If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s gold spray paint (only half serious, but seriously….).
We often spray paint things for both blog DIY and personal projects. It’s the quickest, easiest way to freshen up or personalize something from a thrift shop. It’s also a great way to make things match your space! But why am I rambling about the virtues of spray painting. You guys know! 😀 So, let’s talk about what brands of paint work the best because they aren’t all created equally. If you’ve ever needed 5+ coats of spray paint to cover a surface, you know how annoying it is to let it dry between each coat and how gummy and thick it can be. The better the paint, the less coats you should need!
We’ve tried them all. And our favorite spray paints are quick coverage (for minimal coats) with a beautiful finished color. Today I thought it would be fun to quickly share our top two favorite gold spray paints.
Our favorite —>
The first place winner goes to Valspar’s Brilliant Metallic (no longer available, but here’s our new favorite!) gold spray paint. The first time we tried this stuff, we were pretty blown away at how quickly and how evenly it covered objects. Smooth surfaces or bumpy surfaces—it didn’t seem to matter to this paint. Things that I thought for sure would need multiple coats only needed one. So that also saves on the amount you have to buy for a project. It’s a win-win! Make sure to let the paint totally dry (for even a couple of days if you can) before really handling the piece, otherwise you’ll get a few fingerprints in the paint. The gold tone is a warmer gold and it’s not a super shiny finish, so it’s better for larger items that you want to look gold, but not too gaudy. If you want a shinier surface to your gold, then I would suggest…
Runner up —>
This Krylon Premium Metallic Spray Paint is a pretty close second to the Valspar paint. In fact, it covers just as well as the first place winner, but it’s got a much shinier finish and almost looks reflective on smooth, flat surfaces. Depending on the finish you want, that could be good or bad, but it looks amazing on small objects and makes them appear much more expensive (it’s what I used on the planters in the photos). Again, let the paint really dry to avoid marring the shiny surface with your fingers, but you’ll be happy with the results.
Mmmwah!!
If you have strong opinions about spray paint, air’em out here in the comments! xx. Elsie
Credits// Author: Elsie Larson, Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.
59 Comments
i tried spray painting my wood side tables in my living room gold, and it was so disappointing. they look more, light tan.
do you have something you recommend for that type of application so it looks gold and shiny, and mwah! worthy?
I agree….the Krylon came out not super shiny and I did shake the can a full two minutes.
I have one, waiting to be used…
I do not know the brand…
The spray paint is awesome and so is your skirt – where is it from?
Oh I love the Valspar too. Always looks fabulous.
This seems like such a great way to spruce up old things around the house…I wish I could spray paint my couch gold. How awesome would a gold couch be??
😉
xx Jill
Latest Post – My Love Affair with Vintage: Why it Belongs in Everyone’s Closet
I need a gold spray!
My Little ‘Dream’ Box REVIEW | April 2015 UK
I would love to try and DIY some items with gold spray paint. Thanks for the suggestions!
– lauren schroer | graphic designer & blogger
Oh my gosh, just last month I was searching all over your site to see what gold spray paints you used.. wish I had this post last month for my project! The brand I ended up buying worked fine, but wasn’t very shiny. So glad I can now refer to this post in the future!
Do you need to do any special preparations before spraying? I have a small metal drawer in need of a new look, but don’t know where to begin…
This is perfect timing! I have a project now that needs some gold flair, but I wasn’t sure which brand to buy. I guess I’ll be making a Valspar run today. Thanks!!
When I’ve painted wood gold in the past (especially large pieces like that), it really helps to quickly sand and use a white primer before painting gold. It gives it a nice clean base for the gold to sit on, rather than soaking into the wood. Good luck!
I have gone through so many cans of that Valspar gold metallic! Glad to know I was spending my money in the right place. 🙂
http://www.modcircus.com/
I love Design Masters Gold Medal. It’s a more diffused gold (read not super shiny) that applies to nearly everything without primer (glass, terra cotta, wood, paint, metal), making it great for small quick projects. I also have used Rustoleum gold and it works pretty well, a lot less shiny than its cap implies, it’s a nice soft gold look. But I’ll definitely have to check these two out. I didn’t even realize that the planters were spray painted! I thought they were brass. They’re so shiny we can see your reflections in them 🙂
This is way too cute! I’m literally going to go out and buy this and spraypaint gold everything over the weekend #obsessed 🙂
xx, Mel
http://melinspired.com
Please tell us your outfit details! I love!
I’ve never tried Valspar.
Krylon always runs/drips on me ~ I’ve tried several cans and several colors ~ and they have all ended up in the trash. I won’t waste my money on them again.
I only use Rust-o-leum ~ the 2x Painter’s Touch. 🙂
Thank you! This is so helpful! We never know which brand to buy!
I haven’t used it before since I live in an apartment and I feel like you might need a workspace or some kind of outdoor area in order to avoid a mess. I love the idea of dressing up a few cheap items with it and can’t wait to try it one day.
-M
http://www.violetroots.com
I have been looking for the perfect gold spray paint, so this was the perfect post!!! You guys know your stuff :D, thanks for sharing these awesome tips!
