Care For a Drink? (Barcart Reveal)

Nearly two months in the making, may I present to you all my newest project: my goldleafed barcart.

My inspiration:

The "Roland" bar cart from Worlds Away, which is understated in its elegance and out of my price range at $825.
Surely you'll agree that this piece has style in spades.

(via Material Girls)

(via House and Home)

 What I started with:
A free (!) bar cart from Craiglist that was structurally similar, but a little clunky.
Just remember the operative word here: free.

The rounded trim on each end were quickly removed:

Instead of their rounded edges, I added a streamlined squared dowel to the two short sides and the back of the barcart.
I bought 2 dowels (cut in store) from Home Depot for about $2 each.

The rounded handles weren't the only thing to go.
The original casters were pretty heinous and fell off more than once, so I replaced them with 4 ball casters in brass.

Here is where the real work begins and where I keep it really, really, ridiculously real. 

Goldleafing is torture. 

 There, I said it. 

If anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying to you.
As a result, I didn't bother to take process pictures of the goldleafing (I was trying to power through, forgive me).

All that matters is this, the final results.

 To recap:
--free barcart + $825 inspiration
--roughly $35 spent on gold leaf, adhesive and sealer
--two months of on-and-off process to complete this work

Hope you agree that all the time and energy spent was well worth it!
Now, who wants a drink?