How can I silver leaf cabinet doors?
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I have ugly white cheap builders grade cabinets. A full redo is not in the budget right now. I recently redecorated the house when greys and silvers. I am thinking about silver leafing the cabinets for a bit of an update but I worry it would be a disaster. Has anyone tried this?
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I metal leafed an antique (beat up beyond restoration) television cabinet. It came out great. Here are a few things I learned:
Practice on something smaller first - maybe a picture frame or box for keepsakes or something.
Buy more metal leaf than you think you need. You will lose a little along the way
Use the products recommended with the metal leaf sheets. The sizing for it is a little costly, but a small bottle goes quite a ways and nothing else will work as well.
Put a couple coats of a top coat on it when you are done to protect and preserve the finish.
Clean gently with a soft cloth. Metal leaf is super thin and scratches off easily.
Don't expect to get it perfect - part of the charm of metal leafing is that the joints between the sheets and the little creases and stuff show.
Metal leaf is NOT cheap. If doing a whole bunch of cabinets, you might want to consider using a metallic paint rather than actual metal leaf. Metallic paint won't look at stunning, but you could accent it here and there with real leaf, if desired.
A little metallic accent goes rather a long way. Before you invest in supplies for the whole kitchen, try it on a single door or frame around a door - preferably one that would work as an accent if you decide not to do the rest.
Metal leaf is beautiful just takes,a lot of product and patience. You can always try a smaller piece first like a jewelry box. I've also used Modern Masters metallic paint. It works great and you just paint it on. If get creative can use brush strokes to fake the leaf look. Good luck, have fun.
Krysten, Twyla has given you some really good advice. I also found this video that might help. It's all so pretty, I think I'm going to give it a try!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nb5fLNjEpI
Thanks everyone. I priced it out and it is high. But it is still less than new doors. I used the modern masters on some furniture instead of leafing and it came out beautiful. So that may be an option. I was thinking of something unique that doesn't look "cheap" to cover up basic worn 90s cabinets.