Oil Rubbed Bronze
A deep chocolate brown with warm copper showing through on the edges. The most requested patina for door hardware, faucets and lighting, and the easiest to match across a whole house.
Custom Patina Finishes for Sunnyvale, CA Projects
Decorative Metal Coatings creates hand-applied patina finishes for plaques, address letters, railings and architectural details. Choose from oil rubbed bronze, antique brass, verdigris, statuary brown, black and antique nickel or pewter tones, with color and protection selected for the piece.
Certified, Approved and Verified
The preparation behind consistent aged-metal color for Sunnyvale projects
Patina Depth Comes From Preparation and Handwork | Sunnyvale Metalwork
A patina creates an aged color through a controlled surface reaction rather than a painted color layer. DMC builds the finish in stages, then works the raised areas by hand so edges and details can show the metal beneath while recessed areas retain more color.
The right route depends on the base metal. Copper, brass and cast bronze can take many patinas directly after suitable cleaning and preparation. Steel, iron, zinc die cast and aluminum may need a copper or brass plated base first; other alloys are reviewed individually.
Color options include verdigris green, oil rubbed bronze, antique brass, verdigris green, statuary brown, black patina, antique nickel and pewter. The finish can be sealed with lacquer or wax, or left unsealed as a living patina that continues to change with handling and weather.
Send us a photo of the part and, if you can, a photo of the finish you want to match. We will tell you which patina gets you there, whether the part needs plating first and what the job will cost in a written quote.
What We Do
Patina Finishes
Patina options include oil rubbed bronze, antique brass, verdigris green, statuary brown, hand rubbed black, antique nickel and pewter. Color can be adjusted lighter, darker, more relieved or more uniform, with a sample match when needed.
Antique Brass
Brass toned down to a soft, aged gold, darker in the corners and brighter where hands would wear it. Perfect for period homes and pieces that should look original.
Verdigris Green
The blue green crust of old copper roofs and coastal statues, built up in controlled layers. Sealed to keep it from rubbing off, or left open to keep evolving outdoors.
Statuary Brown
The classic finish on cast bronze, from light honey to almost black. Raised lettering and sculpted details are hand relieved so they read clearly from across a room.
Black Patina
A rich, hand rubbed black that is softer than paint and shows a hint of metal at the high points. Popular for modern hardware, railings, fireplace tools and accent trim.
Antique Nickel and Pewter
A gray, gently darkened silver tone applied over fresh nickel plating. It gives lighting and hardware a cool vintage look that sits between bright nickel and black.
How It Works
How We Build a Patina
The documented process moves from target photos and written quote to drop-off or shipping, stripping and surface preparation, layered color application, hand-relieved highlights, approval and sealing.
1
Share Your Target
Send photos of the part and of the color you want, or tell us the finish name your designer specified.
2
Review and Quote
We confirm the base metal, decide if it needs plating first and send a written quote within 24 business hours.
3
Ship or Drop Off
After receiving the written quote and quote number, ship or bring the parts to the Oceanside shop. Wrap each piece separately with padding, label any color sample, insure the shipment and provide tracking information.
4
Prep and Color
Old coatings are stripped, the surface is polished or plated, then the patina is built up in layers.
5
Relieve and Seal
Highlights are rubbed back by hand, the color is approved against your sample and the finish is sealed.
What We Can Finish
Metals That Take a Patina
Some metals react on their own, others need a plated layer before the color can grow. Either way, the right preparation decides how even the patina looks.
Copper
The most reactive metal we patina. It goes brown, black or green with very little coaxing, which is why verdigris and deep browns start on copper.
Brass
The base for oil rubbed bronze and antique brass. Solid brass hardware, fixtures and lighting can be aged directly once the old lacquer is removed.
Cast Bronze
Plaques, sculpture and architectural castings. Bronze takes heat applied patinas beautifully, from honey brown to statuary dark.
Steel and Iron
Steel can be blackened directly, but for brown, brass or green tones we plate it in copper or brass first, then age the new layer.
Zinc Die Cast and Aluminum
These metals do not color well on their own. We give them a copper or brass base, filling pits along the way, and patina that coating.
Nickel, Silver and Others
Nickel can be darkened to an antique or pewter tone and silver can be oxidized. Other alloys are reviewed case by case before you ship.
Patina Catalog
Patina Colors and Options
Every patina color, base and protective finish we offer in house.
