Here's 3 things that are screaming to be SPRAY PAINTED and how to do it! .
Tired of looking at your front door and windows with outdated hardware? Can't stand walking under an old hallway light fixture anymore? Want to add "umph" to your gallery wall of frames? (*All these were me haha!)
Spray painting is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to repurpose something. And who doesn't love the sound of that?
So many people are making big and SMALL changes to love the look of their home more and spray painting is the best way to get your feet wet when it comes to changing up a space!
It's as simple as it sounds - you don't have to buy a fancy paint brush, spend a weekend out on the driveway, or be well experienced in the chalk painting craze (we'll get to that in another post) to get major impact - you just have to have some outdated or thrifted items and that need a fresh look!
I think I CAN... I think I CAN... I think I CAN...
*get it, as in spray CAN
(or rattle can as my Michigander husband calls it)
Here are my 3 favorite things to spray paint (including how simple it really is to do):
1. LIGHT FIXTURES
If you've been eyeing a pricey replacement fixture, but aren't ready to pull the trigger yet, try spray painting your old one instead! You can also thrift a "temporary" light fixture and spray paint it for a fraction of the cost before eventually replacing it!
Steps to painting a light fixture -
1. Wipe light down with wet rag
2. Tape off where you don't want the paint to spray
3. Apply spray paint
*I have not found a need to degrease and prime the fixture before hanging back up - remember, once painted, light fixtures are not in high-traffic areas and therefore, there's no need to do the extra steps before painting (unless you have an old grimy one)!
Our tiny back hallway in our fixer upper had a gold light fixture with a flower shade from the 60s (see the before below).
While gold is definitely a pretty color option for a light, we needed a different colored fixture to go with our renovations. Enter, dark gray metallic spray paint (and a mason jar to replace the frosted glass flower) ;)
Here is another AFTER picture of this little back hallway light - the gunmetal gray is a better fit for this space:
In addition to spray painting some of the lights we weren't able to replace right away, I also had some luck thrifting a few lights as well.
This $10 brass light fixture below got a flat matte black makeover and is a sharp looking upgrade in the office!
And it took no time at all to:
1. Give it a quick wipe down
2. Tape off the sockets
3. Spray Paint
And just last weekend, I used by favorite soft gold color to spray paint both the nursery light fixture and dresser hardware while turning the nursery back into the guest room -
Before, as the nursery light - a dark bronze basket flipped upside down:
After, as the guest room light - the bronze basket now spray painted in my favorite soft gold - Krylon Carmel Latte:
And then after chalk painting the little nursery dresser blush pink, I also used the same Caramel Latte Gold spray paint for the dresser hardware - and love the pink and gold combo!
Who knew spray paint could add so much sophistication?
Which leads me to my next favorite thing to spray paint... HARDWARE!
2. Hardware
Not only did we not have the budget to replace every light fixture in our fixer upper right away, we also couldn't buy 22 new windows, a new front door, and new interior door knobs all at once. Phew!
In addition to spray painting our window hardware like I mentioned above, the brass front door hardware left our house back in the 60s and instantly was transformed with spray paint -
While replacing the door and window hardware would have made a big difference in the look of our house, we just couldn't initially justify the cost - so spray paint to the rescue!
We kept all the existing hardware and just gave it all a good clean and rattle can job! I think you'll be surprised about the difference from then to now -
A light blue paint on the old wood door (Watery by Sherwin Williams) and a matte black knocker with flat nickel locks gave the door such a fresh look that I love - until we are able to replace it with a new front door someday:
Steps to painting hardware:
1. Remove old hardware
2. Clean with a de-greaser and scrub off
3. Prime
4. Spray paint new color
Here's what I used for the front door hardware-
1. This is the degreaser I used - I sprayed each piece with this, set it in a large bowl for a couple of hours, and then scrubbed with steel wool to get the 50 year old gook off. Repeat if necessary. I wasn't worried about scratching the metal because I knew the primer and paint would create smooth layers.
I also sanded off any gook where it was leftover after wiping away the cleaning solution and rinsing with water.
2. This is the metal finish primer I use!
3. This is the flat matte black I used for the knocker.
4. This is the flat antique nickel I used for the rest.
Here's another look at the before and after
3. Picture and Mirror Frames
My last favorite items to spray paint are frames. Whether you're wanting to do a gallery wall of different frame finishes or wondering what to do with an old hand me down mirror, spray paint is now your best friend!
I wanted a couple different metallics and pops of color in the girls' room for their gallery wall. Painting a few thrifted frames and using some I already had, made this wall really shine!
You'll see old or thrifted frames in a whole new way when you think about spray painting them!
This really is such an easy way to change up a look!
Steps to painting frames:
1. Remove glass or tape off mirror glass
2. Spray paint new color
Spray painting frames is a great way to add in different metallics or pops of color that were missing! And with so many different spray paint options now, you can really achieve any look or color you're going for!
So friends, as you can see, spray painting something in your home that you're not very fond of is a simple, cheap, and instant way to update a space - and who doesn't love that?
What are some of your favorite things to spray paint?
Sharing some of my favorite spray paints below!
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*I do not suggest replacing light fixtures unless you are qualified or feel comfortable doing so (my husband does it for me after having watched many "how-tos" ;))