Color adds variety to furniture. When we think of color we often think of shades in a color wheel. Painting your hairpin legs green or blue, for instance. But color can also match to shapes and patterns. For example, using square bar hairpin legs on an angular table can be the perfect accent, or choosing the same legs for a rounded table can add contrast.
In addition to the great colors we can get through paint, there are ready-made colors wood can offer us. Nature creates its own beautiful colors. Some woods have greater color variations than others. Colors can appear as streaks or highlights throughout wood. Knots formed in wood are typically darker than the surrounding colors and can be intentionally highlighted. Wood color variations can appear as stark differences that form patterns. Displaying these patterns nature creates can result in stunning furniture.
The dark steel of hairpin legs is often a great match for the natural shades of wood, but if you want to alter the look of your hairpin legs, they can be finished in a similar fashion as your tabletop. You could clear coat both your tabletop and your hairpin legs, for instance, or add an accent color. Neither a sealant or a paint will affect the lifetime of the legs or the table.
