DIY: Brass Coffee Table Makeover

Happy Sunday!  It's been a beautiful weekend in the Seattle area, so I have been out enjoying the sun with the family!  But I wanted to make sure and get this project up for all to read about.  It's my first official DIY project!  Well, it's the first one I did on my own (my mom is a big DIY'er so she usually has a hand in a lot of projects I do).

We found this table at a consignment store and thought it would be perfect in our living room, but I really didn't like the brass color so I decided to spray paint it chrome. 

 

The table has a lot of little crevices where it can be tough to get spray paint on evenly.

*Always spray paint in a well ventilated area!  This stuff is toxic!
I first checked for areas that looked rough.  I used a fine grit sand paper to sand a few spots until smooth.  The chrome paint will show every imperfection so you want to make sure you have a smooth surface.  I then wiped the table down with a damp wash cloth to remove any residue or dust that could be on the table. 

I applied my first coat of primer very light.  Brass is a tough surface to cover so I used automobile primer which adheres to brass better.  Then I waited a few minutes and applied a second coat.  I had a few areas start to run so I wiped the paint off and started again in that area. 

After the second coat dried, I checked for areas I may have missed (all those little crevices I mentioned earlier) and applied as light a coat as I could to cover those areas.  You want to make sure they're covered but not so heavily that it will clump and/or run.

Don't forget to paint the bottom! 

 

I then let the primer dry for 24 hours before starting the chroming process. 

 I was super nervous to do the chrome paint since it shows everything.  I chose Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish chrome paint.  It has a true chrome color. 

 

My first coat was very, very light.  I noticed the chrome paint runs more than the primer, so I knew I would have to do more, and lighter, coats than the primer.  

 

The claws that hold the glass table top on looked pretty good after just 2 coats.

 

And here's the finished product!  In all I think I did 3 coats of chrome on most of the table, and 4 in a few areas.   

 

I added some bumpers on top of the claws to keep the glass top from rubbing.

 

 

Much better than that brass color if you ask me.