Elevate your scheme with the understated luxury of rose gold.
Rose gold is a sophisticated golden-tinged shade of pink, best known in its metallic form. The gold-copper alloy has reigned supreme in recent years featuring in everything from jewelry to mobile phones, stationary, home accessories, and fixtures and fittings. It is chic and contemporary, not quite as gaudy as gold, and has more personality and warmth than silver. As a metallic, it stands out on its own and has a universally appealing quality that transcends gender bias.
Although it is a shade of pink, the gold tinge means it's not "too pink," dodging the youthful and whimsical connotations surrounding the likes of pale pink and hot pink. Instead, rose gold has a mature elegance that transmits the luxury of gold and the soothing quality of a muted pink. The color rose gold transcends the confinements of its metallic composition, being used to describe anything in a similar pinky gold shade.
What is the Psychology of Rose Gold?
Rose gold combines the qualities of rose pink and gold. Like a rose, soft pink symbolizes love, care, and affection, and the floral shade evokes peace and serenity. Gold is associated with wealth, status, affluence, and success. The warm metallic adds a sense of luxury, warmth, and energy to the subdued pink shade, and together, they offer the perfect balance of restrained luxury and sophisticated taste.
What are the Best Ways to Use Rose Gold in the Home?
Create a striking focal point with a rose gold light feature.
Create an accent wall with a rose gold wallpaper design.
Give your kitchen or bathroom a luxe look with rose gold fixtures and fittings.
Litter your bed or couch with sheer rose gold scatter cushions. Look for textiles such as velvet and silk or patterns featuring embroidered rose gold detailing to emulate the metallic sheen.
Adorn your home with enchanting rose gold accessories, like trays, glassware, and decorative ornaments.
Bring a touch of restrained luxury to the table with rose gold cutlery and napkin rings.
What Colors Go with Rose Gold?
Rose gold is a popular accent color used to elevate a scheme. Because it is relatively new on the market, it is generally best suited, though not limited to, contemporary schemes.
1. Rose Gold + White
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Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Splashes of rose gold make a lively and warming accent, particularly against a clean white backdrop. White is a popular color due to its innate versatility and light-reflecting qualities that instantly make a space feel bright and spacious. White symbolizes purity and cleanliness, which is why it's often used in kitchens and bathrooms. The rose gold bar stools and pendants become the star attraction against the blank backdrop in this contemporary kitchen, adding character and warmth to the space without dampening its bright and sleek vibe.
2. Rose Gold + Gray
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Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Scandinavian Bedroom
Infuse a subdued gray scheme with rose gold's elegance and alluring energy. As an achromatic color, gray has an innately calm and composed nature. Rose gold accents elevate a somber gray scheme, preventing it from feeling bleak. Complement the metallic rose gold accents with other pink textures to add interest and depth and celebrate the delicate pinky undertones. Together, rose gold and gray spell contemporary elegance, and the soothing palette provides the perfect ingredients for a serene bedroom scheme.
3. Rose Gold + Smokey Blue
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Eclectic Living Room
Eclectic Living Room
Eclectic Living Room
Eclectic Living Room
Eclectic Living Room
Rose gold and smokey blue are a match made in color heaven. Like yin and yang, the cool tones of the blue provide the perfect balance to the warmth of rose gold, creating a comfortable and cohesive palette. A mix of blue and gray, smokey blue is instantly soothing, providing the perfect muted backdrop against which rose gold accents can pop. Introduce a portion of white to the scheme to add a fresh, light touch without distracting from the two protagonists.
4. Rose Gold + Black
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Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Eclectic Bathroom
Elevate a black scheme with rose gold accents. Black oozes elegance and sophistication, making rose gold its perfect partner in crime. Less flashy than gold, rose gold adds a sense of understated luxury and opulence. Introduce accents with fixtures and fittings, like faucets, sink stands, and light fixtures. Notice how this bathroom's metallic rose gold features emit a glowing warmth that stands out against the solemn backdrop, adding a touch of refinement and giving the traditional elements a modern edge.
5. Rose Gold + Navy
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Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
Transitional Kitchen
If black feels too somber, try pairing rose gold with navy instead. The deep blue shade is an inherently elegant and smart, timeless classic. As its complementary color, navy automatically brings out the best in rose gold; but its dark tone and light-absorbing quality are what really give the pinky-gold hue a platform to shine. Because of the high contrast, you don't need much rose gold for it to have an effect - less is definitely more here!
6. Rose Gold + Taupe
Use rose gold to add interest and a touch of luxe to a neutral shade, like taupe. Falling somewhere between brown and gray, taupe is a comforting, calming, and mature shade that is timeless and versatile and lends itself to a diverse style catalog. Paired with rose gold, taupe takes on a glamorous and affluent persona. Best paired with taupes with a warm red, pink, or yellow undertone, rose gold accents contribute another layer of texture and add pizzazz without being garish.
7. Rose Gold + Dark Brown
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Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Dark Wood Kitchen
Something about this color combination makes it feel like you're being wrapped in a warm embrace. It's seductive, inviting, and warm, offering a sense of comfort and irresistible allure. Brown symbolizes stability and reliability and has a grounding influence. Again, less is more here; too many rose gold accessories will look frenzied and gaudy instead of elegant and sophisticated.
8. Rose Gold + Pastel Aqua
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Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Transitional Dining Room
Fresh and uplifting, pastel aqua or seafoam blue is a striking complement to rose gold. The green-blue shade has energizing and rejuvenating qualities that stimulate the energizing character of rose gold. The underlying yellow undertones harness a synergy between the shades resulting in an infectiously radiant palette. To prevent the colors from competing, don't use them in equal measure and balance the scheme with neutral white and warm wood tones.
Interesting Facts About the Color Rose Gold
Rose gold is an alloy that combines gold, copper, and sometimes silver.
Rose gold was first used in the early 19th century in Russia by the jeweler Carl Faberge. It was initially called "Russian gold," but that name fell out of use.
Rose gold gets its name from its rose-like color.
Rose gold gained popularity in the 1920s as a fashionable choice for jewelry, especially engagement rings. This was influenced by high-end brands, like Cartier, who featured it prominently in their lines.
Cartier's iconic Trinity Ring was one of the early pieces of jewelry released by Cartier featuring rose gold, credited with bringing it into the mainstream.