Dressing Table with Silver Leaf Finish

When you discover a secondhand find that is still is good condition, you can do almost anything with it. You can restore it, paint it, or you can add silver leaf and transform a plain dressing table into a gorgeous piece of modern furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

That's just what Virginia did at livelovediy.com - and it turned out awesome. Here's how the table looks after being covered with silver leaf and with the addition of a glass top... absolutely stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All you need for this project is some silver leaf, size (glue), a foam sponge pad and a paintbrush. You will find silver leaf at craft and hobby stores around the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD TO KNOW

Put down a dropcloth or newspaper before you start - gilding can be messy!

 

 

 

 

To cover furniture in any kind of leaf you first need to apply size (glue) over the surface. Work in sections and apply size to the surface and allow to dry until clear, or for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Gently lift a sheet of silver leaf and place over the size. Brush with a soft paintbrush.

 

 

 

 

To cut down on the amount of silver leaf used for this project, Virginia spray the legs with Rust-Oleum metallic finish. You can use Rust-Oleum Universal - titanium silver to achieve a similar effect.

 

 

 

 

To finish off the table and for added protection, a glass top is added to the dressing table. You can have 5mm glass cut to size at your local Builders Warehouse.