Painting metal bed frame

[sarajones2]

I have a black metal bed frame which I would like to paint either an off white or cream. Has anyone attempted this with good results? I have seen Hammermite in B and Q and wondered if I should give this a try or is there an alternative which would work better.

[Georgiesgirl]

I think you'd need to be a fairly good painter to pull that off successfully. If you're not,maybe spray it? You'll need a lot of paint though!

[sarajones2]

Thanks for replying Georgie. I would have thought that using Hammermite was fool proof, just paint it on, or am I mistaken. First time using that type of paint. I can't spray paint as I live in a flat so nowhere to move the bed to and by spraying I would make a huge mess.

[BirdyArms]

Replying because I was thinking of buying Annie Sloan paint to do my metal bed frame. Supposed to be able to paint it onto anything. But Hammerite does sound better. Maybe someone who's done something similar will come along!

[Georgiesgirl]

Hi Sara,
Hammerite will work just fine (as will regular gloss with minimal prep), it's just that a bed frame would, I imagine, have lots of different planes and angles and paint can pool slightly in these places and then drip and sag. You'll need to be careful not to put too much paint on and catch any drips early. The temptation is to try and cover it with one coat but rather be patient and go for two thin coats than one thick one and keep checking front and back for drips.
I'm sure the Annie Sloane stuff would work on a bed frame but I'm not sure that chalky, brushy finish would suit it, if you know what I mean. You'd also need to wax it as it's a very porous finish that marks quite easily. Looks good on wooden furniture but maybe a bit too rustic for a bed? You'd still be wise to give the frame a quick rub down before painting.
(I've been a scenic artist/decorative painter for 25 years and used to teach paint effects etc for Jocasta Innes)

[sarajones2]

Georgie apart from spray painting is there an alternative that would give me a nice finish in white or should I stick with Hammermite?

[Georgiesgirl]

I think the Hammerite is a good choice. You could use a (solvent-based) eggshell paint, which would be slightly more forgiving as imperfections don't show quite so much but you'd need to do a bit more prep (a good rub down and a white primer).

[HellKitty]

Spray paint would work if you can take the bed apart and spray it in the garden. Hammerite smells - bad. So your flat would be stinking, even with windows open! But it would work.