How to Add Bronze Metallic Glaze to Painted Furniture
Metallic Glaze on Wood Furniture
Looking for metallic glaze ideas for your next painted furniture makeover? Not sure how to glaze furniture? This solid mahogany chest has evidence of being beaten and abused, dented and dinged. There was no telling how it would come out. This is truly an ugly duckling to lovely swan transformation. Make sure to stick around until the end because this is a Furniture Fixer Upper post, which means that you get even more awesome projects in one place.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HomeRight. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure policy.
Glazing Painted Furniture
MATERIALS NEEDED / SOURCE LIST
- HomeRight Finish Max Super
- Electric Sander
- Painters Tape
- Primer
- Foam Roller
- Screwdriver
- Sandpaper
- Lint Free Cloth
- Drop Cloth /Tarp
Preparing the Bow Front Chest for Paint
There is no way that this vintage dresser is making it down into my workshop until after it gets a thorough cleaning and sanding. From afar, it may not look too bad.
There is a stamp inside the piece that says Solid Wood Mahogany and it has a writing desk pull out drawer of sorts. I have yet to figure out the proper name for it, aside from pull out writing desk thingy. 🙂
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Sanding
First, remove the hardware and keep it all together in a bucket to avoid losing any pieces. Then sand the entire piece with the electric sander. There is an extensive amount of dents and damage on the drawers of this chest. The damage almost looks like someone beat the chest, specifically the drawers with a hammer or tool. These dings marks all over the piece.
Both the inside and outside of the drawers get a thorough sanding to smooth away the dents and dings.
This is my entire process for How to Prep Painted Furniture, but I took the prep process on this piece a little further.
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Primer
Since the wood is mahogany and mahogany furniture has a tendency to bleed through I opted to add primer. I’m a big fan of better safe, than sorry. Click here to see a previous dark wood dresser that turned Farmhouse White with the help of adding primer to the prep process.
There are many ways to apply primer to your painted furniture:
- paint brush
- foam brush
- clean rag / old T-shirt
My favorite method to apply primer to wood is by using a plain foam roller. The same type that I would use to apply a paint for a stencil. The roller applies the primer evenly and smoothly.
Once sanded, cleaned, and primed the dresser is ready for paint.
Glazing painted furniture isn’t difficult. But if you are feeling overwhelmed or just starting out you can always start at the beginning with How to Paint Furniture – a Beginners Guide.
Adding Stain and Bronze Metallic Glaze to Wooden Furniture
Before moving to the metallic glaze portion of the furniture makeover we must address the top. The top is stained using a dark protective wood stain. Next, a bronze metallic glaze is added over the wood stain. The metallic bronze can be used for both painting hardware and as a furniture glaze. This creates a rich wood stain with a slightly metallic finish. The same is done on the wooden writing desk pull out ‘drawer’.
Painting Before Adding Metallic Glaze to Furniture
Inside the drawers and the outer sides are painted in a deep teal blue. I mixed this color by combining equal parts of navy and teal. After sealing the drawers for protection, they are taped off with green frog tape. Next, the dresser body is painted in a neutral taupe. This is a creamy neutral color in the taupe / beige family.
When coming up with a design plan for this metallic painted dresser I compiled a few images for inspiration. These are the inspiration colors that I pulled together before starting the makeover.
In between coats of paint, make sure to sand the drawers and body with a fine grit sandpaper to achieve a smooth painted finish.
Adding Metallic Glaze to Painted Furniture
To get a super smooth painted finish on this dresser I’m using the HomeRight Finish Max Super. It’s a brand new paint sprayer by HomeRight that does not require you to dilute your paint. You can see how I use this same sprayer to paint my outdoor Adirondack chairs. Click here for more paint sprayer projects and tutorials: Paint Sprayer.
If you aren’t sure what products to use when glazing furniture know that there are so many different products and product lines out there. Find the one that you like and go with it. The beauty of all of this is being able to play around and try new things. You can find a variety of great furniture paint colors and products online HERE. For this project, I am using bronze hardware opulence as a metallic glaze over the painted dresser. Adding the bronze metallic glaze to painted furniture will create an upscale appearance on old wood. What’s could be better than that?
Use whatever you have on hand to protect the areas where you don’t want the metallic glaze applied. I use brown paper on top and plastic around the painted drawers. Click here for more glaze involved projects: GLAZE.
When using the HomeRight Finish Max Super you do not normally need to dilute your paint. But, due to the fact that the hardware opulence has a rather thick and goopy consistency, I do dilute it with water. The consistency is more like that of a custard than of a paint. By adding a little water to the bronze it creates a more metallic shimmery appearance.
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Video
Here is a little video of the paint sprayer in action. See how easy it is to use. Don’t mind my useless paper in the drawer openings.
