Chrome Chairs go Gold & A Game Table + How to Spray Paint Metal
Yup… another basement project and update! Are you impressed? I am.
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Okay, so we’ve got a couple of areas we’re working on, but right now we are completely focused on the little gaming station that we’re trying to create. We looked around at some thrift stores, went to a couple of designer places and then ultimately ended up at Ikea, where we found exactly what we were looking for… sort of. The DOCKSTA table and a couple TOBIAS chairs.
We wanted chairs that were sturdy, but still comfy, and that didn’t have arms. It’s too hard to jump up and celebrate a big win after playing a good hand of cards, when you’ve got arms to compete with on your chair. So these chairs were perfect AND stylish!
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Since the basement doesn’t have tons of light, we wanted a bright white table that was super sleek and simple. We found a few from thrift stores that we could re-purpose, but they were all just too chunky and heavy for the space. We needed a table that wasn’t too expensive or big, and something that we could tightly tuck the chairs under, with no problems. That’s why we fell in love with the simplicity of the DOCKSTA model at Ikea.
As you can see from above, before we even bought the chairs, we had planned on spray painting the chrome base of the chairs a brushed gold color instead. The chrome is AWESOME and looks great, but when we put it in our basement, it sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. Normally I would be just fine with “metallic-mixing”, but in this case, I wasn’t feelin’ it.
So…
Say it with your best “game show host” voice impression.
It works with the corny face, promise.
Okay, so actually, before any spray painting happens, a few steps of prep need to take place first.
1. Rough up the metal.
Metal is obviously shiny, so in order to get the best adhesion, you’ll want to scuff up the surface you’re painting, to cut down on the glossiness.
Same goes for the frame of the chair. We used 100 grit sandpaper, but you could probably go 120 and be okay too, this is just what we had on hand.
2. Wipe work area and metal surfaces to be sprayed, clean.
While you’d think that metal wouldn’t release any sort of dust like wood, it still does shed this weird black grit when you sand it. After all your sanding is done, make sure you clean your work area and metal really well. We just shook our drop cloths out and wiped down our chairs.
If you don’t do this, when you spray, the air that forces the spray paint out of the can will flip up all of those little bits onto your project and you’ll get a sandy-like finish on your piece or little goopy bumps everywhere.
No bueno.
3. Shake, shake… shake, shake a’ SHAKE IT!
I know this seem like a silly step to add, but it’s CRUCIAL in the spray painting process. TRUST ME. You’ll want to shake your spray paint can for at least 1 minute. Don’t go throwin’ your arm out, but know that especially with the metallic gold, if you don’t mix the paint well inside the can, it won’t come out as true-to-color as it should, or spray as nicely.
4. Prime.
With metal, this is really important, because you want a nice matte surface to spray your color onto. We went with the Krylon gray primer, and gave everything two good coats (we used 3 cans for 4 chair bases). Make sure to give your pieces at least 30 seconds of dry time between coats. If not, you’ll get drips. If you live in a more humid climate, you might want to wait a little longer.
5. Paint.
The day we sprayed our chairs, it was 100+ degrees of the driest heat you can imagine. Needless to say, our primer was completely cured in about 5 minutes, but to be on the safe side, we waited the full 30 for everything to harden up. I didn’t want to take any chances.
After that, we got to shakin’ and sprayin’ our gold. The Krylon ColorMaster cans are awesome because they have the super easy spray tip and you can adjust the nozzle to accommodate whichever way you’re spraying. We used smooth, even, constant, slower strokes when applying our paint. This cuts down on getting any splotchyness anywhere. Because metal doesn’t soak up paint like wood, you’ll want to wait a little longer between coats to avoid drips. (We applied about 2-3 coats on our chairs and used 4 cans.)
Okay, Got that?
I posted this picture on our Instagram feed after our chair bases were all done, and got a few questions about the color, so I wanted to clarify some things.
We tried a couple of different brands of gold spray paint, and in the end, Krylon had the shade of gold that we were looking for. While the picture above (probably due to my Instagram filter choice) looks really yellow, the actual shade of the Krylon gold is more of a darker, almost brassier gold color.
And if you remember, that’s also the shade of gold that our wallpaper downstairs in the basement is too.
That being said, metallic’s are metallic’s, and so depending on how the light hits your piece, you’ll get various different (darker or lighter) reflections/shades of gold. For example, our bases definitely look more yellow in the sunlight than they do in the dark basement. Metallic’s are super cool like that.
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This picture below, that I took outside, but in the shade, sort of gives you a better idea of what I mean.
…and here are the finished chairs + table downstairs in our basement!
You can definitely see here, the brassier, less bright yellow gold color that I’m referring to.
