A Little Layer of Gold… (Gold Leaf that is)
While it may not appear drastically different… because it’s not, I decided to upgrade our spray painted Ikea Vittsjo Coffee Table using a little gold leaf. Why you might ask?!? Well, gold spray paint is hard to seal (& still retain its shine) so after constant glass cleanser tackling pb&j finger prints the metallic paint began to wear off. The gold leaf however can be sealed properly & has an even truer shine that really makes it feel more expensive. I also love the fact that gold leaf already has an imperfect look to it. So as it ages with our family it will only look better.
A few tips on applying gold leaf…
Use Elmer’s Spray Adhesive instead of the recommended glue. This way you can instantly attach your gold leaf instead of waiting up to 30 minutes to apply. Just spray each section as you go.
Another important tip is to spring for the gold leaf that is attached to the pieces of tissue. I think it was $9.99 for 18 sheets rather than $9.99 for 25 loose sheets. The loose sheets will get away from you & I feel I only get about 50% of the actual leaf on my project… where as with the attached sheets you can virtually use the entire sheet! Worth it!
And did you notice the other change?!? My new rug! I know I just got the jute one. They are layering nicely together & the best news about the white one… it is virtually stain resistant!! Which is necessary with a three year old & a dog. I about had a heart attack when red jello fell on my new jute rug! Head on over to Creative Home to read more about my decision to go white & how you can get yours on sale now!
I love love love how bright our once dark & dreary living room feels now. It almost makes my hatred for our brown sofa & chaise go away. Almost. Hope y’all had a great weekend!
Love everything about how you styled this!
Nicole
http://www.eleganceandclutter.com
You always have the best styling, but I'm noticing the leopard pillow. Source?
I was scrolling through this post thinking "hmm, that brown couch doesn't really say "Kristin"" when I got to your last lines – haha.
This looks awesome! Love the shapes of the tables first off. Such a cool "nesting" style but more unique. I never knew that about gold leaf. I sprayed some legs of some nesting tables in our den and the vac has bumped into it and already it is chipping so this is great to know!
Looks really expensive and classy!
Laura
House Envy
You do manage to make the living room look "fresh" despite the couch. Good inspiration for those of us trying to work with we've got.
I did this with the Vittsjo bookcase, or I should say I TRIED to do this. The gold leaf is EXTREMELY difficult to work with, even with the sheet attached (though this is much better than no sheet at all). At the end of the project, there were tons of little rips in the foil and though I bought the gold leaf paint filler, it just wasn't the same color. You could tell where I had applied the paint as filler BIG time. This bothered me way too much so I ended up sanding the whole thing and painting it by hand with gold leaf liquid paint. π
I love this idea! When I get my own place I am totally DIYing some IKEA.
Lindsey| fairmaquillage.blogspot.com
Such a great idea. That table looks like a million bucks!
Why does everything look so darn good in gold? Nice job! I've always been a bit intimidated about gold-leafing anything, but you've given me the courage to give it a shot. Amy
Forgot to ask…did you paint your front door? Love that color too! π Amy
very pretty π I'm a sucker for anything gold!
Gold makes it all better π
And your faux marble still amazes me.
White AND stain resistant??? I can't wait to read the details on your fab new rug! Love the gold leafing!
I have a major crush on anything gold right now! Your tables are beautiful and I will have to remember your technique for the future!
LOVE!! The dimension in the gold leaf gives it a super custom look!
i love it! and that rug is amazing!
I actually like the brown sofa with all the brightness- it grounds it. And as the owner of a brown microfiber set that I would live to update, you know I'm serious. Lets talk about your pillows- is there a post I misses where you source those?
Stunning, Kristin! As always! Love the tip about the tissue paper! It's so true! I recently did a vanity table and leafing is NO joke! Thank goodness for that little tissue paper! π Have a great week!
Virginia
Love the look of the gold leaf!
I really liked it before but I think it's even better now. It does look more luxurious. I have the same tables in my living room that sit between two chairs.. I've considered copying you but haven't bit the bullet just yet!
I absolutely LOVE this!! Adding to my list of awesome things to try.
What did you do for the screw heads? I'm thinking glue the legs on instead of screws and puddy over the holes, sand smooth?
There is a difference between its and it's.
It was a typo… Thank you so much for pointing out my error. It has been fixed.
I left them as is & they really aren't noticeable. I would advise against filling them in as we have had to tighten ours up a bit since assembly.
I would love to know where the pillows are from..?
Agreed! Love that pillow!!
The floral was from House of Pemberley on Esty. I made the Leopard & Black Bordered Pillows myself. Thank you for stopping by!
Love love it all doll! And that rug…perfection. Big hugs! xo @ Waiting on Martha
Already found someone to buy my current coffee table, so I can now get this one! And Can't wait to do the gold leaf DIY part!
– http://www.meyouandhayleylarue.com
What would you charge to make me one of those leopard pillows? I need that geo and floral pillow too but that etsy shop is empty π
Try Arianna Belle for the pillows!!
Awesome! the only other thing i need is the floral pillows! Or something similar on a white background, because i am doing a multicolored area rug with black leather furniture and white accent tables, so i have been trying to find the perfect pillow scheme and for the bright zigzags in the rug the florals would be perfect
Hello! Where did you buy the marble contact paper? Can you send me a link?
I painted the marble finish.
Great post! I'm going to share my results in case other readers are curious. I think you might have found a better adhesive than I did!
I've just tried this with the Vittsjo shelf, after adding some greek key overlays to the corners (http://www.myoverlays.com/overlay-kit-for-ikea-vittsjo). I used the Speedball "Mona Lisa" spray sizing, and I have gotten mixed results. I went through 100 sheets of leaf and lots of places didn't stick.
A few questions:
1. Did you just spray the whole thing and go, or did you work it a section at a time?
2. Do you think having the paint undercoat helps create a more even tone? I was browsing a book on traditional gold leafing, and it seems that sometimes they paint a yellow, brown, or red tone underneath, before doing the size and leaf. Just a thought. But the black peeking through can look very cool; right now, there is just too much black and not enough gold.
I will order a case of that leaf and spot treat the areas. Maybe I'll try the Elmer's stuff because your results appear much better.
I'm so sorry you have had issues. I have never had luck with the size medium which is why I suggest the Elmer's Spray Adhesive. I sprayed small sections at a time & had little to no waste.
The appearance of the gold leaf is a personal preference. Some like the black peeking through… Mine was already gold, so I just went over it. I was looking for a solid look.
Again, I'm so sorry you have had difficulties. Best of luck.
Hey what did you do for the marble bottom?
How did you paint the marble? So cool!
This is gorgeous! So glad i found it on Pinterest. Could you tell me how many sheets you used alltogether? Thanks.
I love this!! What did you use to paint the marble finish?
The table looks great!!! I am going to try and gold leaf a bookshelf. You mentioned it was easier to use gold leaf sheets that were attached to tissue but I only see gold lead sheets that are separated by tissue paper and not actually attached. Can you maybe recommend a brand?
Thanks!!!
Where, oh where do you find your amazing floral throw pillows?