Getting in on the Gold Trend

Do you want to in get in on that luxe-looking gold trend, but don’t want to have to buy all new everything?  So did I!  I’m sharing my best tips today for how to bring a little gilded bling into your decor, without breaking the bank! 

How was your Mother’s Day???  Wasn’t the weather just gorgeous?  I had such wonderful day with my dear family.  My boys made me the most incredible treasures.  I just want to keep looking at them over and over again, and every time I do I tear up a little bit!  I’m telling you, there are times when I miss them being snuggly little babies, but really, this is such a great age!  When they can finally tell you how much you mean to them, and that they actually appreciate you, it makes all those sleepless nights and dirty diapers feel so worthwhile!

I had been hinting around that I wanted to plant some lilacs outside the kitchen window, and Mr. Allie came through for me.  He worked so hard creating a bed and planting the most beautiful and aromatic bushes.  I hardly mind doing the dishes now, because I can gaze out that window at their lush blooms and inhale that gorgeous perfume.  They’re still kinda small right now, but I just know that every year they’re going to get bigger and better, just like our kiddos 😉

So, last week was a doozy!  Wasn’t it?  I hope I didn’t overwhelm you with all the recipe posts.  It ended up being five altogether, three for brunch week, one for KitchenAid, and if you can count this last minute Instagram jobbie I did.  Definitely check it out, if you haven’t already!  We created this cocktail on a whim and it was such a winner!  I really think it’s going to be the official drink of the summer, around the Baking a Moment house.

Since there was so much deliciousness last week, I thought I’d break things up a little bit by sharing a decor post today.  Over the last couple months, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into beautifying our kitchen and living room.  I really think that our environment has a huge impact on overall happiness.  When I look around me, and see a bunch of stuff that’s old, dated, doesn’t look nice, and/or needs to be fixed, it makes me feel really anxious.  But when I can sit in a room that’s clean, pretty, bright, and colorful, it gives me such a sense of peace and happiness.

I don’t always have a lot of free time, but when I do, I usually spend it looking at magazines and decor blogs for inspiration on how to decorate my home.  And lately, I’ve been noticing more and more that gold and brass are so on-trend!  I used to think it looked really 1980’s but it’s being done in a really fresh way now and I just can’t get enough of it.  Problem is, allllll the accents in my living room were silver.  Everything from picture frames, to lighting, right down to the curtain rods that held my drapes.  How do you deal with that?  Seriously.  If I wanted to replace every little thing it would totally break the bank.

Well, I decided to start with one major piece, and then try to tie in a few other things in the room so that it wouldn’t look out of place.  I finally convinced Mr. Allie to replace the heavy-looking ceiling fan that shed the most unflattering light, and managed to score a really great deal on the pendant you see in the pic above.  I’m thrilled with the result, and we’ve got it on a dimmer switch so we now get a softest, pretty, warm glow right above our seating area.

Whenever I see a piece of jewelry that has gold + silver, I’m like a moth to a flame.  I just love how wearing one mixed-metal piece can give you so much flexibility, and I think the same rules apply in home decor.  I got my sights set on this little side table.  It was a cheap impulse buy a year or so ago from Target, and I knew it would be really easy to upgrade it with a few gold accents.

Rub ‘n’ buff to the rescue.  You might remember I brought up rub ‘n’ buff in this post.  This stuff is a dream come true!  It gives a sheer, metallic gold warmth to everything it touches.  You could do the same thing with gold spray paint, but to me, rub ‘n’ buff is a little more subtle and has a bit more dimension to it.

Just tape off anything that you don’t want gold, with masking tape, and apply the paste with a soft cloth.  It dries almost immediately.

It might be hard to see in these pics, but I left the table top, base, and that ring-support-thing in the middle silver, and the rivets and cross-bars are now gilded.  It’s just a touch- but enough to make the other gold accents in the room make sense.  And, I don’t have to replace all my curtain rods and picture frames- they still go!

Now whenever I’m out and about and I see a cool-looking gold accent, I’m not afraid to bring it into the room!  I recently picked up this planter and I’m loving how it fits right in to the decor.

What do you think of the gold trend?  Are you into it?  Are you wanting to take the plunge?  Have you thought about making over an old piece?