I would not bother painting the set. I would either decorate around it or replace the furniture. I think getting rid of the wall paper, repainting, and new WT. Good luck!

What kind of "beach" you are thinking about.
The reason I'm asking is because there's a huge variety when it comes to coastal style

1. Tommy Bahamas look (rattan, palm prints)
2. Santa Monica's Shabby chic beach (white slipcover, cerused oak, naked wood, etc.)
3. Chi-chi Barclay Butera beach (seagrass rug, grasscloth wall, linen upholstery, etc.)

I would keep the set as is, and paint the wall. Or do grasscloth or raffia texture wallpaper. change out the blue rug to something more organic & beachy (stripe cotton or Jute/seagrass/etc.). Pile on the acessories & it would look great!

Maybe adding seat cushions on those chairs (blue white stripe?)

Check out these sites:

Beachdwelling.com
barclaybuterahome.com
Ralph Lauren used a lot of rattan in his beachy furniture collection (link here) --- Check this out there are a lot of good ideas.

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: link to rl site

Ahhh, embrace that lovely rattan!

ItÂs a nice retro set and would be a PAIN to paint (and even worse to strip if you ever wanted to refinish). Rattan and paint generally arenÂt a very good mix  IÂve spent a lot of time stripping and sanding!

What about a seagrass type rug? What about some retro beach scene artwork? Some great shells and candles? Put those hurricane glasses on a tray with sand, beach glass and turquoise candles? A cool "atomic" lamp for the sideboard? Fill that bar top with some vintage tiki glasses & rum bottles? The formica / rattan tabletop is classic  add an oilskin tablecloth or colored bamboo placemats?

you might want to whitewash the furniture, or prime it and paint it a pale pastel (sorta shabby chic) for the beachiness..if you like shabby chic it would be cute with that look being small and near the beach ! I would remove or redo the wallpaper as it is kinda outdated, i like the blue rug, i would whitewash or paint the piano as it is already light..I think some rose chintz would be so pretty in there with say some pastel pinks and pastel greens or even a very pale butter yellow

more thinking here..i'm thinking that if you wanted to use TILE on the table top, you could buy a piece of rectangular mdf and some trim and fasten it to the top of the table and tile it ..then it would be spectacular..

i really think your insticts are right to paint the set..you aren't wanting vintage falling apart rattan, been there..you are wanting something beachy and useful to you..so paint it..if you hate it then send it on its merry way.

a good spray primer and spray paint will NOT be that difficult to do so go for it..outside..on the beach..sit it on some paper or something and don't do it on a windy day..or it will be beach ..sand in paint..an old shower curtain is great to use as a drop cloth under it when spray painting..if you do it when the breezes are light it should work out well..otherwise do it behind the house if you can out of the wind.

if you want shabby, then sand it a little in some areas to show the rattan..

i think your idea was lovely..

as for the round top..you CAN paint it..if you want..use some fusion spray paint on the top that will bond with the formica...but there are other options..you can cover it with other things..just use your imagination, either add squared off wood to tile it, or get a tile saw and cut tiles to curves or break them to mosaics, but then use a bender type board to trim the edges so they aren't rough

I would paint it all and put glass on the table top.

Thanks guys! I guess I should have been more clear. . .

I was thinking of going all white with punches of blue, aqua or Turquise to give that beachy/somethings gotta give feel.

In terms of painting the rattan I know it's a real pain but I was channeling Jonathan Adler's Chippendale chairs and I'm sadly shorter on money than time these days so I'd be willing to do the work since I'm not in the position to purchase a replacement set. . . do you think it would look ok in white with maybe blue seat cushions?

Also, I should mention that I'm thinking of eventually redoing the kitchen with a theme like this gorgeous one (but likely minus the 10k viking range LOL)

I guess I'm trying to take this 1940's dream decor to a more modern place. . . Does that help?

go for it..use a great spray primer in white and then your white paint over, it should be gorgeous, and i like the blue

I would paint it white. And perhaps paint one of the accent pieces (perhaps the oval bar) in the lime green or a lighter shade of green for extra punch. With paint and the right fabric, it would look very current. I don't think you will get the look you want without painting the furniture. The aqua, green, and white beachy look seems very in now. I'd look for a fabric with those colors for the cushions.

I have spray painted wicker furniture that has rattan legs, and it has been pretty easy. It seems like this set should take the paint well too. Seems like it's worth it to try.

I'd definitely paint this set altho I'd get a quote from an autobody shop on spray painting it. It will take quite a few cans of spray paint plus work plus mess so having someone else do it might be cost effective. I'd also find out what a glass top would cost as then you could do anything to the top.

If you are keeping the wallpaper you might match the paint to the background as it looks to be a cream, not stark white. I think you could have a nice look leaving the wallpaper and accessorize with the colors in it. Maybe paint the lower part of the wall a color from the WP.

I wouldn't do turquoise unless you are losing the WP and the rug or are they not pale blue? I think you could add some coral red (from the WP) somewhere to the room, perhaps reupholster the chairs with that color.

Whatever you do you have a nice start on the beach theme, just needs some upgrading.

I assumed you were getting rid of the wallpaper but realize you didn't say that. If you're keeping it, then I don't think the aqua and lime will work as accent colors.

you can buy a wagner power painter fairly cheap, you don't have to use paint cans to spray paint..we have a wagner that we've used for many years..

but spray is much easier than a brush with wicker or rattan or anything with that many crevices..i spray painted a huge set of wicker and it took a LOT of paint..so a power painter is a great idea..but if you want to go to an auto body shop, be prepared to pay more than for the power painter for the service

Oh my! I love that green. I was actually going to suggest a yellow, but that green is gorgeous. Love, love, love that look!

I'm actually doing a similar look for our beach place. I used old chairs that were already in poor condition and spray painted then turquoise. I got two yards of fabric and "reupholstered" them (staple gunned), and I found a table at Goodwill for 10 bucks that I painted white. Everything is very bright and the walls will all be white.

You can see pics of the chairs here:
http://baybeebeachhouse.blogspot.com/

However....I sanded and spray painted and used the spray varnish over top and one of the chairs already chipped when I bumped it. I don't really care because it was so on the cheap and I don't mind the shabby look anyway, but if the furniture is good, you might want to invest in going it right.

"I was thinking of going all white with punches of blue, aqua or Turquise to give that beachy/somethings gotta give feel."

I think you're on the right track and would look great!

Gideonsmom, your chairs aee adorable. What a great job! I love all the bright colors you're using!