How to Strip & Decorate Stainless Steel Furniture

Removing the paint and redecorating will make your stainless steel pieces look new again.

Stainless steel furniture, when shiny and polished, can make a decor look sleek and modern. However, when stainless steel furniture is covered with chunks of old paint and other accumulated grime, it looks like old junk. Luckily, you can strip the paint and redecorate the furniture, transforming it into striking home furnishing. While you can hire a professional to perform these processes for you, you can also easily do them yourself for a fraction of the cost.

Things You'll Need

• Paint stripper
• Old paintbrush
• Garbage bags
• Paint scraper
• Garden hose
• Wire brush
• Paper towels
• Spools of ribbon: colors and widths of your choice
• Thread
• Needle
• Cushions
• Table runner

Instructions

1. Dip an old paintbrush in a container of paint stripper. Cover the painted areas of the stainless steel with paint stripper. Allow the paint stripper to puddle and cover the furniture well. Cover the furniture with garbage bags so the painter stripper does not evaporate too quickly. Allow the paint stripper to soak for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Scrape the paint off with a paint scraper. Rinse the stainless steel furniture off with a garden hose. Scrub off the remaining bits of paint with a wire brush. Wipe off each piece with a paper towel and allow your furniture to dry thoroughly.

3. Gather large spools of ribbon in the colors and widths of your choice. Start at the bottom of each leg of furniture and wrap the ribbon tightly around each leg, covering it completely. When you get to the top, cut the excess ribbon off, tuck the final piece of ribbon in and sew it in place with matching thread and a needle, making tiny, tight stitches. Cover the arms in the same manner, if you so choose. The key is not to cover the entire chair; you want some stainless steel to contrast or complement the color of the ribbon.

4. Add cushions of a complementary color to the chairs. Add a table runner of a matching color to the table. These items will help pull the look together.

References

• "Conscious style home: eco-friendly living for the 21st century"; Danny Seo; 2001
• "The fabric style book: decorating with stripes, plaids, florals ..., Volume 10"; Carl J. Dellatore, Roslyn Sulcas; 2007
• "Great-Looking 2x4 Furniture"; Stevie Henderson, Mark Baldwin; 2004