How to paint handles and hardware

When you restore, upcycle, repurpose or make your own furniture, painting you want to be able to paint handles and hardware to match the finished project. Plus, you can't always find what you need in the stores, so it helps to know that you can - and how to - paint handles and hardware.

 

 

 

 

 

ABOVE: It's not always easy to find the handles you want, and being able to paint them allows you to create handles that are perfect for your project. These matt steel handles weren't shabby looking, so I used an old artist's paintbrush to dab on black acrylic craft paint and sprayed on a clear sealer coat.

 

 

YOU WILL NEED:

Painting hardware offers an inexpensive and simple way to update the look of a piece of furniture. Rust-Oleum 2X and Universal spray paints offer a range of colours and finishes that allow you to change the look of your handles. Furniture and room, whether on a bedroom dresser, an office desk or kitchen cabinets.

 

 

If you are thinking of switching your brass hardware to a pewter colour, go for either a satin or brushed nickel, or pewter finish, not a polished look. A matte finish will have a longer style life than polished, and is easier to pair up with other accessories.

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

• Remove the existing handles or knobs and give them a good clean in warm. soapy water, or use paint stripper to strip off any paint or varnish. Matt or metallic paints are the best paints to use for this type of project, although a gloss paint is perfect for wooden knobs.
• Place the pieces out on a sheet of newspaper and spray them lightly, allowing each coat to dry before spraying on the next coat. Once painted and dry, check that you have painted all the nooks and crannies or give them another coat if not.
• You can paint almost any type of handle or knob to match a project, but bear in mind that plastic is not the best handle to paint, as the paint eventually wears off. But brass, metal or steel and most other types of handles can be painted if you use the right products.

 

 

 

 

I have painted quite a few brass and chrome-plated door handles in my time. Chrome-plated are probably the easiest handles to paint and all you have to do is make sure they are clean, give them a light sanding with 180-grit sandpaper and then spray on a coat or two of Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in your choice of colour.

 

 

Brass handles require a little more preparation. It is important to thoroughly clean brass handles and then sand with 180-grit sandpaper before spraying. If you don't give them a good sanding all over, chances are the paint may chip off later on.

 

 

 

 

Spray on the primer coat. When spraying on the colour, in this case Rust-Oleum Universal metallic in oil-rubbed bronze, only apply a very light first coat and allow this to dry before applying a light second coat. The reason for applying only a light coat is that you want the paint to bond nicely with the metal surface.

 

 

 

 

Here is my finished door handle and I'm sure there are a few of you wondering why on earth I would bother painting a brass handle. The handles are quite old and, besides being tired of forever having to polish the handles, I have also now covered up quite a few scratches.

 

 

 

 

I love it when I find vintage hardware that is still in good condition and that just needs a couple of coats of spray paint. Use Plascon RemovAll to strip off layers of old paint and then lightly sand with 180-grit sandpaper.

 

 

 

 

Spray on a light primer coat, let dry and then apply your choice of top coat. I love the finished look of this Rust-Oleum Universal metallic spray in dark steel.

 

 

You will find the full range of Rust-Oleum spray products at your local Builders Warehouse store.