Does anyone know if there is a water based paint which I can apply to oak furniture which looks like the gold leafing sheets? I have an oak chest with carved flowers and wanted to gold leaf the flowers using a sponge in order to keep the dark lines between the flowers and only paint the top most part of the flowers. Thanks for your help!

There is a gold leaf (similar) paint that works well but it is not water based... I do not recommend any water based products on oak because it is such a porus open grained wood. Actual gold leaf can be used in the powered form as well and you only need to apply it to the high portions of the piece and it will look great... very similar as to how it was done years long past.