I admit it…I’m a gold freak

I admit it…I’m a gold freak. My obsession with gold is something you will openly and often see on Kimmothy Creates. Not Rose gold or white gold. I love yellow gold. I try to incorporate accents of gold into every room in my house- Whether it is a mirror, coffee table, picture frame or a vase; somehow gold has made it into each of my rooms. I have no idea how my obsession with gold started, but I want little glimmers of gold or accent gold somehow in every corner of my house. And my #555RoomChallenge is no different. My one room challenge makeover of my guest bedroom definitely has gold accents in it.

Gold is one of today’s biggest interior design trends. While copper, bronze, and rose gold decors remain favorites for most people, the courageous ones are going bold and shimmery with yellow gold finishes. But decorating with gold accents can be difficult. The trick behind getting your gold decor right is achieving the right balance.

To much gold is gaudy and overbearing. I play it safe and use it as a secondary or third color option. Gold is never my prime color choice otherwise my home would end up looking like Liberace decorated it. This hue is an accent color to me.

How can you start bringing gold into your home? Well, it’s easy. Simply start with small accent pieces such as a picture frame or decorative box. And I have the prefect project for you. Transform a boring cigar box into a glamorous and stylish keepsake with gold leafing!

And trust me, the traditional method of gold leafing where you use an adhesive, sheet of leaf, and a protective coating is not as hard as it sounds! I promise!

Here’s how you do it and you will need the following:

5 1/2-inch-square sheets of imitation gold leaf HERE

Adhesive HERE

Foam Paint Brush

Soft Paint Brush

Sealer HERE

Items

Prepare and prime the surface

Lightly sand the surface to be gilded and apply a primer if necessary. It is important to note that the surface to be metal leafed needs to be non-porous. Otherwise the gliding adhesive will soak into the item you are trying to gold leaf and the leafing will not adhere. Make sure all your item’s surfaces are free of grease and dirt and completely clean. It’s a good idea to wipe them down with isopropyl alcohol.

2. Apply Adhesive Size

“Size” is the name given to the adhesive used to fix the leaf to the surface. Apply the size to the item you are gold leafing with a good sized foam brush in very thin and even coats. I prefer to use a one inch foam brush. Allow the sizing to dry until adhesive is clear and tacky. The size will dry to a “tack” and it is then ready to receive the leaf. Do not to lay the leaf when the size is still wet. My sizing took about 10 minutes to become tacky but it can take up to 20 minutes.

3. Apply The Leaf

Take a sheet of gold leaf out of the booklet, place it face down onto the sized area and gently rub over the back of the backing paper. This releases the gold onto the surface. As you continue gilding, overlap the leaf by about 2mm. This will avoid any gaps in between the leaves which may be very difficult to fill in later.

4. Finishing

After all the gold leafing has been placed down onto of the sizing, leave the item for a few hours to allow for drying time.

Using a soft brush, lightly whisk away all the loose skewings (odd bits of leaf that are attached on the overlaps). Brush over the whole surface to create a soft burnish on the leaf. Make sure to use minimal pressure. If there are any gaps in the gold leafing, these can be touched up using the skewings.

5. Optional sealer

The sealer is optional, but I applied it since I anticipate this box will be handled a lot and I wanted the extra protection. If you’re gilding a surface that won’t be touched, then you can skip the sealer. I prefer the sealer because it makes the item look extra glossy.