Few colors can match the timeless elegance of gold. And while using too much of this metallic hue can overwhelm a space, when used judiciously, gold can elevate your style and create a memorable palette.
What Colors Go With Gold?
Here’s a selection of colors that go well with gold, along with some helpful color palette examples:
1. Ivory and Gold
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The combination of ivory and gold exudes sophistication. Ivory, a slightly warmer version of warm white, pairs beautifully with gold. Depending on how you use these two colors, you can create a room that is bold and opulent or modern and minimalist.
For an opulent look, add ornate gold picture frames or mirror frames to a room with old-style ivory furniture. On the minimalist end, you can add a few gold elements, like chairs or coffee tables, to a primarily ivory room. If this combination seems too dull, choose blue or another cool shade to use as an accent color.
2. Cobalt Blue and Gold
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Cobalt blue, a bright and bold color, pairs beautifully with gold. Even small touches of each color will do. If you have a mostly white living room, include minimalist gold photo frames and lamps. Add cobalt blue accent pillows, lampshades, rugs, and any other accents you like.
If you’d rather have a larger amount of blue, cobalt blue makes an excellent wall color! It’s a fresh, clean shade of blue, perfect for bathroom walls. Add gold sink hardware and towel rails, and you’ll have a beautifully distinctive setup.
3. Soft Cocoa Brown and Gold
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Despite sounding heavy, the combination of brown and gold can be quite appealing. The gentle and powdery character of cocoa brown makes it a worthy companion for gold accents. However, be cautious not to use too much brown and gold in a small or dark room, as it may make the space feel cramped.
To integrate cocoa brown and gold into a modern palette, use a cocoa brown bedspread in a room with gold and white patterned wallpaper. Geometric patterns are ideal for modern spaces. If you prefer something more old-fashioned, ornate or brocade gold patterns are the way to go.
4. Blush Pink and Gold
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Blush pink, a delicate and understated color, serves as the perfect canvas for bursts of lively gold. One of the easiest ways to use this combination is to include various gold accents in a room with blush pink walls.
This is a nice look, but it can sometimes start to look a little too delicate and ethereal. Including a darker color, such as a rug patterned in black and white, will help to keep everything grounded. Zebra patterns are especially fun in this case.
5. Emerald Green and Gold
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Dark, rich colors like emerald green are currently enjoying the spotlight in interior design. Whether as matte-finished walls or luxurious velvet couches, emerald green is making a splash worldwide.
If you can get your hands on an emerald green couch, it's a great piece to build a palette around. Even small hints of gold will go a long way in a setup like this. Try gold floor lamps or table lamps, and sheer gold curtains for a mystical touch. An emerald couch will also go beautifully with gold and white wallpaper, adding a touch of glamour to your space.
6. Black and Gold
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Looking to create a highly distinctive interior? Look no further than the iconic combination of black and gold. This dramatic palette isn't for everyone, but in the right space, it's absolutely perfect.
One cool way to use these colors together is to take a dining room and paint one wall (or all the walls) black. Add large gold-framed pictures, gold hanging light fixtures, and/or wall sconces. Of course, this look needs something light to balance it out. White chairs can help achieve that balance.
7. Carmine Red and Gold
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Few combinations are as regal as that of rich red and gold. This bold combination is easy to overdo, but when applied in the right doses, it will make any room stand out. If you're looking to create a striking reading nook, choose a red-painted space and add a red velvet chair with a golden frame. Be sure to include white wall trim and/or white wall hangings.
This combination also works well in a scaled-down capacity. Add some red and gold brocade accent pillows to an all-neutral living room to give it some life. They look especially nice on dark brown furniture.
8. Wood Tones and Gold
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Wood tones go well with any color, and gold is no exception. Many modern wood floors have a warm, honey-like finish that might look too bright against gold. However, darker, cooler wood tones tend to be a great match for this metallic hue.
Try flanking a dark wooden-framed mirror with two gold wall sconces. You can also include gold floor lamps and gold furniture hardware in a room with darker wood floors. If you find the contrast too stark, gold will still look nice with other natural wood finishes.