Browns and Bronzes
- Oil Rubbed Bronze
- Venetian Bronze
- Statuary Brown, Light to Dark
- Antique Brass
- Antique Copper
- Tuscan Brown
- Hand Relieved Highlights
Greens, Blacks and Grays
- Verdigris Green
- Blue Green Coastal Patina
- Hand Rubbed Black
- Gun Metal Gray
- Antique Nickel
- Pewter
- Oxidized Silver
Bases and Sealers
- Copper Plated Base
- Brass Plated Base
- Nickel Plated Base
- Clear Lacquer, Matte or Satin
- Paste Wax Finish
- Living Unsealed Finish
- Custom Sample Match
Real Transformations
Before and After
Drag the handle on any photo to see the part as it arrived and after its patina.
Before
Brass Door Lever
A builder grade polished brass lever that clashed with a new interior. Stripped of its lacquer and aged to oil rubbed bronze, with copper toned edges where hands rest.
OIL RUBBED BRONZE
BRASS
WAXED
Before
Dedication Plaque
Sun and sprinklers had left the bronze blotchy and hard to read. Cleaned, recolored in statuary brown and hand relieved so every raised letter stands out again.
STATUARY BROWN
CAST BRONZE
LACQUERED
Before
Garden Lantern
A new copper lantern that looked too shiny for an old courtyard. Built up in layered verdigris and left with brown copper showing at the edges for a weathered, lived in look.
VERDIGRIS
COPPER
LIVING FINISH
Know the Price First
See the price before you ship a thing.
Snap a few photos from different angles and tell us the finish you have in mind. You'll get a written quote and a realistic lead time. Standard work takes 3 to 5 weeks, and expedited orders are possible when the schedule allows.
What Our Clients Say
Trusted by Professionals
From custom builders to industrial manufacturers, our clients trust us to deliver the same result every time.
Who We Serve
Who Trusts Us With Their Patinas
The service page identifies applications for interior design and residential hardware, casinos and gaming, architecture and signage, hotels and restaurants, artists and sculptors, and antique restoration.
Casinos and Gaming
Railings, gaming floor trim, signage letters and bar fixtures aged to bronze, brass or black so the finish looks rich and stays consistent from one property area to the next. Trusted by casino resorts across North County San Diego.
Interior Design / Residential
Cabinet hardware, faucets and lighting finished to one designer specified patina for an entire home.
Architecture and Signage
Plaques, address numbers, door pulls and railings with patinas that hold up to sun and coastal air.
Hotels and Restaurants
Bar rails, door push plates and decor pieces that need an aged look that survives daily traffic.
Artists and Sculptors
Final patinas on cast bronze and copper artwork, including layered colors and custom tests.
Antiques and Restoration
Replacement parts aged to match original hardware so a repaired piece looks untouched.
35+
Years of Expertise
Take a Moment to Learn More
About Decorative Metal Coatings
Since 1989 we have been plating, polishing and coloring metal by hand. Because we plate in house, we can build the right base under every patina instead of hoping the color takes.
Free Estimates Available
Send a photo of your part and receive a no obligation quote within 24 hours.
Quality Guaranteed
Every part leaves our shop backed by our craftsmanship guarantee. If you are not satisfied, we make it right.
Ship From Anywhere in the US
A single fixture or a full production run, shipped to us from any state and returned insured.
Fast Turnaround Times
Most projects are completed within 3 to 5 weeks. Expedited Orders: 5 to 7 business days. Contact us for availability.
Choosing the Right Patina
Three Ways to Get the Look
The color you see is only half of the decision. What the part is made of and how much change you will accept decide which route we take.
Patina on Solid Metal
- Copper, brass or bronze parts
- Color grown in the metal itself
- Most natural depth and variation
- Hardware, plaques, sculpture
- Old lacquer stripped first
Plated, Then Patinated
- Steel, zinc die cast or aluminum
- Copper or brass plated first
- Pits filled before coloring
- Matches solid brass hardware
- Opens patinas to any metal
Living, Unsealed Patina
- No lacquer or wax on top
- Keeps darkening with time and touch
- Ideal outdoors and on art pieces
- Can be refreshed by us later
- Color will not stay exactly as delivered
Our Commitment
Patinas Done With Patience
A rushed patina looks blotchy and wears off in months. Ours take the time they need, one layer at a time.
Clean Start
Every coating, oil and fingerprint is removed first, because a patina only grows evenly on perfectly clean metal.
Hand Relieved
Highlights are rubbed back by a finisher, not a machine, so details read naturally and no two edges look stamped.
Matched to Sample
Color is checked against your sample or photo in daylight before sealing, and we send pictures if it needs your eye.
Sealed and Packed
Finished pieces are sealed as agreed, then wrapped one by one so nothing rubs through the color on the way home.
