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Restyling a metal chandelier: the step-by-step method

This article is also available in French: Relooker un lustre en metal

26/09/2026 · 2 min read · By the Designix team

Degrease the metal with rubbing alcohol, sand with 240-grit, mask the sockets and apply two to three thin coats of paint made for metal. On solid brass, stop at cleaning and a protective varnish: the original patina is worth more than a fresh coat.

How do you repaint a metal chandelier?

Degrease, sand, mask, paint. Allow for two to three thin coats spaced twenty minutes apart rather than a single thick one, and protect the sockets with masking tape before the first pass. Bare metal needs a bonding primer, metal that is already painted does not.

To get a sense of what is available, the metal chandelier collection brings together 960 references as of 26 September 2026, from the gold pendant model to the contemporary black one. Seeing what exists helps you decide between stripping and replacing.

Restyling a metal chandelier: four routes, four finishes

	Aerosol spray	Brush-on paint	Patina on brass	Metal stripped bare
Finish	Uniform matte, no marks	Satin, visible grain	Weathered, recessed relief	Original shine
Suitable metal	Iron, aluminium, steel	Iron, cast iron, aluminium	Brass, bronze	Brass, bronze, copper
Preparation	Degrease then light sanding	Degrease then undercoat	Degrease only	Full stripping
Areas to protect	Sockets, cables, bulb holders	Sockets, cables, bulb holders	Drops and glass	Sockets and cables
Reversible	No	No	Partially	Yes
Choose it when	The metal is bare and even	The piece has mouldings	The character must stay visible	The metal is already damaged

Which paint holds on metal?

A paint formulated for metal, oil-based or slow-drying polyurethane lacquer. Acrylic aerosols hold on a clean, degreased surface, provided you work in thin mist coats. Anything that stays flexible as it dries adheres poorly: metal moves, and the paint must follow without cracking.

On brass, first check that it is solid and not plated. Fake bronze or brass chandeliers tarnish under paint and reveal their metal core at the first knock.

How do you spray a chandelier?

Dismantle the chandelier and hang it from a hook at arm's height. Spray from twenty centimetres in crossing passes, ten to fifteen minutes between each pass. A continuous coat runs, a succession of thin mist coats covers.

Masking tape on the sockets and the cable gland
240 grit to break the shine, never coarser
Two to three mist coats rather than one dense layer
Full drying before
Our selection guide
- warranty 2 years on 95% of the selection
- certification CE on 100% of the selection
- material Metal on 100% of the selection