9. Tangerine Orange and Gold
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Using bright shades of orange, like tangerine, can be a tricky choice for some people. However, if you're looking to create a trendy, non-traditional space, this combination shouldn't be missed! Consider a dining room with white walls, a white table, and black and white patterned flooring. Add tangerine orange chairs and a dramatic, mostly-gold wall hanging. Now you have a one-of-a-kind space that guests are sure to love. Just remember to include cooler shades to balance out the warm colors.
10. Cool Beige and Gold
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Cool beige is one of the most popular modern neutrals. It's a versatile choice that can be used just about anywhere: beige walls, living room furniture, rugs, and bedspreads abound. An all-beige room, however, can sometimes start to seem a little dull. That's when a touch of gold can brighten things up.
If you have a space with cool beige walls, try adding a gold wall hanging. Metal wall sculptures, framed mirrors, picture frames, and wall sconces are all excellent choices. From there, simply add more gold accents to taste.
11. Rose Gold and Gold
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Two shades of gold? It might sound dubious, but layering metallics is in, and you can do it just like any other shade. If you want to make use of this combination, get creative.
Look for metal wall sculptures that use both metals or wallpapers with metallic accents that incorporate elements of both gold and rose gold. If these options don't work, create your own eclectic palette with a mix of gold and rose gold accessories.
12. Medium Gray and Gold
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This combination strikes a brilliant balance of warm and cool. It works nicely in a room with layered neutrals, especially various shades between white and gray.
You can use these two colors by including a collection of gold accents in a white and gray living room. If you have white or off-white couches and a gray rug, add metallic gold pillows and a glass coffee table with a gold frame. This setup looks best in a space with enough natural light to really illuminate the gold.
13. Teal and Gold
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Teal, a deep blue-green color, manages to be both intense and soothing. It pairs beautifully with gold and is ideal for creating high-contrast palettes. Teal walls paired with high-contrast cool white trim are a common sight, but teal also pairs beautifully with gold.
Since teal, white, and gold complement each other well, this combination is ideal for a bathroom. Paint the walls teal and include white cabinets and countertops. From there, add gold hardware, towel rails, and even a light fixture. This distinctive palette will look great with a black and white tiled floor.
14. Peach and Gold
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At first, the pairing of peach and gold might seem overly warm. However, soft shades of peach look right at home next to gold, especially with some cool white thrown in the mix.
This combination is a great choice if you're going for a modern twist on cottage-style decor. Paint the top halves of a space's walls peach and the bottom halves white. Add pale or whitewashed wooden furniture. Intersperse a few gold accessories, being careful not to overdo it. Even a few thin gold photo frames will work nicely.
15. Espresso Brown and Gold
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Espresso brown is an excellent choice for those looking to craft a sophisticated living room. The deep brown color creates a classic look while still keeping your space grounded. If you're looking for something less common, try an espresso-brown accent wall behind a white leather couch to make a statement.
In either design scheme, carefully-placed gold accents will elevate your aesthetic and create a memorable palette. Consider gold metallic accent pillows or a gold pouf made of shimmering fabric. Alternatively, go for actual metal metallics like a gold floor lamp or two.
16. Burgundy and Gold
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Like red, burgundy looks especially regal when paired with gold. This is an ideal combination for crafting supremely opulent interiors, but it can also be used in smaller doses for a more understated effect.
To create a palatial living room, combine burgundy walls with floor-to-ceiling gold curtains. Add dark brown furniture and burgundy and gold accent pillows. If you prefer something quieter, combine dark brown furniture with a burgundy accent wall and a gold-legged coffee table. Add a gold wall hanging or two for a touch of glitter, if desired.
17. Lemon Yellow and Gold
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The combination of lemon yellow and gold might seem odd at first, but it can work when used carefully. The trick is to use small amounts of both colors while separating them with white or a cool neutral.
For instance, you can have a bedroom with soft gray walls and a white bedspread. It's a soothing palette, but you might feel it needs a bit more warmth. By adding a mostly-yellow wall hanging centered above the bed and a gold metal accent chair in the corner, the look is transformed into something more memorable.
18. Cream and Gold
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Cream, with its warm yellow undertones, pairs nicely with gold. You can try it in layered color schemes with champagne (a color somewhat between cream and gold) or go for a mostly cream space with a few gold accents.
The combination of cream and gold generally looks best when you have a darker, grounding shade in the palette as well. In a dining room with cream walls and a cream rug, add a dark wooden table and black chairs. Include a cream-colored table runner, gold candlesticks, and a gold-framed mirror on the wall for a wonderfully balanced palette.