What We Do Differently
- We test the color on your metal before doing the whole order
- Non reactive metals get a real plated base, not paint
- Highlights are relieved by hand on every piece
- Sets of hardware are colored together so they match
- You choose lacquer, wax or a living finish
What You May Experience Elsewhere
- Tinted lacquer or paint sold as a patina
- Color brushed over old lacquer that then peels
- Flat, uniform color with no depth or highlights
- Pieces in one set that do not match each other
- Unsealed color that rubs off on your hands
Protect the Patina by Cleaning It Gently
Do not polish away the aged surface
Avoid metal polish, brass cleaner, vinegar, ammonia and bleach. These products can remove or change the patina because the finish relies on a controlled surface reaction. For lacquered finishes, dust with a soft cloth and wipe only with a lightly water-dampened cloth when needed.
Waxed finishes can be refreshed with clear paste wax a couple of times a year and lightly buffed with a soft cloth. Unsealed living finishes are expected to darken or change with touch and weather; discuss recoloring if the appearance needs to be restored.
Living finishes are meant to move. Door handles brighten where hands grip them and outdoor pieces darken or green with weather. That wear pattern is part of the appeal, and most clients love how it looks after a year or two.
If a patina gets damaged or you want a different shade later, send it back. We can often recolor the surface without replating, and a waxed finish can usually be repaired in a single visit.
Project Gallery
Patina Gallery
Oil rubbed bronze, antique brass, verdigris and statuary brown, applied and relieved by hand on hardware, lighting, signage and art.
Nationwide Service
Ship Us Your Parts From Anywhere in the US
Patina work is performed at DMC’s Oceanside, California shop. Parts can be shipped from any U.S. state after a quote is arranged. Wait for the quote number, wrap pieces individually with protective padding, insure the shipment and share tracking details.
01
Quote before you ship
Send photos of every piece and the patina you have in mind. You receive a written quote and lead time, usually the same business day. Wait for your quote number before you ship.
02
Wrap every piece on its own
Wrap each part on its own so pieces never rub together, with at least three inches of padding all around. If you are sending a color sample, bag it separately and label it.
03
Insure it and share tracking
Declare the real value with the carrier and email us the tracking number so we can log your parts the day they arrive.
04
Inspected, then shipped back
Once the patina is applied we photograph the pieces in daylight for your approval, then seal, pack and ship them back insured.
Visit Us
Our Location
Every patina is mixed, applied and relieved by hand in our own shop in North County San Diego.
Decorative Metal Coatings
Patinas, plating and metal finishing in San Diego County since 1989.
- Address 2613 Temple Heights Dr, Ste G, Oceanside, CA 92056
- Phone (760) 746 3378
- Quotes Send photos and get a price
Business Hours
- Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Saturday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Sunday Closed
Patina Work for Sunnyvale, California
Decorative Metal Coatings is based in Oceanside, CA, not in Sunnyvale. Customers in Sunnyvale can request a quote remotely and, once the work is approved, arrange shipment to the shop. Local drop-off is available at the Oceanside facility.
Nearby Cities We Serve
Explore patina finishing information for other California cities. These links use cities from the supplied California master list.
Questions About Metal Patina Finishing in Sunnyvale
Frequently Asked Questions
The metal, desired color, surface condition and choice of sealer all affect the process. These answers cover common questions before sending parts for review.
Copper, brass and cast bronze are common starting metals. Steel and iron can be blackened directly, while brown, brass or green tones may require a copper or brass plated base. Zinc die cast and aluminum also generally need a plated base before coloring. Other alloys are reviewed case by case.
No. A patina is created through a controlled chemical reaction at the metal surface and then developed with handwork. Paint or tinted coatings sit on top as a separate color layer.
DMC can compare the part with a sample or clear daylight photos and work toward a close match. Because patinas are applied by hand, small variations in grain and highlights are natural; sets can be finished together for a consistent range.
Lacquer or wax helps keep the approved color more stable. An unsealed living finish continues to change with touch and weather. The suitable option depends on the part, its use and the appearance you want over time.
Dust with a soft cloth and use plain water only when needed. Do not use metal polish, brass cleaner, vinegar, ammonia or bleach. Waxed finishes can benefit from a light application of clear paste wax twice a year.
Send us a few photos of the part from different angles, along with what it is and the finish you want. We look them over and send a written quote, usually within 24 business hours. It's free, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
Standard orders take 3 to 5 weeks from the day your parts arrive. If you're on a deadline, ask about expedited service. When the schedule allows, we can finish in 5 to 7 business days.
Yes. Our workmanship is covered for 12 months. If something isn't right with the finish we put on, call us and we'll make it right.