I love the glam factor that mirrored furniture can bring to a room! My Rhode Island client and I were really hoping to get a little of that glam into her bedroom. Unfortunately, mirrored furniture is really expensive – even the cheapy stuff from Target or Pier 1 was cost prohibitive in this project.
When I found this image from House Beautiful, I was inspired to look into getting mirror custom cut to fit a boxy and inexpensive dresser. That also turned out to be completely out of our price range (several hundred dollars for just the mirror for each dresser).
So, we were on to Plan C! I did a little googling and found some images of silver leafed furniture…
We both thought the silver leaf was a good alternative and decided to take the plunge. I found two bombay chests at HomeGoods that were on clearance for $75 because the paint was chipping. The size and shape were perfect for the room.
Once home, each dresser was lightly sanded over the chipped parts and then given a coat of chocolate brown paint (Ralph Lauren’s ‘Galvenized’). Once the paint had cured, I coated both dressers with 3-hour Quick Set Gilding Size, available here and at most art supply stores. I used about a pint between both dressers.
The gilding size acts as the glue that holds on the leaf. It’s applied just like a varnish, and after waiting for a specified time, the size becomes tacky and is ready to be gilded.
There are many types of metal leaf. For this project, I used aluminum leaf because it was the brightest silver tone and looked the most to me like mirror (and the bonus is that aluminum is less expensive than silver leaf). A box of 500 5.5″ x 5.5″ sheets is $40-$50 and was more than enough for these two dressers.
As far as application of the leaf goes, the basic idea is to carefully lay the sheets down with as little folding of the leaf as possible. Then using a soft bristled paint brush, just tap, burnish and rub the leaf down. It gets really easy with practice – you’ll feel like a pro after only 4 or 5 sheets.
Here are my best tips for gilding:
1. Do this project in the garage or outside if you are working on a large scale (like on furniture). The metal leaf bits get EVERYWHERE (which is a bonus if you are a four-year old obsessed with fairy dust)
2. Start with a flat, horizontal surface (like the dresser tops) to get the technique down before you attempt the vertical front or sides.
3. Once you’ve burnish one leaf sheet and are ready for the next, place that next sheet slightly on top of the already burnished leaf. By overlapping the sheets a little, there will be less of a gap/crack and the resulting look will be more seamless.
4. I ended up sort of liking the cracks and gaps in the gilding (it looks like antique mirror to me, with the chocolate brown base peeping through), but if you don’t want to see the “imperfections” just use a bit of extra leaf and rub it into the gap or crack with your finger and the size will quickly pick up the leaf bits.
5. I was shocked at how resilient the gilded surface was after the size had fully dried. My client opted not to seal the finish because she wanted it to gently wear over time, but it would be easy to apply some Wipe On Poly to protect and seal the gilding.
The process looks more intimidating than it really is. While it’s sort of time consuming, I was able to catch up on my tivo-ed shows while I gilded (do you spy my remote?).
We used vintage lucite knobs from eBay as a final touch and I think that really moved these formally “Olde World” Homegoods dressers in the “Glam and Gorgeous” category.
Gorgeous results!
Fantastic!! I love the final product. Now you have me wondering what I can leaf!
Beautiful job!!! Love those knobs!
How inspiring. That looks amazing!
Awesome! I'm inspired!
Amazing! Why is mirrored furniture so dang expensive? I love the silver leaf look, so pretty!
Gorgeous! I love that RL Galvanized color. I used it to paint my 1950s vanity in the bathroom, and it completely changed the room.
Totally impressed.
Wow! That looks so great!
Wow! Great job! Now, can you make me one too??
WOW!! That really does look awesome! I think it looks brighter and shinier than the silver, too. Awesome that it is a budget piece that looks totally expensive! Love that!
Gorgeous! I like your end result better than the inspiration pics.
I was just talking to my husband about my obsession with mirrored furniture out of my budget…and VOILA! You have inspired me.
Thank you so much!