19. Navy Blue and Gold
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The combination of navy blue and gold is a classic. If you're designing a room with a luxurious feel, use navy much like you would emerald green, with soft velvety couches and matte-finished walls alongside gold light fixtures and wall hangings.
For a crisp, modern look, start with a primarily navy blue and white palette. Even a couple of gold accents can have a transformative effect. A gold pouf and a couple of gold lampshades may be all you need to create a stunning visual impact.
20. Sand and Gold
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Sand is a pretty, dilute neutral that's usually a little warmer than beige. It's an excellent choice if you can't decide between white and beige or want a wall color with a bit more personality than plain white.
If you're designing a living room, sand walls with white trim will give you a versatile canvas to work with. Without an accent color, the combination of sand and gold can start to look a little bland. Adding a few gold accents is a great way to dress things up. You may also find that a marker color is needed to ground the palette. A couple of navy accent colors or a navy and white patterned area rug are both great choices.
21. Royal Purple and Gold
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Purple and gold go together well, but the sheer energy of this combination can overwhelm a room if not used carefully.
One interesting idea is to take a mostly-white room and add a royal purple accent wall with a gold wall hanging or two. Of course, if you want to go all-out, you can include ornate purple couches and chairs with gold frames as well.
22. Charcoal and Gold
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Gold looks especially powerful against a dark, cool canvas, and charcoal is the ideal choice. One of the best ways to use this combination is to start with a room with a layered palette of charcoal and other shades of cool gray.
Add strategically-placed gold accents, such as a gold light fixture, a lamp, and a small statue, to bring the room to life. Smaller accents tend to work better than one or two larger ones. If you have furniture with metal legs, gold will work well there too.
23. Rust and Gold
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Rust might seem like a dull color compared to gold, but its autumnal character makes it an ideal choice for creating a warm and inviting room.
Rust-colored couches and chairs layered with other warm neutrals look great. Even a hint of gold, like a glass coffee table with a gold frame, will work nicely. If the palette starts to lean too warm, mix in a cool white or another cool neutral to create a more balanced look.
24. Taupe and Gold
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Taupe, a demure shade of grayish brown, has emerged as an interesting alternative to the somewhat ubiquitous beige. Since taupe generally leans somewhat cool, it's a good counterbalance for gold's relative warmth.
Try adding taupe-colored furniture or a bedspread in front of gold-patterned wallpaper. With this type of setup, you get the benefit of both colors without the risk of gold becoming gaudy. If you prefer a touch of gold with white walls, include a gold-framed wall hanging or two. In either case, a cream-colored shaggy rug adds enough warmth to keep things in balance.
25. Sage Green and Gold
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Sage green, a vintage yet modern favorite, is perfect for creating airy, springlike spaces. It's an earthy shade that pairs beautifully with hints of gold.
If you want to design a cool yet inviting living room, include sage walls and white chairs and couches. Add a few gold-framed, largely-white wall hangings with a brushed gold effect. The overall effect is distinctive without being over the top.
26. Dusty Purple and Gold
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For purple lovers who find the combination of royal purple and gold too intense, dusty purple is a slightly muted alternative. This shade is perfect for creating a balanced palette that's not too overwhelming.
Depending on the look you're going for, you can use dusty purple as an accent color or give it a bit more presence. You can have a living room with white walls, dusty purple velour couches, and a few large gold frames on the wall for a balanced palette. Alternatively, if you prefer a touch of purple, use pale gray couches with dusty purple accent pillows and a coordinating rug.
27. Cool White and Gold
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It's hard to go wrong with cool white and gold. This combination can be used to create minimalist palettes, opulent spaces, and just about anything in between! It will look especially striking in a kitchen, where white marble countertops and gold hardware coordinate beautifully. Adding a white and gold tiled backsplash will add an uncommon touch.
You can also use gold to dress up an all-white living room. Depending on the look you're going for, you can add a single gold sculpture, a hanging light fixture, or even wallpaper with a geometric pattern of cool white and gold.
Colors That Go With Gold
Classic and regal, gold will add a touch of elegance to any room in your home or office. As you can see, gold is more versatile than you might think. Have fun experimenting with gold-tinged palettes to elevate your style and create a truly memorable space.
