How to Paint Aluminum Patio Furniture

Just like everything else in our home, our outdoor spaces have been a process too! What started as a pile of bricks has transformed into a patio where we love to spend time in the warmer months (and around a fire in the colder ones)! We ALSO love hand-me-downs (I wrote a 3-part series on how to decorate with hand-me-downs – go check it out here) and updating them to fit our home.

After 20 years of life and 3 different homes, this aluminum and mesh patio furniture is still going strong! The paint has faded and the fabric doesn’t quite fit our style, but I think this falls into the category of “they don’t make ’em like this anymore!”

Probably like all of you, we see photos of gorgeous outdoor space inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram – swooning over the lounge as well as the feasting areas. I don’t know about you, but in our family, there are other areas that need our budget and attention first. So this year, we’re stretching our budget and doing a simple patio update! The first project? Transforming our patio furniture set!

PICKING YOUR SPRAY PAINT

Y’all, spray painting is so simple and inexpensive. This is a project any of you can do. The hardest part will be picking your color. 🙂 I’m convinced you’ll have great results with multiple types of spray paints and brands, but we decided on Rust-Oleum Metallic in Flat Soft Iron for its durability. We found ours at Home Depot for $6.98 a can, but here’s a direct link to find it on Amazon. I’d say a downside to choosing brand and type is that it comes in limited colors, but luckily they are all neutrals!

If we didn’t go with the Metallic line, we would have gone with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultracover in Satin, which is $2 less at $4.48.

Both the Metallic and Painter’s Touch can spray both the aluminum/metal as well as the plastic mesh fabric of the chairs – HUGE WIN! The number of pieces you have in your set will determine how much spray paint you need to purchase.

Our (huge) set:

• 6 chairs
• 2 side tables
• 1 rocking loveseat
• 1 dining table
• 1 chaise lounge

TOTAL CANS NEEDED: 10 / TOTAL COST: 10 x $7.98 = $79.80

HOW TO PAINT ALUMINUM AND MESH PATIO FURNITURE

If you follow me over on Instagram, you know I was debating between painting the entire chair (fabric and metal) the same color and painting the mesh a different color, but we ended up painting everything the same. The benefits for this are a lot less time (otherwise, you’d have to tape off different areas) and simplicity.

If you are looking for a low budget addition to your patio, these well-loved patio sets can be found on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and are just waiting for an update!

Here’s how to paint your set:

1. Purchase your spray paint.
2. Clean off your set (we didn’t do much to clean, but you could always just hose them off)!
3. Tape off glass or any areas you don’t want painted.



4. Lay down a drop cloth and move furniture to a well-ventilated area (preferably outside).



5. Start painting your first coat! If you’re painting your mesh fabric, be sure to paint both the front and the back for the best coverage.



6. Wait 30 minutes and start with your second coat! The mesh definitely needs a second coat, but you could at least touch up the aluminum. The paint dries quickly!



7. You’re done! Wait 24 hours to sit on and enjoy.

WHAT ABOUT THE DURABILITY?

I’ve had a few questions about the durability as well as if the paint will rub off on clothing. Since this spray paint is bonding, it should adhere well to our furniture and fabric! So far, there has been no evidence of the paint rubbing off and the fabric still feels like fabric. Our thoughts are that even if our set needs touched up next season, we’re thankful to bring some new life to it!

READY FOR PATIO SEASON!

We are loving this simple update – we can’t believe the difference and how well they turned out! We still have a few things left on our patio to-do list, including whitewashing the brick patio, adding a pea gravel fire pit area, planting flowers and perennials in our landscaping, and of course some decorations. 🙂

Here’s an unedited photo, showing the actual color of the dining set now that it’s painted!

If there’s anything I’m missing, please comment below with questions. Thanks for reading!

—

If you would like to follow along on more of my home decor, DIY, lifestyle, hospitality, and other posts like this gift guide, I’d love to have you follow me on any of the following:

Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / Subscribe to receive the latest post to your inbox

—