Studio Light Makeover…Again (Attempt #2)

I want I had extra studio progress to share with you right now, 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. If you’ve already seen what I’m engaged on, I don’t need to share posts like, “I bought 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 challenge. A couple of days in the past, I shared a little bit makeover that I had finished on the pendant lights on the mural wall of the studio. The lights began out wanting like this. (Please excuse the mud!)

However because the room progressed, and I bought the mural up and the cupboards painted, the all black pendant lights began wanting 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 appreciated 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 shade of the gold spray paint. To me, the shade wanted precise gold leaf. Once more, I don’t use actual gold leaf. I exploit 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 approach an excessive amount of time cleansing up, which is why the shade within the image beneath seems like an entire mess. So after I bought it cleaned up (together with fairly a little bit of sanding), I brushed on two coats of Speedball Mona Lisa Tremendous Thick Adhesive Dimension (affiliate hyperlink) to the entire within 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 shade.

You realize it’s dry when it turns clear and glossy. If you now not see any milky white spots, 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 fully gold leafed.

There have been a few areas that regarded a little bit 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 brilliant 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 appreciated the flat white paint, however for the reason that shade is curvy, I knew a shinier end would showcase 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 Contact 2X in a transparent shiny end (affiliate hyperlink).

I then determined that I wished to take the gold all the way in which and canopy up the entire black on the lights. Since that is my room, and I could make issues as flowery and female as I need, I proceeded to cowl the cover, twine, and no matter that different piece is known as, within the Speedball adhesive and add gold leaf to all of these elements as nicely.

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

After I utilized the gold leaf to all of these elements, 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 assume that I might get away with having these wherever else in the home, however I believe they’re good for my flowery, girly studio.

There may be merely no fake metallic end that can evaluate 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 few of the darker areas with extra gold leaf, my aim wasn’t to attempt to make it look good. (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 best 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 it for a minute, after which stated, “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 stated, “REALLY? You prefer it?” He stated, “I adore it for you. It’s good for you. I’m very glad you will have this for you.”

I swear, that man would help me it doesn’t matter what I do. He’s simply so encouraging. Yesterday, after I wrote my submit about what I’d do with the breakfast room if I might do no matter I wished to, I requested him, “What would you assume if I stated that I wished to fully rework the kitchen after we’re finished with the addition?” With out even skipping a beat, he stated, “Okay!” He’s critically the very 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 value 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 must take so as to get it proper. I’ve been ready years for this room to be completed, so I need it to be as near good (once more, for me!) as doable.

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and beautify 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.