As much as I love painting furniture, it’s the hardware that can make or break the look.  Sometimes the hardware is perfect and all it needs is a good cleaning.  Sometimes it’s all wrong (or some is missing) and I end up replacing it. (D. Lawless Hardware is my favorite source).  But sometimes the hardware is perfect, it just needs a color update.  You might be surprised how easy it is to paint the hardware!

The first step is to get the hardware clean.  Those little knobs and pulls have years of invisible fingerprint oils on them that can prevent the paint from sticking.  So the first thing we need to do is get that off!  I love Fusion’s TSP.  It cleans, degreases, and is eco friendly so you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals.  It comes as a concentrate so I put two cap fulls into my spray bottle of water and I’m ready to go!  So, I spray down the hardware and let it soak so the TSP can do its magic.  Then I scrub to get embedded grit and grime off, rinse and let dry.

Without a doubt my favorite paint for hardware is Rustoleum Universal Paint and Primer in One.  It comes in beautiful metallic colors and has the primer built in.  That’s a win-win!  Most of the time I’m reaching for the Oil Rubbed Bronze but for this project I used the Pure Gold.  You can find these at most hardware stores.  For your convenience, I’ve added them to my Amazon Shop.  Same great Amazon price and convenience for you and Amazon pays me a small fee for doing their advertising for them!  Win-win again!

The secret to using spray paint is to do several thin layers and keep the spray moving.  The minute you stop and point the spray at one spot you’ll get drips and runs and uneven coverage.  I do 2-3 coats on the front and the flip it over to get the backs.  Be sure to look at the edges, too, since you’ll be seeing the tops of hardware!

There have been times when I’ve cleaned, applied a thin coat of Fusion’s Ultra Grip, and then painted with one of the fantastic metallic paints.  It’s a great option, too!

I needed this hardware to match the feet on this piece, which was already antique gold.  So after I painted the knobs, I used some Cappuccino Stain and Finishing Oil like a glaze.  I brushed it on with a cheap brush and then wiped off the excess with a soft rag.  Because it is oil-based I use a cheap brush I can throw away.  Keep it mind it will be sticky for 9-12 hours until it dries.  You can use a water-based glaze but that would require a top coat.  Furniture wax is another great option.  Fusion’s furniture wax comes in lots of great color options as well and would NOT need a top coat.

All that’s left is to attach the hardware!  It is always amazing to me how much that impacts the final look of the piece!  This chest was painted in Fusion’s Pressed Fern which just screams for gold hardware!  Now she’s just perfect, right?