That’s right, Karl‘s legs are pale no more. After some thought we decided to give all 12 of our sectional’s cheap looking birch legs a coat of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint to deepen them and give them a subtle sheen and dimension that brown paint just wouldn’t offer. It was pretty easy except it necessitated a bit of Karl disassembly. Poor guy.
But once we got all of those legs off it was as simple as sanding each of them with low grit paper by hand (I used 60 grit stuff I had around).
Although the legs looked pale and stain-less, they actually had some sort of clear finish on them (here’s one before sanding):
So in order to get the best adhesion for long-term durability, we wanted to make sure to create the most gritty (and grippy) wood surface that we could. Hence the quick sanding step (here’s the same leg after sanding):
It’s subtle in the pics, but hopefully you can see how the sandpaper stripped off that shine and left the wood looking raw and ready for paint (which always sticks a lot better to non-glossy surfaces).
And before I sprayed them, I also removed the little furry floor-protecting pads on the bottom since I didn’t want them to get all gunked up with paint. They peeled off pretty easily and still had enough sticky stuff left to go back on nice and securely afterwards.
So after each leg was un-padded it was time for their little makeover. Here’s what I went with: Rustoelum Universal Metallic spray paint in “oil-rubbed bronze” with a trigger spray nozzle (here’s an affiliate link to it on Amazon for anyone looking for it). It’s pretty fumey stuff so I laid out some cardboard and did all the spraying outside while wearing a mask that I’m sure freaked out all of the neighborhood squirrels.
Here are all of Karl’s legs after being doused with coat one of their new “spray tan” (I actually applied three thin coats for super even and non-drippy coverage):
Oh and for those of you looking for a few quick spray painting tips, here ya go:
- Skip the cheap $2 stuff in favor of the $7+ quality stuff (I like Rustoleum’s trigger spray nozzle because it goes on thin and even and doesn’t get all over your fingers).
- Always keep the can moving. If you’re a-sprayin’ your arm better be a-swayin’.
- Keep the nozzle about 8-10″ away from whatever you’re spray painting.
- You really want a mist, not a heavy wet coating.
- Three thin and even coats are better than one thick and drippy one.
- Spray paint has yet to go no-VOC, so apply it outside with a mask, and let it fully cure as long as the can recommends outside whenever you can (usually 24 hours, we try to double that just to be even safer).
- You can “seal” any spray paint (to limit any off-gassing at all once you bring it inside) by applying two thin coats of Safecoat Acrylacq, which is low-VOC and non-toxic.
So once I applied my three supa thin coats of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint, I just let them “cure” outside for 48 hours (12 of them were spent in the sun and the next 36 were spent in the carport because I worried it might rain) while our living room looked like this:
Yup, for two days that was the look. It was actually kind of fun to sit on our super low sofa. And Clara had a ball climbing on and off of it like she never could when it was up on legs. It was almost a shame to put them back on. Except for the fact that our living room looked crazy and getting off of such a low sofa while holding a 20 pound baby girl wasn’t exactly enjoyable.
Thanks to two days of outdoor drying time, by the time I brought in our newly bronzed legs they were nice and hard. Almost coin-like thanks to the oil-rubbed bronze paint that created a sleek finish. It’s hard to depict that in photos, but it has a nice metal-like sheen when you see it from different angles. And when the light hits it, it sort of bounces off and reflects like glass. Thankfully they didn’t smell all nasty and spray-paint-y after 48 hours of drying time outside (even when I stuck my nose right up against them like a weirdo). If they had I definitely would have applied two thin coats of Safecoat Acrylacq as I mentioned in the last bullet above though.
Then all that was left to do was to stick those furry floor-protecting pads back onto the bottom of each leg and cheer John on as he screwed them back into place (he’s the allen wrench ninja of our house). Bam, Karl was back to his old self. Only slightly more handsome and dapper. And can I just say that it felt inordinately awesome to have the living room put back together again?
See how the side of this leg seems to glimmer in the pic above? That’s the difference between choosing a metallic oil-rubbed spray paint and a deep brown paint or stain. That smidge of glitz just does it for me. But of course stain or paint could have totally worked too, it just depends what tickles your fancy.
Actually from certain angles and in lower lighting situations (like at night) it reads a bit more like a rich chocolate wood stain, which we definitely don’t mind.