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A few things, because I’m sure someone will ask:
1. Yes, we purchased 4 chairs. The other one is just sitting in a different spot in our basement for now.
2. The oversized tic-tac-toe game was bought at Zgallerie. I had a gift card and it was just too cute to pass up ๐
3. I bought a wipe-able, durable table because I knew that this space would also be acting as a homework station for my kiddos as well, but of COURSE, there’s already been some “coloring accidents” on it, so I’ve also recently purchased a black and white oilcloth round tablecloth for this little guy too. The marker that got on the table cleaned up just fine with a little Softscrub and damp cloth, and I know that the piece wasn’t SUPER expensive, but I want my stuff to last as long as possible… or I dunno, maybe just like, a WEEK!? ack, kids!
I’ve got my eye out for a little somethin’-somethin’ for that corner there by the right side of the table. A small cabinet of sorts to store games/art/school supplies in maybe? It would definitely have to be narrow though, so we’ll see. I would also love to do a really neat collage on the wall behind the game table too, or at least a fun piece of art! We’ve got our thinking caps on for this one
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Till then!…
linking up here: Tutorials & Tips Link Party
Unknown says
The gold turned out really pretty…I love metallic finishes and mixing and matching and just love spray paint. I will have to try the Krylon, have not tried that on metal yet.
Shawna
asdfjkl; says
Lol, now that gold is coming back, maybe I won't go changing all my doorknobs/hinges to oil rubbed bronze. Looks great!
๐ Bren
embee says
i think it is a typo…. you said 30 seconds between primer coats?
Kristin@bliss-athome.com says
I love it! So modern! xo Kristin
Steph says
I love the game on the table. reminds me of the chinese checkers at your parents house. ๐ xoxo
opienkat says
Just found you, and let me just say…where have you been all my life?! I wanna be just like you when I grow up … so ignore the fact that I'm 42 ๐ Can't wait for the next project. Feeling so inspired, so I better run…projects are calling!
nest of posies says
LOVE the gold legs! you smarty pants.
Ashleigh says
I'm so glad you posted this! I've been wanting to spray paint my metal bed frame, but haven't had a clue where to start!
Kara says
Fun! For a REALLY low-profile game/art supplies cabinet, you might consider the IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinet. It won't give you tons of space, but it can maximize the space you do have. I would opt for the two-compartment model; it has a drawer on top that you could use for playing card, score sheets, markers/colored pencils, etc. ๐
Unknown says
Hi Shelly! I love that you LOVE IKEA! Just an FYI, we use the Magic Erasures to get marks off the tables in the store. They are one of our favorite products for this type of surface. Hope it helps!
Jessie says
Love the chairs with the gold! And really like that tic tax toe game,adorable!
VA Trollbeads says
Looks great! Where did you purchase the table cloth from? I'm looking for a round table cloth too, and I LOVE that fabric!
Jennifer says
Great tips for spraying painting on metals! I have a brass chandelier that I'm itching to paint. Will definitely consult your guide.
Julie @ Living on the Ledge says
So cute – love it! I'm wandering around blog land looking for decoration inspiration for our new home, and I found your blog. Love your style!
Anonymous says
Oh my word, this is SO cool! I've been wanting to do some kind of DIY with furniture, but have been too nervous to try it just yet. This seems very do-able though! Thanks for all of the tips on the process and what products to use – so helpful.
Ashleigh
{from Craftistas}
Unknown says
The tic tac toe board is adorable and I absolutely love the chairs! I have been using a lot of gold accessories to decorate with recently too. For the storage for the games, why not use the Lack Wall shelf Unit from Ikea? I bet that would fit well in that space!
ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80163781/#/40163778
Ruth says
Ah, yes, I thought you meant to type "30 minutes" drying time instead of "30 seconds" drying time for the Step 4 Primer.
I hope this spray paint lasts! It looks great! (Don't kids seem to mess up the newest stuff first?)
Jenny Lynn says
Great tips on spray painting metal. The chairs look great. I am sure that I will be using your tips real soon on some up coming projects. ๐
Megan {The Brick Bungalow} says
You are making me love gold! I need to figure out how and where to add it in my house!!!
AnaLisa @ Whatever Is Lovely says
I love it! Looks great!
AnaLisa @ Whatever Is Lovely says
I love it! Looks great!
Unknown says
Very cool. I have those same chairs in my dining room and have been toying with the idea of paint them a bold, funky color, or maybe gloss white. My only fear is that the paint could chip off of the top mounting plates very easily. Thought about just leaving those chrome, but that kinda defeats the whole purpose of painting the bases. I may just be paranoid. haha.
Unknown says
This is a very fascinating post, I was looking for this info. All information found here is genuine and realistic.
Unknown says
I have been scouring the internet for this DIY! Thank you so much. Your chairs look great. ๐
Micheal Hussey says
I've been trying to find hours and now I have got such splendid work.
bubblegum casting
Unknown says
I have been looking for the perfect chair for my desk in my room and came across this. buying the chair tomorrow and cannot wait to start this project! I love love this!