Close-up of a warm yellow wall painted in 'Yellow Gold' and mid-grey radiator in 'Urbane Grey'.

How to Paint Metal Surfaces

A simple way to add personality to your space is by introducing colour to metal surfaces, woodwork and trim. Metalwork is often painted black or white out of habit but can be easily updated with a bright shade for an instant refresh on both interior and exterior metal.

How to Paint Indoor and Outdoor Metal Surfaces

At Little Greene, we offer a range of different paint finishes and sheen levels for interior and exterior metal surfaces. Read our step-by-step guide to choose the correct paint finish and complete your project with best results.

Step 1: Choose your finish

Our self-priming Intelligent finishes - Absolute Flat, Eggshell, Satin and Gloss - are true multi-surface paints, suitable for painting interior metalwork like radiators and metal furniture. Simply choose your desired sheen level, from the subtle near-matte sheen of Intelligent Eggshell, to the classic high gloss appearance of Intelligent Gloss.

We also offer Intelligent Exterior Eggshell as a hard-wearing, low sheen finish to paint and protect outdoor metal surfaces. Available in all Little Greene colours, this water-based exterior paint inhibits mould and algal growth, as well as being water resistant and completely washable.

Baseboard: Marigold

Lower Wall: Pale Lime

Upper Wall: Brighton

Ceiling: Slaked Lime

Step 2: Prepare the Metal

To prepare the surface, we recommend rubbing down with sandpaper to improve adhesion, before cleaning with sugar soap and rinsing with water. If you are using one of our self-priming Intelligent Paints, you can usually skip the sanding and just clean the surface to remove any surface rust.

Upper wall: Split Pink

Tongue & Groove, lower architrave & radiator: Harley Green

Skirting and bottom of radiator: Livid

Step 3: Use Metal Primer

Absolute Flat, Eggshell, Satin and Gloss all have a built-in primer, so they can often be used to paint directly onto the metal surface. However, for increased coverage and protection on bare or corroded iron or steel - or if you are using Intelligent Exterior Eggshell - we recommend first applying 1-2 coats of our versatile Intelligent All Surface Primer. If your metalwork has already been painted, there is no need to prime.

Wall: Normandy Grey

Chair: Green Verditer

Step 4: Paint the Metal Surface

We recommend applying two coats of your chosen topcoat to achieve maximum durability and full depth of colour. Make sure to consult our Technical Data Sheets to see our recommended drying and recoat times for each paint finish. Here you can also find full preparation, application and maintenance advice.

Walls: Invisible Green

Chairs: Leather

Shelves: Cool Arbour

Two metal garden chairs painted in the grey-green shade 'Normandy Green', sitting on grass next to a small tree.

Update your metalwork with our beautiful, robust finishes

Our weather-resistant finishes provide excellent protection against the elements. With water-based eggshell, satin and gloss available, each of our metal paints provides a protective finish to your metalwork.

Garden chairs and table: Normandy Grey

Close-up of a cast iron radiator painted in neutral beige (Stock - Dark), in front of a coordinating architrave and panel.

Choosing a water-based metal paint

We offer three water-based paint finishes for interior metalwork: Intelligent Eggshell, Satin and Gloss. Application is almost effortless and they require no chemical-heavy thinners or cleaning products.

These formulas are low in VOCs, making them low-odour and easy to clean. They are an ideal choice for those looking for paint that is both child-safe and environmentally friendly.

Our Eggshell (10-15%) and Satin (30-35%) finishes provide sophisticated low sheen levels. Our Intelligent Gloss finish is a smart alternative for those who want to achieve a traditional finish with water-based paint. It can be used on both interior and exterior metal surfaces and has a polished high sheen of 87-90%.

For exterior metalwork, you can also use Intelligent Exterior Eggshell which is durable and self-priming, with a subtle sheen of 15%.

Architrave, panel and radiator: Travertine

Wall: Stock

Metal railings outside of a house painted in mid gray shade 'Lead Color' with flowers and plants behind.

Refresh your outdoor space with our range of exterior metal paints

With a full range of exterior finishes available, Little Greene offers metal paints in all shades in the palette.

Refined mid-greys such as Lead Colour or Serpentine look especially elegant when offset against a bolder shade on the front door. For something a little more colourful, try Celestial Blue.

Railings: Lead Colour

Outdoor balustrades in the grey-blue shade, 'Celestial Blue', with plants and flowers in the background and foreground.

Consider the brickwork or render of your home when choosing a complementary shade for metal railings and gates. Stone-based exteriors favour warm neutrals, whereas white render contrasts beautifully with deep, sumptuous hues like Basalt or Obsidian Green. To accompany red brickwork, you might consider an impactful complementary colour such as Harley Green.

Revitalise a set of metal chairs with a pop of one of our most playful shades. Colours like Trumpet and Orange Aurora will bring joy to your garden and complement floral arrangements for the summer months.

Find more exterior inspiration or discover our tips for painting a front door.

Painted in: Celestial Blue

Landing decorated with Light Gold walls, grey radiator, an orange chair, a patterned rug, and a white side table and vase.

Enhance your interiors with our selection of paints for metalwork

Radiators are often overlooked when planning a scheme. Consider using a coordinating colour on your radiators for a harmonious finish. Here, walls in the delightful yellow, Light Gold, are teamed with a radiator painted in Urbane Grey.

Wall: Light Gold

Radiator: Urbane Grey

Trim: Scree

Chair: Heat

Window Frame: White Lead

Living space with grey neutral walls (Baluster) alongside a fireplace, armchair and a bright red coffee table.

To create an all-over scheme, the tranquil stone hue, Baluster, is used alongside Portland Stone - Pale. The radiator and other features are painted the same colour as the walls, for a scheme with natural depth and a cocooning quality.

Ceiling & Crown Molding: Portland Stone – Pale

Walls & Radiator: Baluster

Hallway feauturing wallpaper with a scrolling foliage pattern (Tulip – Blue Black), and light grey stairs and balustrades.

Create a light and contemporary hallway by using one of our interior paints on a metal staircase. Our opulent Tulip wallpaper in the Blue Black colourway is contrasted with French Grey - Pale on the stairs and balustrades.

Wall: Tulip – Blue Black

Ceiling & Left Wall: French Grey – Pale

Stairs and Balustrades: French Grey – Pale

To find out more about our range of finishes and colours suitable for metal surface, explore our paint collections. You can also browse our Intelligent ASP (All Surface Primer), which provides extra protection and depth of colour.