So just for kicks, let’s flash back to Karl’s legs when they were all pale and birch-y:
And here’s the man of the house now. The difference isn’t heart-stoppingly amazing or anything, but as far as details go, it’s definitely a bit less “look at my squat little birch legs” than the original look. Most of all, look how happy Beansie is about the change. Just kidding, she’s just psyched to be on her favorite rug ever with a few toys. Oh to be a baby again.
And it’ll probably feel even more cohesive in there when we add oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods to the window and sliders (along with all the other stuff we’re craving, like a big console table behind Karl and a larger entertainment unit to add balance). But for now we’re just loving how our giant $1,248 sectional looks even more like the too-rich-for-our-blood $4,496 version from Room & Board that we fell in love with a while back:
Yay for a little sectional elevating sandpaper & spray paint adventure. If only my blindingly pale leg problem was that easy to solve…
Psst- Check out the weirdest baby toy that we’ve ever seen (p.s. Clara adores it) right here on BabyCenter.
crissy says
Wow, this looks so much better!
Starrydeborah says
Gorgeous! it just goes to show yah, what a little bit of paint can do! For those of you leery to make a change, don’t be afraid, it’s only paint :)
blessings,
starrydeborah
PS. I just found your blog through an article in our local newspaper today and I love it! You are such an inspiration to all of us bloggers and wanna be home decorators out here. Thank you!
Ashley says
Proof that sometimes it is the little things in life! :) I must admit those pale little legs have been bugging me a little… they look so much better now!!! Love the blog, keep up the good work guys! <3
Aubrey says
Karl’s new legs look fantastic. What a simple and cheap way to make Karl look even fancier!! I will definitely keep this trick in mind with my IKEA furniture!!
Sarah says
I used that spray paint to help make over my living room! We had a college dorm-y looking silver floor lamp and a silver clock that I painted. They look great! They coordinate nicely with my golden wheat colored walls! I plan to use it on some picture frames next!
Kacey says
I’m not sure where to give you this information/ask for permission, but I am using a paragraph of this post as a model for proper (read: grammatically correct, not too wordy, fun, informative, etc.) blog writing for my class! (Fully cited, MLA style, of course!) I love reading your blog every day and hope to inspire my students with it!
Kacey
*I am an English Education major hoping to teach some blogging skills to my peers and students.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- really? Not too wordy? We always feel like we use way too many words. Haha. We’re flattered.
xo,
s
The Nester, Meagan says
Oh the new legs look great.. must admit I was a little befuddled because when I read ‘bronze’ I expected bronze colour legs… Not black with a bronzy metallic tint to it? Does that make sense? Maybe I am nuts! Also 110% agree on the using quality spraypaint tip, it is not worth the pain and suffering of buying the cheap stuff! In fact, am heading out to buy some Rusteolum myself today!
yeah for projects!
meagan
the row house nest
http://www.rowhousenest.com
YoungHouseLove says
The difference is the “oil-rubbed” part of the name. Regular bronze spray paint would have looked more metallic, light, and more golden, but oil-rubbed bronze is a very deep almost chocolate bronze color. You’ve probably seen oil-rubbed bronze faucets and outdoor lighting (it almost looks like black wrought iron). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
that made a surprisingly huge difference! good idea!
amymargaretc says
I was just staring at those trigger nosseled spray paints on the weekend wondering if they’d be worth the extra $1-2. I’ll have to check ’em out next time!
The legs look AWESOME!
Courtney says
Love the legs! Such a smart idea to go with the bronze for that glimmer. I completely agree that it adds an extra little something. – I had to comment about the singa-ma-jig. There’s a story.. I was in Target with my boyfriend and I saw the singa-ma-jigs and I lost it. I got so giddy playing with them. I stood there pressing all of their bellies for like five minutes. Are they scary looking? YES! But I can look past the strange appearance when I hear the harmony. I am a kid at heart so I can totally relate to Clara. Who knows? Maybe she’ll turn out to be a rockstar just by learning harmonies early on!
Erica says
Love the darker legs on Karl! It def looks more expensive now! Another job well done!
Sara says
Hi!
Just wanted to check in and say that I just found you guys – I’m from Sweden, now living in Kenya for a year – and I just read ALL of your post, all the way down to 2007. Great Blog! I’ll follow you from now on!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- reading all the way back is hardcore. Thanks so much!
xo,
s
Shannon says
Crazy what a difference a little paint makes! Looks awesome guys!
