GET A FUNKY FUN FAUX SILVER LEAF FINISH WITH JUST PAINT!

DIY Fun Ideas
by DIY Fun Ideas
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I've been doing a lot of work making inexpensive upgrades at my parents' home. An easy update I did was to paint all the ugly brown doors white which really brightened up the home. But for the guest room, i.e, my room when I visit, I wanted to do something really fun. It took me a while to figure out exactly what I was going to do, but then the idea came to me. Since I already gave the furniture in the room a shabby chic refurb using Looking Glass Paint (my tutorial is also here on Hometalk), I wanted to do something that would complement that look. But I also didn't want to spend a lot of money. My solution: I experimented with creating a silver leaf finish using paint. There was a little bit of troubleshooting along the way to get the finish I wanted, but once I figured it out it was SUPER EASY and I LOVE the result!
I'm considering a teal color for the walls. This look isn't for everyone, but if you like fun, funky and eclectic then it may be up your alley.
I've posted the highlights of the project here, but for all the details (paint, problem solving solutions, etc.) follow the link at the end of the post.
finish
Here is the before picture and that's my shabby chic dresser on the left.
I started by priming the doors.
Then to create that patchwork silver leaf look, I painted alternating horizontal and vertical brush strokes.
It looked amazing, until it started to dry. You can see in the next picture the areas where it's drying how the definition of the brush strokes was fading away.
I was pretty bummed at this point. I literally sat watching the paint dry. My beautiful finish was fading away before my eyes. What I needed was something to create a little contrast between the vertical and horizontal strokes. I had no idea what I was going to do. Then digging through my parents' garage, I found the solution. It was another experiment, but it turned out perfect!
Once the paint dried, I added some gorgeous knobs.
But my biggest lesson learned from this project came from my little fur monster, Lily.
My lesson: Keep the baby out of the room when painting.
When I caught sight of this action out of the corner of my eye, I let out a little yelp. My poor girl froze in her tracks. I scared the poor thing. I have to admit, though, that those tiny little puppy prints are pretty adorable.
Once again, here's the before picture and then what it looks like now...
Oh and notice the new trim? Here's a secret: it's not trim. I simply painted that on too! (more about that on the blog)


Anyway, thanks for stopping by! For the full faux silver leaf tutorial including all the info on paint, painting technique, special brush used, tips and more lessons learned, follow the link below...
DIY Fun Ideas
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Joy Walsh Joy Walsh on Oct 29, 2018

    i think a part of this article is missing, what did you find in your parents garage to complete the look?

  • Audrey Audrey on Apr 16, 2019

    What did you find in the garage to complete this look?

  • Audrey Audrey on Apr 16, 2019

    What did you find in the garage to complete this look?

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  • Beth Beth on Feb 04, 2021

    I like this. I need to do something also to my blah doors. Thanks for sharing.

  • Johanne Palange Johanne Palange on Jun 10, 2021

    Great look on the doors. However, I would have painted all trim the same as the wall color. Look at the picture where the walls are white, and your eye is drawn to the doors, no obstacle between them and the wall. Look at the teal walls: when your eye transitions to the door, it is stopped by the white contrast that detracts from the look of your beautiful doors. Love the faux finish.

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