How to Create a Metallic Finish on Furniture

This fabulous product is water-based and environmentally friendly with low VOCs. It is super easy to work with and you can use it to add beautiful metallic effects to all your furniture and home decor projects.

Currently the Metallic Cream is available in 4 colors in pints (16 oz jars) and sample jars (4 oz):

Trigger (pewter)
Pocket Watch (gold)
Belt Buckle (bronze)
Silver Bullet (silver)

In this tutorial we'll show you how to apply Metallic Cream to your project to add a beautiful shine on accent areas, or over your entire piece. If you'd rather watch a video, we also have a video tutorial available in the last step of this tutorial!

Metallic Cream can be found on our website at www.countrychicpaint.com.

Step 1: Start With a Painted Piece

Prepare your surface, paint, and distress your piece as desired by following our previous tutorials available here.

Hint: if you would like to achieve opaque metallic coverage we recommend starting with a base coat of paint in a similar color to the metallic cream you’ve chosen as this will allow you to get full coverage with less coats. Here are our suggestions:

for Trigger, use a base coat of Rocky Mountain or Hurricane
for Pocket Watch, use a base coat of Fresh Mustard
for Belt Buckle, use a base coat of Chocolate Tart or Dark Roast
for Silver Bullet, use a base coat of Pebble Beach or Cobblestone

Step 2: Allow It to Dry Completely

Make sure any paint on your surface has been allowed to dry for at least 12 hours. Overnight is best.

Step 3: Apply the Metallic Cream

When applying the Metallic Cream to a large flat surface, we would recommend using a sponge. However, you may also use a lint-free cloth, or a paint brush. Use a thin coat. If needed, you can add a second coat after the first coast has dried.

Metallic Cream dries very quickly, especially when applied in thin layers. Be sure to work with small sections of your piece at a time so you can remove any unwanted cream immediately before it dries.

Step 4: Apply a Second Color, If Desired

If you want to add more depth to your finish, try adding a second metallic cream color to your piece. On this headboard, Rosanne used Trigger topped with a coat of Silver Bullet to achieve a stunning metallic finish!

For the second coat, we would recommend using a paint brush to apply the Metallic Cream sparingly. Then use a lint-free rag to smooth out the cream and to leave a wash behind.

Step 5: Seal Your Work

Our paint doesn’t require a top coat, and the Metallic Cream does offer additional protection. However, you may certainly use Tough Coat or one of our waxes to further finish your work. Tough Coat is highly recommended on surfaces that are used frequently, such as table tops.

We wouldn't advise using wax first, and then using metallic cream. Since the creams are water-based, they will not adhere well to an oil-based, waxy surface. Just keep in mind that wax always goes on last.