DIY Thrift Store Desk Makeover (Using Silver Leaf!)

You guys. I finally did something I've been wanting to practise for years now. I argent leafed a slice of thrift store furniture! I'm absolutely smitten amongst the agency it turned out, but I possess got to survive honest. This tabular array nearly ate me survive fourteen times over the past times 2 days. I still have argent flakes inwards my hair. But it was worth it.

A yoke weeks ago, I mentioned that my vanity tabular array was a niggling worse for article of apparel after all of the makeup, hairspray, together with the occasional flatiron melting. In the comments section, ya'll had some bright suggestions nigh how I could ready my problem: plexiglass. I was hence excited past times that idea, together with couldn't hold off to position it into action. I had planned to only add together a slice of plexiglass to my onetime vanity (which was also originally a disaster), but when I came across a larger, much nicer desk at the thrift store finally week for $15, I decided to donate the onetime i together with start over. Here's the desk I institute that I only knew would survive an awesome replacement.

 It had a few dents together with scratches inwards the wood, but I absolutely loved the shape. It had uncomplicated plenty lines that I knew it would survive the perfect specimen for my kickoff argent leafage project. I've had the below motion painting saved equally inspiration for my niggling vanity expanse for quite some fourth dimension hither on Pinterest, together with since cutting mirrors to represent my desk turned out to survive agency also expensive, I decided that using argent leafage would survive a great, affordable agency to attain a similar look.

via Decor Pad

So here's how I did it.
This projection was super fourth dimension intensive (about iv hours total) together with super messy (glitter inwards my hair, glitter everywhere), but genuinely sort of slow i time I got the hang of it.

Here's what yous need:

Metal leaf adhesive

Silver leafage (Great bargain on 100 sheets here. I used l sheets on this project, only leafing the top together with drawers.)

Paintbrush (To apply argent leaf)

Sealer (I tried the i pictured above, but wanted something sturdier, hence I ended upwardly using Polycrylic.)

Sponge brush (to apply polycrylic)

Silver pray pigment (I used my favorite silver color together with yous could likely attain a similar await amongst the spray pigment alone...if I'm existence honest.)

*Above links all possess got yous to my Amazon Affiliate shop.

I started on the drawers. After removing them from the frame of the desk, I sprayed the entire surface amongst my spray adhesive. It stays gluey for nigh 10-15 minutes, hence it plant best to piece of occupation on small-scale areas at a time.

Pardon my homo hand.

Then, I applied i canvass of argent leafage at a time, laying it gently on top together with smoothing it out carefully amongst my paintbrush. To avoid a business inwards betwixt each canvass of leaf, I slightly overlapped them. The sheets are super delicate, together with tend to stick to your manhand. Whenever i would tear, I would only encompass the gap amongst a smaller piece. There volition survive plenty of niggling pieces to select from, equally the argent leafage is super flaky, together with yous volition terminate upwardly amongst a 1000000 bits of argent leafage on the floor. Dropcloths come upwardly inwards handy.

Also, I definitely walked inwards some adhesive at i indicate together with argent leafed my feet. 

That added to my enjoyment of this project. :)

Once the surface is completely covered inwards leaf, yous possess got to seal it. I ended upwardly using 2 coats of Polycrylic.

And directly for a 2nd of honesty. After several hours of argent leafing the entire top of the desk together with all iii drawers, I realized how difficult it was going to survive to argent leafage the legs together with all of the parts inwards betwixt each drawer. So, instead, I covered the top of the desk amongst some arts and crafts paper, left the drawers out, together with hence took the frame exterior together with spray painted the legs amongst a super shiny chrome metallic element spray paint. It ended upwardly working out perfectly, together with since the larger surfaces are all argent leafed, it looks similar the whole thing is.

Poof. Magic.

Once the desk was done, I decided to position your suggestions into action. Even amongst 2 coats of Polycrylic, I knew that the top of the desk wouldn't concur upwardly to my flatiron together with confront goo, hence I decided to purchase a canvass of plexiglass to protect the top. After searching around for a bit, nosotros ended upwardly at Lowe's, where they cutting drinking glass for free.  

I tell 'we' because after DAYS of working on it, this vanity became a identify unit of measurement affair. 

Jesse mean value vanity lovely, but Jesse loathe vanity.

I came dwelling amongst a perfect slice of plexiglass for $20. Seriously, who knew?! 

You did. You knew.

The plexiglass top is super functional, together with it looks great, too. I couldn't survive happier.

And since I didn't desire to ignore whatever inch of this beautiful niggling hard-earned desk, I decided to pigment the insides of the drawers black.

And hence I added beautiful crystal knobs to each of the drawers. I dear the tiny chip of gilt against the argent leaf.

I'm apparently having a metallic element identity crisis lately.

This room changes nigh i time weekly, equally I'm certain you're aware of, but this novel niggling add-on is definitely i of my faves. 

And amongst that, my argent leafing career is complete. As in, I'm never doing it again. :)

And equally always, thank yous hence much for stopping by!

For related posts, delight banking concern check out the following:
1 Bedroom, 10 Ways: Mistakes & Learning Lessons
10 Thrift Store Furniture Makeovers
10 Budget Decorating Tips
When I eventually decided to endeavor i time again amongst the gilt leaf

And experience to pivot this post hence yous tin honour it later!

That's all for today! 'Til side past times side time!

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