Studio Gentle Makeover…Once more (Try #2)

I want I had extra studio progress to share with you as we speak, however I don’t. It’s not that progress hasn’t been made. I’ve been working diligently in there, however a few of these initiatives for that room simply take a very long time. And in some unspecified time in the future, the progress turns into boring. Once you’ve already seen what I’m engaged on, I don’t wish to share posts like, “I acquired 5 extra doorways and drawers gold leafed, and 4 extra cupboard doorways trimmed out!” That’s simply not fascinating. 😀

However I do have a small replace to share as a result of this was sort of a gaggle venture. A number of days in the past, I shared just a little makeover that I had carried out on the pendant lights on the mural wall of the studio. The lights began out trying like this. (Please excuse the mud!)

However because the room progressed, and I acquired the mural up and the cupboards painted, the all black pendant lights began trying too heavy and imposing to my eye. So I eliminated the shades, pulled out some gold and white spray paints, and gave them a fast makeover. They regarded like this…

I preferred them significantly better like that. The gold and white took away a few of that visible heaviness, however I wasn’t loopy in regards to the remaining coloration of the gold spray paint. To me, the shade wanted precise gold leaf. Once more, I don’t use actual gold leaf. I use this imitation gold leaf (affiliate hyperlink).

Earlier than going the gold leaf route, I really tried Rub N Buff first. I didn’t prefer it in any respect, and it made an enormous mess of my shade that I needed to spend method an excessive amount of time cleansing up, which is why the shade within the image beneath seems like an entire mess. So after I acquired it cleaned up (together with fairly a little bit of sanding), I brushed on two coats of Speedball Mona Lisa Super Thick Adhesive Size (affiliate hyperlink) to the entire inside the shade. I solely use the tremendous thick adhesive dimension as a result of it doesn’t run and drip just like the thinner stuff. When the adhesive is utilized, it seems a milky white coloration.

You already know it’s dry when it turns clear and glossy. Once you not see any milky white spots, you recognize it’s prepared for the steel leaf to be utilized.

Right here’s what the within of the shade regarded like after the within was utterly gold leafed.

There have been a few areas that regarded just a little too darkish and cracked for my style, so I simply put one other layer of adhesive over these areas, let it dry, and utilized extra steel leaf to shiny it up a bit extra. I additionally taped off the underside fringe of the skin of the shade and utilized gold leaf to that backside edge throughout the shade. To me, that made an enormous distinction!

After letting these shades sit there for a few days, I lastly determined to take the advice that a number of of you made and provides the white a shinier clear coat. I preferred the flat white paint, however for the reason that shade is curvy, I knew a shinier end would exhibit the gorgeous form even higher. So I gave the skin of the shade (together with the underside gold leaf accent) three coats of Rust-Oleum Painters Touch 2X in a clear glossy finish (affiliate hyperlink).

I then determined that I wished to take the gold all the best way and canopy up all the black on the lights. Since that is my room, and I could make issues as flowery and female as I would like, I proceeded to cowl the cover, twine, and no matter that different piece is named, within the Speedball adhesive and add gold leaf to all of these components as properly.

To take action, I didn’t take it down utterly. I simply loosened the nuts that maintain the cover to the ceiling junction field sufficient in order that the cover was not touching the ceiling, after which I proceeded with brushing the adhesive onto all of these components.

After I utilized the gold leaf to all of these components, I reattached the shade and that is what the completed gentle regarded like.

That’s fairly a 180-degree distinction from the way it began! 😀 And I completely LOVE it! It’s simply what I wished these lights to be — gentle, ethereal, and female. I don’t suppose that I might get away with having these wherever else in the home, however I believe they’re excellent for my flowery, girly studio.

There may be merely no fake metallic end that may examine to actual steel leaf. I’ve tried so many spray paints, pens, acrylic paints, alcohol inks, and waxes, and whereas some come very shut, none of them look really metallic when in comparison with an precise metallic shine. And there’s simply one thing about gold leaf that I really like a lot. I believe it’s the imperfection of it that provides it a fragile look that I like a lot.

You’ll be able to see what I’m speaking about on the within of the shade particularly. Whereas I did return and canopy over a number of the darker areas with extra gold leaf, my objective wasn’t to attempt to make it look excellent. (I don’t even know if perfection is feasible with gold leaf!) I wished a few of that imperfection to remain as a result of that’s the fantastic thing about gold leaf.

I believe this new (and remaining) look is significantly better than the primary try. The primary one was a step in the suitable route, but it surely nonetheless regarded heavy and boring. The present and remaining iteration seems a lot lighter and brighter. I believe it’s an ideal complement to my flowery, girly studio with the gold leafed pink cupboards.

Matt got here into my studio some time again to see my mural + pink cupboard + gold leaf combo for the primary time. He sat there taking a look at it for a minute, after which mentioned, “Wow. I adore it!” That’s not fairly the response I used to be anticipating from him after seeing my flowery, pink, girly wall, and I’m certain the look on my face confirmed full shock after I turned to him and mentioned, “REALLY? You prefer it?” He mentioned, “I adore it for you. It’s excellent for you. I’m very glad you might have this for you.”

I swear, that man would assist me it doesn’t matter what I do. He’s simply so encouraging. Yesterday, after I wrote my publish about what I’d do with the breakfast room if I might do no matter I wished to, I requested him, “What would you suppose if I mentioned that I wished to utterly rework the kitchen after we’re carried out with the addition?” With out even skipping a beat, he mentioned, “Okay!” He’s significantly one of the best.

Anyway, I’m so near ending the mural wall within the studio. I can’t wait to get that completed and transfer on to the opposite sections! I actually slowed myself down after I determined to gold leaf the cupboard doorways and drawers. That’s a really gradual course of, but it surely’ll completely be price it (to me!) when it’s completed. I believe this studio goes to surpass my expectations when it’s completed, and I already had fairly excessive expectations earlier than I began. And I’m not in a race, so I’ll take the time I have to take as a way to get it proper. I’ve been ready years for this room to be completed, so I would like it to be as near excellent (once more, for me!) as attainable.

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.