful option that goes seamlessly with gold. Blue and gold work well together to create a stylish look. If you look at a color wheel, you’ll see that shades of blue are located directly across from hues in the gold, orange and yellow spectrums.
Colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel are known as complementary colors because they go together so well. Since gold is essentially a metallic yellow, it works beautifully against the color blue.
Blues and golds of virtually any hue look amazing together, but choosing the right gold to go with your shade of blue can take your design to the next level. Pale pastels like robin’s egg blue or Tiffany blue look stylish and sophisticated next to a more muted champagne gold. More saturated shades like royal blue or lapis look best with bolder and brassier golds.
Ivory
To the untrained eye, white and ivory may at first seem to be essentially indistinguishable from one another. However, when you look at them side by side, you’ll start to see the differences. Subtle yellow undertones help ivory feel soft and warm against the bright and crisp hue of pure white.
Thanks to the field of color psychology, we know that people tend to associate certain colors with concepts and emotions. In recent years, ivory has become the most popular color with brides who are selecting their wedding gowns. It’s fitting then that ivory is often associated with romance. Ivory can also be seen as old-fashioned, perhaps due to the way papers and vintage clothing can yellow with age.
Because ivory is such a neutral shade, it can be an excellent foundation for more opulent and over-the-top types of decor. This color combination is perfectly suited for the French Regency style of interior design, which features highly ornamental furnishings and finishes.
Pieces like an elaborately carved Cabriole style sofa with ivory upholstery and an antique gold finish and a Baroque-inspired coffee table with brass inlay could anchor a sumptuous sunroom.
Black and White
Black and white is a classic color combination that goes well with gold, offering an elegant look for any space. Choosing highly-contrasting colors is a simple but effective way to create visual interest when designing a room. As popular colors, black and white are frequently used in conjunction with one another because these contrasting hues are so graphic and dynamic.
With the right styling, this scheme can feel luxurious and modern, but styled incorrectly and it creates a stark, uncoordinated vibe. A black and white room with gold accents can instantly make it feel more accessible and inviting.
A color scheme of black, white, and gold works exceptionally well in rooms with lots of hard surfaces, like kitchens and bathrooms. For a modern take on this palette, pair sleek black cabinets with a waterfall kitchen island wrapped in calacatta marble. Calacatta is a high-end marble that is easily identifiable by its unique gold veins. If you’d prefer a more budget-friendly alternative, look for calacatta quartz.
Pink
According to a recent survey, pink is one of the least used colors in the world of interior design. People steer away from this polarizing hue because they associate it with frilly and fussy femininity. Many people don’t realize that until the 1940s, pink was viewed as a masculine color. Regardless of gender, pink can pack a powerful punch in the right hands.
Shades of pink can range from the palest rose to the deepest magenta, while different undertones further increase the diversity of this palette. Hues like salmon contain a hint of orange and colors like fuchsia have definitive purple notes. This degree of versatility gives you plenty of options to explore when decorating a space.
Pink can look particularly chic as part of a monochromatic color scheme, which is one of the leading trends in interior design right now. In a monochromatic room, you’ll choose a single base color and then deploy it throughout the space in a variety of tones, tints, and textures. Pair plush upholstered chairs in blush-colored velvet with gleaming rose gold end tables for a resplendent reading room.
Taupe
Taupe is a stylish neutral color that offers a warm and cozy vibe. Warm and cool taupe shades can pair beautifully with gold to design a classic and upscale feel in your home. When describing colors, people frequently use beige and taupe interchangeably.
While both are neutral colors, they have some marked differences. Beige can best be described as a pale sandy brown with warm yellow undertones. Taupe is the color that occurs when gray is mixed with beige.
Taupe is technically also a warm color, but the addition of gray cools it down. The gray also darkens the taupe a little bit, so it has an earthier vibe.
You can frequently see taupe on the walls of apartments and other rental properties. Landlords and property managers gravitate towards neutrals like taupe because they appeal to the widest cross-section of people.
The downside is that this hue can sometimes come across as drab and dreary. Incorporating gold accents in the form of picture frames, accent tables, and decorative pillows can bring a bland taupe to life.
Cream
If you’ve ever decided to paint your walls white, you know that there are thousands of hues of white paint to choose from across a variety of brands. Some experts say that there are as many as 150,000 white paints on the market, if not more. Minute variations in pigmentation are what make each shade unique.
White paints can be divided into three categories: true whites, warm whites, and cool whites. True white paints don’t have any undertones. Warm whites have slight undertones of red, yellow, or brown, and usually have a cozier vibe. Cool whites contain blue, gray, or green undertones and feel more fresh and crisp.
Ivory and cream are both categorized as warm whites because of their yellow undertones, but they are distinct from one another. The subtle undertones in ivory hew closer to a true white, while rich and buttery cream is approaching yellow on the color spectrum. As a warm color, you’ll want to balance cream with a more understated metal like rose gold.
Green
People sometimes shy away from embracing interior design trends because they fear that when a fad has passed, their decor will feel dated and passé. Green is extremely on trend in the home decor world right now, but this verdant color is timeless enough that it will still look fresh when it’s no longer at the peak of popularity.