Adriane @ GreenhornLiving says
LOVE them! Karl defintely has some killer new sticks. I cracked up at one of the things I love about you guys though: one of your tips is to “splurge on the $6-7 quality stuff.” Hahahaha. Awesome. That’s what keeps us comin’ back! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we know how to “splurge” on under ten dollar supplies. Haha.
xo,
s
Lizbeth says
The legs on your sofa look great!! Quick question do you think this would work on a crib? Would it be safe? Im having a baby this summer and planning to reuse the crib from my daughters which is that light wood color but for our boy i want something dark and chocolatey! Any advice would be helpful!! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We wouldn’t recommend using any spray paint on nursery furniture like a crib since even if you use Safecoat to seal it, if your child gnaws on the paint and ends up eating it, the toxic layer of spray paint could be swallowed. We’d recommend no-VOC paint like Mythic (just apply it with a brush in thin and even layers) and then an eco sealant like Safecoat (the non-toxic one) just to be safe!
xo,
s
Brooke says
Thanks for the great idea. We recently bought the grann white leather karlstad chair and my husband was going to make new legs for it. After reading your post I painted them with some brown enamel paint that I had on hand. It looks sooooooo much better, and saves the hubs a little work! Thank you!
amanda f. says
Love Karl’s new look…what a great idea! Love the spray paint tips as well…thought for sure you’d use stain, but this seemed so much easier! Love how your entire room is coming together…you wear color very well!
But what’s with that toy? I’m not even going there!
Bagley818 says
Nice! Question: How do you choose the metal finish for wall hooks, bathroom fixtures, light fixtures, etc.? Should they match throughout the house? Should they match in the same room?
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post on that subject: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/email-answer-mixed-metals/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
The couch looks great, the darker legs make a huge difference. Is the couch really comfortable? My husband and I are in the market for a sectional and for the price Karl cannot be beat but I worry about the comfort-factor!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we couldn’t be more happy with Karl. Very comfy and durable so far.
xo,
s
Cathy says
Amazing transformation! Who knew that Karl could look even better? I’m so intrigued by this oil-rubbed bronze spray paint; I did not know that such a thing existed. We just inherited a beautiful, large, heavy but SHINY GOLD mirror from my husband’s grandmother — I’d like to tone it down to give it more of an oil-rubbed bronze look. I had been thinking of trying glaze (which I’ve never worked with before), but maybe this spray paint is the way to go!
I’m a new reader — love your blog!
Amber says
This looks way better now. I love Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint—it really does give a subtle dark stain effect, at least on smaller items. (I have had good luck with Krylon’s ‘Brushed Metallic’ Satin Oil Rubbed Bronze). I have used it to visually unify mismatched baskets, containers or curtain rods around the house. I’m very interested in the low VOC sealant. Thanks!
dave says
did the exact (minus the top coat) same thing with an ikea chair that went on sale for a day at 9.99 instead of 19.99!
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/img/local_store_info/sale/149_hajdeby2.jpg
Brittany says
love it! looks so much richer and brings the room together!
Samantha says
Yeah! Way better. Good work!
Erin - Dwell & Tell says
You guys, Karl really doesn’t look like an ikea sofa anymore. Not that’s it’s bad at all to have an ikea sofa that looks like one, but you know what I mean… The entire ROOM looks more expensive! :) Awesome job!
Any fist-pumping Jersey happy dances this time? :) This deserves one.
YoungHouseLove says
There was probably at least one. Maybe three. Haha.
xo,
s
Dayna says
Genius! Looks fantastic!
Jess says
I love karl’s new legs! Also my dog got a sing-a-ma-jig for christmas and he loves it! He plays with it all day and loves to make it sing. Hehe
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
Ooh I have IKEA armchairs with those legs. I have a project ahead of me!
Snickrsnack Katie says
You guys are simply amazing. Seriously.
