The Best Metallic Silver Spray Paint
The metallic winds of change have been blowing through my kitchen this week. The shiny polished brass (which I still love) is being replaced with shiny silver nickel for an update. The song… “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold” – has been playing through my head as I work.
The brass fixtures and hardware were starting to show their age and not in a good way. I bought new drawer and cabinet hardware, but there were two items that I could not find replacements for – the brass towel bars on the island and the push plates on a lazy Susan cabinet.
They both got a spray paint makeover. I thought I would share what I found out about spray painting metal hardware using silver spray paint – it is not all the same!
Some women collect shoes, I collect cans of spray paint. I do like shoes, too, but my spray paint collection far exceeds my shoes. I went to my stash to find I had not just one can of silver, but 5 cans – all different brands.
Hmmmm! which one will look the best? I wasn’t sure, so I did a test on one of the towel bars to find the silver spray paint that looked the most like real metal.
The Best Metal Finish Spray Paints
Here are my findings on which brand of silver spray paint achieved the most shiny silver chrome like quality.
The Winner:
#1: Champion Sprayon Sterling Silver Spray Enamel It is warm, but bright and has a nice glossy glow that adds depth to the finish. This is the one I used.
The Runner-Ups
#2 Rustoleum Specialty Metallic in Metallic Silver This produced the darkest silver. It was too flat for the look I was after.
#3 Krylon Color Master Metallic Brilliant in Silver – nice and bright – but too flat of a finish, plus it had a slight texture – not as smooth as the others.
#4 Krylon Special Purpose Metallic in Bright Silver #1401 – nice coverage, but too flat and had a slight texture to it also. No depth to the finish.
For Small Items: This chrome paint marker will provide a high shine. Since it is a marker with a tip it is hard to use on large flat areas, but will work for cabinet, drawer and door hardware.
Metallic Spray Painting Tips To Remember:
Keep these spray painting tips in mind the next time you are going to spray paint metal with metallic paint or any spray paint.
- There isn’t a spray paint on the market that will look just like shiny chrome or brass – even if the cap has that color on it. It is misleading.
- Every paint I tried covered and adhered well.
- Sand the surface first with very fine grit sandpaper and then clean well with a scouring pad. Let dry.
- Use one light coat of metal primer for ensured adhesion. Let dry.
- Shake the can for a few minutes before applying and shake as you spray.
- Let the first coat dry for about 30 seconds, then spray on another coat to get a super smooth finish. Usually on non-metal items I wait longer between coats, but to get a nice smooth finish, I have found two quick coats do the job perfectly.
- Protect the paint after it is dry with a light coat of clear protective finish. Important: Most spray paint brands have these in their line of spray paints. Read the directions on the can to find out how long you need to wait before adding the clear finish.
Brass Push Plates –Before
I didn’t get a photo showing these door plates in their polished bright brass state. I used very fine sandpaper to rough up the surface so the paint would have something to adhere to. I liked the look after sanding. If you want to dull the shine on bright brass – this gives it a brushed feel and looks quite modern.
Brass Push Plates After
2 coats of Champion Sprayon Sterling Silver. They may not be like shiny chrome, but they do work with the new silver nickel hardware I added to mu kitchen.