The prevalence of the color green in interior design can be attributed in part to the rise of cottagecore. The cottagecore aesthetic is all about embracing a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle and getting back in touch with nature.
In a home, these qualities might be expressed through nature-inspired greens like celery and sage, an abundance of live plants, vintage floral patterns, and rustic furniture. While cottagecore living is humble and rootsy in spirit, you might still find gold accents in pieces like antique picture frames, or a whimsical decorative birdcage.
Nature-inspired decor is not limited to the quaint cottagecore style. With a slightly different approach, green and gold decor can feel exceptionally lush and lavish.
The color green isn’t limited to quaint, woodsy styles like cottagecore. It can also go in a more lush and lavish direction. Jewel tones look exceptionally luxurious when accented by hints of gold. Start by introducing natural elements abstractly.
Look for statement pieces like a large agate print area rug, or marbled green wallpaper run through with metallic gold veins. Round out the look with an emerald velvet tuxedo couch and extravagant gold and crystal chandelier.
Gray and White
For a cozy yet contemporary look, you can’t go wrong with a color palette of gray, white, and gold. Other neutral colors like beige and taupe have an earthiness that doesn’t appeal to everyone. Gray is an ideal alternative for people looking for a smarter, more sophisticated neutral tone.
Many people find that a gray, white, and gold color scheme hits the perfect medium between homey and high-end. Gray and white are both soothing and serene colors, while gold adds just a touch of glitz.
This color combination works particularly well in a living room. A gray area rug with a metallic gold geometric pattern plays beautifully off of higher-end finishes like a gray and white marble fireplace facade. You can also use other decorative accents to introduce touches of gold into a room. A round, gold-rimmed mirror and a brushed brass drum chandelier embody modern glam style.
Purple
The color purple has long been associated with royalty, nobility, and power. For centuries, purple dye was so rare and expensive that only the wealthiest members of society could afford it. It became even more exclusive in the late sixteenth century when Queen Elizabeth I decreed that only members of the royal family and their close relatives were permitted to wear purple.
As a versatile and timeless color, purple is a beautiful option when decorating your home. Purple can be a bold and striking color but can easily overtake a space. To avoid this potential pitfall, select paler purple shades like lavender or periwinkle for your color scheme. These pastel hues look lovely when paired with a more muted champagne gold.
Red
It is undeniable that red is a color that grabs attention. Because it has a long wavelength, red is one of the most visible hues in the color spectrum. Red can make an enormous visual impact in the world of interior design. A little bit of red can go a long way, so it is most frequently used as an accent to add pops of color to a space with more neutral hues.
While there are ways to utilize red as the dominant color in your design, you’ll want to stay away from brighter shades like scarlet or candy apple red. Instead, choose deeper shades with pink or brown undertones like rust, burgundy or Venetian red.
The color red has a stimulating effect, and studies have shown that it can increase respiration and raise blood pressure. For this reason, it’s best not to use this hue in places like the bedroom where you want to feel more calm and relaxed.
Red is also known to increase appetite, making it a great color choice for the kitchen. Brick red cabinets are an excellent foil for coppery gold cookware.
Brown
The color brown is often unfairly regarded as a drab or boring color. But certain shades of brown have an alluring earthiness that is irresistible. Many brown hues are often named after tasty treats proving that this color can be downright delectable.
Brown has an inherent richness to it that is only enhanced when paired with gold. This color combination is especially effective in bedroom decor if you want to create a space that is as soothing as it is sophisticated.
People often think of brown as a manly color, and it is incredibly well-suited for a moody, masculine bedroom. Deep chocolate brown walls make a wonderful backdrop for a caramel-colored tufted headboard crafted out of buttery leather. Complete the look with a modern brushed gold suspension chandelier.
Orange
Along with pink, orange is one of the least used colors in interior design, at least in the Western world. People tend to associate orange with the garish hues of traffic cones or safety vests, but this playful, zesty color can also be capable of great beauty. The annual autumnal spectacle of leaves changing color would be a lot less impressive without orange foliage.
We can take inspiration from nature when designing with the color orange. Painting your walls in an ombre style is a clever way to create a sunrise experience every day without leaving the house.
To start, you’ll want to choose an array of hues from across the orange spectrum such as sherbet, creamsicle, coral, pumpkin and persimmon. Then apply them to the wall in order of light to dark, starting with the palest color on top. Use a gradient technique when painting, so that each hue blends into one another.
An overdyed orange area rug will perfectly complement these ombre walls because they both share a similarly faded effect. Finish by finding bits of quirky thematic decor, like vintage brass crane figurines.
Popular Colors That Complement Gold
The most popular colors that go with gold include black, white, blue, gray, taupe, cream, orange, brown, purple and red. These gold color combinations pair well to create timeless and beautiful decor that will elevate your space. Generally, you’ll want to use gold as an accent to avoid an overwhelming effect.
What Color Goes Best with Gold?
The best colors that go with gold are black, white, blue and purple-blue. Black and white can create a classy color combination with gold for a modern luxury vibe. Blue is the complementary color for gold, meaning it can be found directly across it on the color wheel.
If you’re struggling to choose wall paint, these classic color pairs will help you design a chic look. For decorating ideas, you’ll want to choose a timeless color scheme that uses gold as an accent for a touch of luxury.