Metal is the quiet half of most furniture — the legs, the frame, the handle, the hinge — and it is where a project can look premium or look cheap depending on choices few buyers think to specify. Steel gives weight and strength; aluminium gives lightness and corrosion resistance; the finish on top decides whether the piece survives a container crossing and a coastal winter. This guide covers what to put in the metal spec.
1. Steel versus aluminium
Steel is denser and cheaper, and it reads as substantial — ideal for heavy dining tables, shelving, and bases that should not move. Aluminium is roughly a third of the weight and naturally corrosion-resistant, which makes it the default for outdoor and for pieces that get moved often. Neither is ‘better’; the right pick follows the use. Specifying the alloy (for example 6063 aluminium for extruded frames) prevents a factory substituting a weaker grade.
2. Legs and frames: tube, bar, and cast
Legs come as welded tube, solid bar, or cast components. Tube is light and modern; solid bar feels heavier and more bespoke; cast pieces allow curves and detail but cost more in tooling. The joinery matters as much as the shape — a properly welded and ground joint disappears; a poor one shows as a lump or a weak point. For a custom look, specify the section profile and the weld finish, not just ‘metal legs’.
3. Powder coat versus electroplating
Powder coating is a baked-on polymer layer: thick, even, and highly resistant to chips and corrosion — the standard for both indoor and outdoor frames. Electroplating (chrome, nickel, brass) deposits a thin metal skin that looks luxe but scratches more easily and can fail in humidity if the base is not pre-treated. For most contract and export use, powder coat in a specified RAL colour is the safe, durable choice; plating is reserved for hero accents. Vashone finishes frames to the agreed standard and colour code, with salt-spray test data available on request.
4. Brushed, polished, and raw looks
Brushed metal hides fingerprints and light wear; polished metal shows both but reads as higher-end; a raw or clear-coated look exposes the base metal and demands a clean substrate. These are finish choices, not afterthoughts — they change the maintenance story for the end customer. Specifying ‘brushed stainless, directional grain’ is a different instruction from ‘polished’, and the factory needs to know which.
5. Hardware: handles, hinges, glides
The small parts decide daily feel. Soft-close hinges and drawer glides are now expected in mid- and high-end casegoods; cheap glides are the fastest way to a returned product. Handles can be powder-coated to match the frame or plated to contrast. For outdoor, every fastener should be stainless or coated — a single ordinary screw will rust and stain the surround within a season. A hardware spec should name the class (for example ‘soft-close, concealed, stainless’) rather than leaving it to the factory’s default.
6. Corrosion and where the piece lives
Indoor coastal homes and any outdoor placement demand a corrosion plan: aluminium or pre-treated steel, marine-grade powder coat, stainless fasteners, and drained designs that do not trap water. Skipping this is the classic cause of ‘it looked great in the showroom and rusted in the garden’. Vashone builds outdoor metal to a spec that matches the environment it will actually live in, and labels indoor versus outdoor clearly so the buyer is not guessing.
7. What to write in the spec
A complete metal spec names the base material and alloy, the section and joinery, the finish type and colour code, the hardware class, and the indoor/outdoor rating. Buyers who specify these get frames that look right on arrival and stay right — which is the whole point of custom.