Sarah says
Sherry,
Karl looks great! He looks JUST like the Room and Board one! If you want your legs to look just as glimmering, you should try “Sun” self-tanner, or “Fake-Bake” brands-You can get them at ULTA beauty stores at about $25 a bottle-it’s a little more than savin’ sunbather would like to pay, BUT you are totally getting your money’s worth, and it looks natural, without the effects of the sun! Think of it as the Rustoleum of sunless tanners :)
Sarah
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks for the tip. There might not be hope for my pale gams, but you never know…
xo,
s
Stacy says
Love it! You’re awesomeThank you so much. I have the same problem – I love my new Karlstad Sofa but I hesitated to get it because of the stupid legs. The shape is nothing special, but what really offends me is the light color of the legs. I was wondering if they were real wood so I could sand them and stain them chocolate brown, and now I know it’s possible. Thank you!!!!
wendy says
How do you think this paint would look on picture frames? I want to make a collage wall and I want to make a fauxwood sign like you did for your old bathroom. But i will try to stain the wood instead of painting it and use a photo i took of a national park entrance sign for my faux sign. So I think the frames should be brown too. Do you think they should be different browns or the same and how do you think this orb color would look?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would look awesome on an assortment of frames! Go for it!
xo,
s
Suzanne T says
Hi Sherry and John,
I am attempting my first true DIY project, as I attempt to fix up a daybed for our daughter. It has a white metal frame and I’d like to paint it to look like oil rubbed bronze. Do you think that the spray paint you used for Karl’s legs would be appropriate for metal?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! It should be perfect! Just do very very thin and even coats. Spray paint is really good with metal actually. You can even use a spray primer first (like Kilz) to add even more long term durability. Good luck!
xo,
s
Julie Cadieux says
Those legs turned out great! I pay attention to small details like this also! I actually just did a post on spray paint -i love the stuff!
http://julieloveshome.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/just-spray-it/
thanks,
Julie
Stephanie says
Hi! So I am kind of a crazy person and when I stumbled onto your blog a couple of weeks ago I went back to the beginning and started reading it through like a book (see crazy person disclosure at the beginning of this comment). But you guys are awesome and inspiring in so many ways, especially in regards to saving up and paying as you go – a lot of home design blogs that I read don’t talk about that aspect of home improvement, but it’s so encouraging! Anyway, as you can see I am almost caught up, but I wanted to finally comment because I laughed a little to myself when you announced you were going with the Karlstad sofa over a similar, higher-end sofa. I was just looking for possible sectionals last week and thought the Karlstad would be a great substitute for this Crate and Barrel sofa I was drooling over but didn’t really want to shell out the $$$ for (in the future, sadly the couch $$$ don’t exist right now). The C&B sofa stood on these fabulous black legs that I thought really made the piece… so I figured, I could just paint the Karlstad legs! And look, here’s proof!! hahahaha… Anyway that was a really long comment to tell you that we had the same idea about sofa legs, but whatevs. Keep being awesome!! =D
Kate says
My husband and I just got a mini-Karl (Karlstad loveseat and ottoman in the dark gray) yesterday and I love it, except I agree that the legs must be painted. Once I got it all set up, I casually mentioned that I wanted to paint the legs with ORB spraypaint. His response, “Oh, definitely, they look really ugly right now.” This from the boy who only humors my projects for the most part, and claimed he didn’t even care what color loveseat I got. I was even all prepped to show him the picture of your Karl to try and convince him. :)
I’m hoping the ORB legs will help tie in the other brown/beige we have going on in the room as well. Now I’m just hoping I can get an evening that’s both warm enough for the spraypaint to cure right, not raining, and light for long enough to do a couple coats – that’s a tall order here in Wisconsin this time of year!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, enjoy your mini karl! Once you orb those legs he’ll be super sexy. Haha.
xo,
s
Emma says
How did you easily remove your Karlstad legs? I can’t get mine off! Please help. Cheers!
YoungHouseLove says
I couldn’t remember how they attached myself, so I had to watch our time lapse video of us putting it together (https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/01/surprise/). It looks like you need to get a long allen wrench to unscrew a bold that goes through the middle of the leg. One was included in the packaging, so fingers crossed you still have it around. If not, check your local hardware store. Good luck!
-John
Lisa says
I know this post was done a long time ago but I discovered this website today and had to share it with you. If you ever get bored of your ORB Karl legs you can try out one of these custom ones. So fun!!! http://prettypegs.se/?visited=1
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!
-John
Marie says
What colour cover do you have on the couch? I really like the look! Apologies if you’ve addressed the colour of the couch already. I have been looking through the posts, but haven’t seen it. Regards,
YoungHouseLove says
It’s the dark sivik gray cover. So durable!
xo
s
Moe a.k.a.@biggirlblue says
The difference may not be “heart-stoppingly amazing” but I think it is definitely noticeable. They were like little beacons of birch before.