If you are unsure of how to clean your paint sprayer when done then make sure to check out How to Clean a Paint Sprayer.
Creating a Smooth Metallic Finish
In between spraying coats of metallic glaze the dresser is lightly sanded creating an extremely smooth finish.
Make sure to wipe away any sanding dust with a lint-free cloth after sanding the drawers.
The goal is to achieve a smooth metallic painted finish on your furniture.
Painting the Hardware
The original hardware is refreshed to a metallic bronze. Click here to see How to Clean, Prep and Paint Hardware.
I love my Rolgear screwdriver for putting the hardware is put back in the drawers. Sometimes, I geek out over tools. If you also geek out over tools then make sure to check out My Favorite DIY tools and what to do with them.
Here I am geeking out over my paint sprayer. <3
Okay, okay, enough geeking out.
Bronze Metallic Painted Furniture
From dented and dinged to bronze and beautiful with a pop of color inside.
Check out all of my furniture projects with over 90 painted furniture makeovers: Stunning painted furniture ideas.
Distressing the metallic finish creates a worn yet elegant look.
If you adore projects using metallic paint then make sure to check out some of these great makeovers.
Because adding metallic paint to your furniture makeover is always a great idea! Here are 10 more DIY projects using metallic paint. This metallic painted table is stunning with its silver paint finish. Modern Masters metallic paint is perfect for painting metallic furniture. This gorgeous painted table is sporting dark silver metallic glaze as well as a floral furniture transfer See how this painted table is finished with a custom mixed dark silver metallic paint. A vintage ornate mirror is transformed from old gold to metallic pewter. This adorable DIY coaster project shows you how to decoupage your own coasters with added liquid gold paint on the edges. Furniture hardware both young and old look great with a little updating. See how to update hardware with gold paint. Wall decor can be transformed easily using metallic gold paint. An oversized vintage mirror is transformed using the best liquid gold leaf paint in this painted mirror project. For more metallic paint projects, here are both painted furniture ideas as well as smaller DIY projects using metallic paint. Painted Furniture Ideas & DIY Projects using Metallic Paint
How to Paint Furniture with the Best Silver Metallic Paint
How to Paint Furniture with Modern Masters Metallic Paint
How to Refinish a Table with Metallic Paint and Fabulous Florals
How to Paint Glamorous Furniture with Metallic Paint
Elegant Ornate Mirror Makeover from Gold to Pewter
How to Make the Best DIY Coasters with Gold Leaf
How to Update Your Hardware with the Best Gold Paint
How to Update Your Decor with the Best Metallic Gold Paint
Need Gold Paint? This is the Best Liquid Gold Leaf Ever
10+ of the Best DIY Projects Using Metallic Paint
Wait! Don’t Go! It’s that time of the month again for:
Furniture Fixer Uppers
A few of my creative and talented blogger friends and I have joined together in our monthly Furniture Fixer Uppers share. Let’s see what my friends are up to! Make sure to click the links below the image to check out all the amazing projects that my bloggy girls are working on this month.
- Confessions of a Serial DIYer
- Petticoat Junktion
- The Interior Frugalista
- Girl in the Garage
- Prodigal Pieces
- Just the Woods
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I am geeking out over this amazing job Kandice! Look at that. It is a work of art! Love the color selections.
What a fun piece this is, Kandice! The metallic is beautiful and that texture you gave it made it sing. PInning!
Beautiful finish, Kandice! I love how all the elements came together. The writing surface is usually called a pull-out shelf. It would be great as a bar, too!
Kandice, It’s really fabulous! The Bronze glaze is fabulous and I especially love the Teal inside the drawers! The hardware looks amazing after using the Hardware Opulence! I love that you use plastic wrap to mask your drawers for painting and am stealing that technique! LOL! Brilliant! I am always trying to use newspaper but the painter’s tape always comes loose!
Jeannee
Oh my Kandice, I’m in love with the look of the metallic bronze finish paired with the teal color – so pretty! Genius idea wrapping your drawers in plastic (filed that tip in the ole noggin).
This is so beautiful! I am a beginner at furniture painting and your tip are amazing time saving. Thank you so much!!
Wow, I can’t believe someone used this piece for hammer practice. 🙁 You did a beautiful job – the pretty bronze finish and turquoise drawer sides were meant to be together!
Oh My Gorgeous! Love Love Love
I also geek out over cool tools that really work.
I have Paint Sprayer Envy.
What a great save!! Love the bronze! XO
Loved how this came out. My grandmother had a similiar piece which was used as a mini buffet in her dining room. The pull out shelf was quite handy for extra serving pieces, etc. Discovered you via Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer.
Love the colour of this beauty!
I watched the video and it makes me laugh when I see the clothes you wear when painting. I am not the only one who looks like that! I keep old clothes and when they get enough paint on them I toss them!