Wow!! I've been waiting for this post ever since you showed the pictures – thanks!!
And congrats on your beautiful Evie!!!
What a cool project! I would have never thought to guild a dresser in a million years! Fabulous!!
Seriously? Your mad skills never cease to amaze me. I love the transformation. Just awesome!
They look amazing! At a fraction of the cost of the 'real deal', too! Love them.
On My To Do list for the new year.
WOW.
Why are you so flipping AWESOME??! I have read your blog forever and each time I am amazed at your talent. I also love reading how you write because it is as if you are speaking directly to me. I am obsessed with your blog – but not in a creepy, come find you way lol.
Congratulations on your delivery and new baby!
An avid fan and admirer,
Lisa D.
This is stunning. I am dying to give this a try myself.
Those look great and not too difficult! Thanks for sharing! Hope your enjoying your new little one!
Well, this inspires me to try again. I did a mirror years ago, and it was a disaster. I like seeing the whole process– I can see where I made my mistakes (I'm a visual girl!). Beautiful– but I don't know how you leaned over that belly to do all your leafing!
Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing….I'm looking around for something to leaf!
I mean, this is seriously inspiring. I want to gild my whole living room now!!
This is my first comment on your blog even though I've been following it for quite a while. I just had to let you know that this is the best DIY idea I've seen anywhere in recent history! Thanks so much for sharing! Huge congrats your recent addition, too!
those look intensely amazing.
You are amazing! Love it! I did end up buying the Pier 1 mirrored nightstand on sale but still, it was more than I wanted to spend. These have such great character, great job!
That is one amazing transformation!!! You are one clever cookie – please don't tell me you had time to did this after you had your gorgeous new bundle. Absolutely fantastic – a great job. Your client must be thrilled. Love your bog…….KG
Wow, that is beautiful and so cool! Thanks for the tutorial!
Thank you for explaining how you did it. Your directions make it seem easy!
so i have now decided to attempt this DIY….
its off to find the perfect piece…..
:)
thanks for the inspiration.
What a fantastic project this is! Thanks for the step by step. I've done gold leaf gilding before, but never on furniture. This is such a great look. I might have to find something I can do this on. Saving it to my Tumblr file for inspiration.
Awesome! I've been dying to have some mirrored nightstands. I am going to try this for my bedroom.
Jenny – you are so cool. Like, soooooo cool. Thank you for the tutorial. Someday when I have the cash, I am going to hire you for real to do my WHOLE house. Your taste is fantastic but realistically priced for the average person. I love it and I love your blog.
P.S. I am in the process of making the changes you suggested for my bedroom and I'll send you pictures of it when I'm done. I think you'll approve!
Fabulous!
Oh wow….I am so inspired and you made it look so easy. This is going to be filed away for me to try. The results were amazing. Also congrats on the new baby!
I think I prefer this to the mirrored furniture look! It's so elegant
Incredible and gorgeous!
What is also incredible is that you are able to post these lovely tutorials after giving birth –at home– less than a week ago!
Well done, Mama!
All I can say is, WOW!! I love your ingenuity and creativity!
You did a great job this is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing all your lovely ideas and tutorials. Congratulations on all the votes for AT Homies.
So amazing! You're so inspiring. Thanks for sharing. :)
This looks terrific! I've tried this technique before, and it is kind of fun, and mesmerizing!
On a simpler piece of furniture, it would be cool to try a faux marble finish on the top as well!
Hope you're having fun with your new little project! She's a cutie!
All I can say is, WOW!!!!!!!
Oh my – breath taking! And you make it sound so easy!! Someday I am totally going to try this!
Those are gorgeous! What a fantastic idea!
So beautiful! I can't wait to do something like this in my house. How does the finish keep up after your done? Does it scratch easily?
http://www.rockyriverfarmhouse.blogspot.com
gorgeous! really, you are so talented.
Those look great. I would never have had the patience but finished product is amazing.
I love it, thank you for the tutorial
Those are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this project!