Kass
Rustoleum or Krylon
I’ve been working on paint an old file cabinet to turn into a dress. It’s becoming one of those 5+ coat projects. Do you have an tips for painting big projects? It’s kind of hard to get an even coat on the sides. I’m also going to be painting a big set of lockers. Any tips?
Laura
http://laurahager.blogspot.com
I love gold fixtures; so, I’ll be trying out both options.
Happy Wednesday 🙂
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/
not spray related…but where is that pizza shirt from??!??! i need it. i need it. i want. i want.
Gold spray paint is the best! Thanks for the tips!
I LOVE GOLD! We are moving in a couple weeks and a fresh gold pop is just what I need to change up and freshen the decor a little. Thank you for the information.
Also, that skirt is so great. I’ve seen it pop up a few times on the blog/insta and fawn over it each time.
Looks great! I bought a pretty good brand (or so they told me) of copper spray paint, but I have been doubting how to prepare the surface. Especially spray painting a metal surface, wouldn’t it come off very easily?
– X Marloes
Love the Valspar gold, I’ve gone through so many cans of it!
Finding a good quality paint is always a struggle! This was a great post to keep handy, thank you for sharing with us 🙂 https://glitterbunnies.wordpress.com
-Heather
me too!
This makes me want to write a song called “Paint it Gold.” Because why would you paint things black when they’d be so much prettier in gold?
COOCOO FOR COCO
My favorite is Montana brand! The gold is SUPER shiny and true gold in color. It’s a little pricier at $6-8 per can but it is completely worth it.
I might just have to repaint my gold desk based on this post… Thanks for sharing!
Jordyn
Pretty Lovely
This is a rad post! I love gold and how glitzy it looks, though I admittedly haven’t tried it out yet. I think I’ll start small and work my way up. Thank you so much for some of these new posts, by the way.
I understand that there are some big DIY’s out there but some of us like a simple project too. I like to do things with my daughters. This post was golden (haha, I know , cheesy, right?)
Eternally Grateful,
Laurali Star
http://www.lauralistar.com
Valspar came out recently with a rose gold spray paint and its absolutely beautiful! I used it to spray paint some plastic display pieces I used in my Senior Show.
Loving the gold horse head! This is kind of making me want to spray paint everything gold. Lol.
Tamara
http://www.trulytamara.com
Love this!! Definitely gonna try this spray paint!
I love you guys, but I’ve got to say… Rustoleum’s Metallic Gold is pretty rockin’. =)
Great tips! I love spray painting things gold so this is awesome!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Do the same brands make good silver/chrome spray?
I’ve tried a few and they seem to finish up dull and flat 🙁
Bookmarking this! Could you do a follow up on the best silver spray paint?
This is excellent! I’m planning on adding a LOT of gold accents when I am redecorating in a few months! Thanks so much!
The White Corner Creative
Great info…where did you get your tshirt?
Good to know! I have had those very same questions myself. Thanks for testing it out!
Love the tips http://www.hannamarielei.com
Do you guys feel like you need a sealant with the paints? I gold-sprayed alot of stuff for my wedding last year and have been using them as display pieces since. Well, now they are sitting on my shelf getting dusty and I feel like I need to take a damp cloth and do a good spruce up, with your experience does the gold paint come off in this cleaning method? Or I guess the better question should be, what is the best cleaning method with spray painted objects?
good to know!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
My favourite on eis MOLOTOW URBAN FINE ART GOLD EFFECT
http://shop.molotow.com/Cans/Molotow-Urban-Fine-Art/MOLOTOW-URBAN-FINE-ART-Effect-400ml.html
Awesome! I got a little carousel horse music box at a thrift store a few weeks ago and have been trying to decide what to do with it… now I know — paint it gold!
I had this same question! I’m going to try the Krylon Chrome on a gold plant stand I just bought. I would be happy to share my results with you!
Pretty pretty! I’ve used the Krylon gold and loved it. I know Valspar is a great paint so I’ll have to pick that up to try too. Thanks for the recommendations!
Sort of off topic, but I love your Pizza shirt! Would you mind sharing where you found it? Thanks!
Were the animals painted with the first kind? Thanks!
Put a primer under it. When I paint straight chipboard gold, it’s not nearly as pretty as when I paint it with gesso first
Yes, I know how irritating it is to wait for paints to dry and coat paint. It is better to have good paint that you don’t need to do many coats of. The gold is a cool choice for paints and many guys think feel gold brings wealth luck and its bright so it is also a great appealing colour. Should check out the spray paints you have suggested.
If you want an alternative that’s more of a true gold and less of the yellow-gold colors above, try Montana Gold’s GoldChrome. It’s beautiful!
i used the gold valspar spray paint to cover the frame of a mirror & was very happy with the results!! however I think we touched it too soon because they are some fingerprints on it, what would you suggest to cover them up? another coat of paint? try to clean them? thank you:))
I have a question . Will you email me so i know you are available for a question?
Hi Tom! Feel free to email us at support AT abeautifulmess DOT com