Metallic Gold
What Metallic Gold Actually Looks Like
Metallic Gold 2163-40 is a mid-depth warm tan with a distinctly golden cast. It sits in that range between a dusty amber and a polished caramel, never quite orange and never quite brown. The name leans into its Art Deco inspiration, and you can see that in how it carries a burnished, almost glowing quality even in flat finish. In strong natural light it brightens toward a honey gold. In low or artificial light it settles into something deeper and more amber-leaning.
Metallic Gold Undertones
The undertones here are warm through and through, built on a base of red and yellow with just enough brown to keep it grounded. There is no cool shift to watch for. What you may notice instead is that the red component becomes more visible in incandescent light, pushing the color toward a richer, more terra-cotta-adjacent reading. In cool north light it can look flatter and more like a conventional tan, which is worth testing before committing to a full room.
Where Metallic Gold Works Best
This color rewards deliberate placement. It works well as a feature wall in a living room or dining room where you want presence without going dark. It is also a strong candidate for trim, doors, and built-in details when applied in Benjamin Moore ADVANCE, where the harder finish amplifies the golden quality. Smaller spaces like a powder room or a study can carry it on all four walls because the mid-range depth gives warmth without closing a room in completely. It is less at home in a kitchen where you want clean and bright.
Where to put Metallic Gold
A dining room is one of the strongest uses for this color. Candlelight and warm pendant lighting bring out the golden quality at its best, and the mid-depth tone creates the kind of cozy, enclosing feeling that makes a dinner feel like an event. Paint all four walls and keep the ceiling a warm white to avoid a cave effect.
On a single feature wall behind a sofa or fireplace, Metallic Gold 2163-40 adds warmth and visual weight without overwhelming the room. Balance it with lighter furnishings and natural materials like linen, wood, and woven textures. Avoid pairing it with cool grays, which will fight the undertones.
Small spaces suit this color well because you are not living in them for long stretches. In a powder room with even modest warm lighting, the golden tone becomes a statement. Use a satin or semi-gloss finish to give the walls a bit of reflectivity that plays up the burnished character.
In a study or home library, this color on all four walls reads as grounded and serious without feeling cold. Layer in warm wood shelving and leather or cloth-bound books and the room will feel intentional. Keep desk lighting warm-toned to maintain the golden reading rather than letting it flatten into plain tan.
Applied in a hard-finish formula on front doors, interior doors, or cabinet trim, Metallic Gold 2163-40 acts as an accent that references traditional gold hardware without being literal about it. It is a more livable alternative to actual metallic paint and ages better on surfaces that take repeated contact.
What to Pair With Metallic Gold
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for this color. For pairings, lean toward off-whites with warm or creamy bases to avoid a jarring contrast, and consider deep forest greens or navy blues as accent colors that will let the gold read as intentional rather than accidental.
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Colors that clash with Metallic Gold
If an adjacent room is painted in a cool or blue-gray, the transition into Metallic Gold 2163-40 will feel jarring. The warm red-yellow base of this color and a cool gray undertone actively fight each other at the threshold.
Stark bright whites with blue undertones will make this color look muddier and more orange by contrast, undermining the golden quality that makes it interesting.
In a room that receives only cool north light and has no warm artificial sources, this color can lose its golden character entirely and read as a flat, dull tan.
Common questions
The LRV is 35.31, which puts it in the mid-range, darker than a typical wall color but not as deep as a true dark accent. It will not brighten a dim room, but it will add warmth to one. If your room already lacks natural light, supplement with warm artificial lighting to keep the golden quality alive.
For walls, an eggshell or satin finish is a practical choice. Satin gives a subtle sheen that reinforces the burnished, golden character without looking shiny. For doors and trim, a semi-gloss or the hard enamel formula in ADVANCE will give you durability and a slightly more polished look that suits the color's personality.
Warm golds have roots in everything from Victorian interiors to Art Deco to mid-century design, so this is not a flash-in-the-pan choice. That said, a full room commitment in any bold mid-depth color is a bigger repaint project than an accent wall or a door. If you are unsure, start with trim or a single wall and live with it through different seasons and lighting conditions before going all in.
Brass and antique gold hardware read as intentional and cohesive. Oil-rubbed bronze also works well because its warmth complements rather than competes. Avoid cool-toned metals like chrome or brushed nickel, which will pull away from the warm character of the color.