gilded nightstand

update: AAAGGH! my gilded nightstand was featured on an hgtv #lovehome commercial! it started airing in march 2013. see it here:

i know.

what IS it with me and gold???

i have wanted a gold-leafed bedside table for a while now. i was inspired by this beauty at urban outfitters...and i realized the old nightstand from my childhood -- that i already have -- has a verrry similar shape.

   don't ask how long it took me to realize that.

here's what the table looked like before i gilded the heck out of it:

i couldn't decide if i was crazy for wanting to gold leaf a piece of furniture...but after a lot of hemming and hawing, i thought: why the heck don't i just try it??

so i did.

[SUPPLIES]

   > sanding block
   > rag

   > water-based quick set adhesive 'size' 

         - i used about half of a TINY 2fl oz bottle

   > foam brush to apply adhesive
   > gold leaf or imitation gold leaf
         - i used about 60 5x5" sheets to cover an 18x18x24" nightstand
           with lots of curves and crevices (i.e. lots of wasted leaf)
   > stubby natural hair brush to apply leaf
   > clear coat polycrylic sealer
         - make sure it is non-yellowing
   > paintbrush to apply sealer
   > optional: gold leaf pen

[TIPS]
- work in a space free of drafts, pets, passersby, etc. definitely work indoors. out of the package, leaf is very thin and very very delicate. and fluttery -- think feathers.

- work on a hard, crevice-free surface -- not anywhere near carpet. there will be loads of leaf fragments and a small mountain of metallic dust on your floor when you're finished.

- work on a clean surface! you will be using some of those small leaf fragments to fill in gaps and you don't want dust bunnies mixed in. or do you??

- set aside a good amount of time. you'll need a half hour for water-based adhesive to become tacky...then, if you're doing a nightstand-sized project, a couple of hours to apply the leaf. it's even longer if you use an oil-based adhesive -- it takes hours to set, but also gives a bigger window of time to apply the leaf.

- when you're finished, VACUUM up the remaining metallic dust from the floor. there's no use sweeping. the motion of the broom makes the metal bits fly everywhere.

are you ready??

first, i removed the the knobs from the drawers
and the drawers from the nightstand.

i ((or was it lil' archer?)) lightly sanded any surface that would be leafed.

i wiped the sanded surfaces very clean with a rag -- you don't want little particles trapped under the leaf! -- then brushed on the adhesive size.

it looks like milk. it had the same consistency too.

(see similar leafing medium options from dick blick here!)

be sure to get your ENTIRE surface. leaf will only stick to where the size is applied. if you miss the tiniest spot, the leaf will not adhere and there will be a bare spot you'll have to try to correct later.
   and if you correct later, it won't look as good as if you had just not missed that spot in the first place.

the size is supposed to apply a milky white and becomes clear when ready for leafing, but since i was working with a whit-ish piece of furniture, i couldn't really tell.

i set my timer for 30 minutes. 

((read the directions on your adhesive.))

.

.

.

then it was time to gild!

metal leaf comes in a tidy pile, separated by sheets of tissue paper.

(see metal leaf options from dick blick here!)

learn from me and start on the flattest surface until you get the hang of it. it's easy to leaf a flat surface. like an idiot, i started with the wavy drawers and while it came out wonderfully, i wasted a lot of leaf.

i ever-so-delicately picked up a sheet of leaf and laid it as flat as i could on the nightstand. you won't be able to get the sheet perfectly flat - but don't worry because it will look good in the end. just try to spread the sheet out as much as you can.

the leaf will immediately stick where it touches the adhesive. don't try to lift it up to reposition because you will only tear the sheet.

starting in the middle, i used a natural-bristle brush to smooth the leaf outward.

small bits of leaf that don't stick will flutter to the floor. don't mind them now, but save them! they can be used to fill in missed spots later.

as i continued, i overlapped the sheets by a bit. if you try to line them up perfectly, you will be left with very narrow gaps where there sheets don't touch and those are the worst to fill in.

for crevices, i held the sheet near the surface and used my brush to jab the sheet into the dip...then i brushed outward. this technique didn't work so well though:

i couldn't get into the corners.

so i cheated:

unfortunately, it wasn't the exact same color as my leaf:

but i told myself it just looks like shadows.

i'm still not sure how you're supposed to go about leafing crevices.

to protect my new gilded nightstand, i brushed on a polycrylic topcoat.

finally, i replaced the old yellowing knobs with some fancy glass ones.

...what do you think??

personally, I LOVE IT!

here's the original again:

i still need to move the "M" and buy a new lamp.

and make a headboard.

and paint the walls.

...compared to the inspiration urban outfitters table:

i spent about $50 for leafing supplies and new knobs vs $189 for the urban outfitters version.

i love the very feminine gold curvy nightstand with the simple clean lines of the platform bed fish made:

do you love it as much as i do??

do you have any furniture that needs some fancying up?
are you thinking about trying metal leafing?

let me know in the comments!

psst! i've since replaced the lamp and painted the master bedroom:

guess what?
this was one of emily henderson's favorites in her nightstand styling contest!

...and it was also featured on knock-off decor!

  *mari