Oh Spray paint…..how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
For real here. I LOVE spray paint. I mean come on. All paint is a great thing. It can transform just about anything in a very short amount of time and a small amount of cashola.
Paint is an awesome way to make something work for you. Like the size of that dresser..but hate the color. Easy peasy lemon sqeezie. Paint it.
Love your grandma but hate the lamp she gave you…..paint it.
Love the painting but hate the frame…..Paint that bitch, hang it up and fall in love!!
Seriously. Once you get over the fear of change. The world is your colorfully painted oyster!
People have very different opinions on this one. My dad hates painted furniture. He has collected antiques his whole life and curses people that painted victorian furniture in the 60’s. Having said that, he will pass up a piece that isn’t the color he likes. I don’t have that problem. Well..as long as its cheap enough.
Now let’s be clear here..I’m not spray painting gorgeous heirloom museum quality pieces here. I’m painting the leftovers. The stuff that’s damaged. Stuff that really  has seen better days. Stuff that might be headed to a landfill or shoved in the basement never to see the light of day again. Well that’s just sad people! Don’t discard things! Give it new life!
You would be shocked at how cute something can become when you paint it a color you like!!!
Example ……I got a lamp for free at a yard sale last year. It was one of those 80’s (not in a fabulous way) sort of a brass color (not solid brass…don’t even start with me..) with a burgandy rim. It was YUCK. It would have been  at home with country ducks and green plaid (NOT in a good way..I told you not to start with me!). So…its sitting next to something else I was thinking of painting silver….but I wanted to test the silver spray paint I bought (you never know with metallic paint…could be awesome….could be a freakin disaster). Moving on….grabbed the lamp…tested the silver paint…..and suddenly I could see the lamps nice lines, good size and great scale. Things I hadn’t realized before (shame on me for not seeing potential!). So, other project abandoned …finished painting the lamp silver. Got an awesome shade….and BAM! Now my favorite desk lamp! See what I mean?? Transformed!!

Anyways….so I have used all sorts of different paints. Chalk paint, milk paint, oil based, indoor, outdoor….you get the idea. They all have their own merits but when it comes to speed, instant gratification, and durability…I turn to my dearly beloved. The humble spray paint.
So here’s the deal. Its cheap. It comes in tons of colors (depending on where you shop for it) and it really makes for a durable finish. Trust me on that last one…in my house furniture gets put through some serious tests. Cats, dogs, kids, hoarder style piling and so on.
If your a cheapo like me…skip getting it at the hobby stores. They charge a ton for it. Unless you have some killer coupons, than knock yourself out. But for my money Home depot/ Lowes / Ace hardware are the way to go. I just love standing in front of all those colored cans. Thinking of the endless possibilities…and hunting for new and better shades of turquoise! (I have a little problem with turquoise, I LOVE IT, I can’t get enough). Standing there wondering what my kitchen island would look like in Lime green. Relax. I’m not going to DO it. I was just wondering. That’s what I love most….inspiration.
Here’s where you start. You have already  chosen that ugly coffee table or wall shelf or hunter green lamp that makes you want to cry when you look it.
Check.
Now just choose a color you love. Red. Bright yellow. Beige. Whatever. No judgement here. Remember…I have a turquoise problem. However, if you can’t decide….white or black are always a winner. Nothing is happier of brighter than a fresh coat of a soft white. Nothing is cooler or more dramatic that a great matte black!
If it needs to match other stuff..cool. If it needs to be a standout. Also cool. The point being, don’t be scared. Your grandma won’t roll in her grave cause you painted that ugly step stool she gave you. She most likely would be glad to see you actually using it!
Keep in mind some colors will require more paint than others. If the item is dark and you want to paint it pale pink…you might need extra paint. I have done pale pink one time…and it will be a cold day in hell before I do it again. It turned out gorgeous…..and it was a royal pain in the ass. It took 6 coats. Yes. 6. Luckily it was a small piece…but 6 is a bit nuts. I have to admit that time I didn’t prime. From now on..if the piece in question is dark and I want it to be light colored…well I prime. But here’s the cool part…they have spray prime!!! Which I HIGHLY recommend. It comes in colors..white, grey, and sort of redish. Its great stuff. Rustoleum spray primer is a staple for me and its under $4 a can. I use it for lots of stuff. So when in doubt….prime first. Moving on.
You picked your color. Check.
Go home and do a tiny bit of prep (tiny bit I swear).
Clean your piece. Get rid of the dirt, spilled pop, rat poop,  and  cobwebs (and any spiders that jump out at you) proceed to dance around screaming like a girl. Again…no judgement here.Mild soap and water are fine. If your piece is waxy or greasy..try a degreaser..or TSP type product. Sounds complicated..its not. Just ask at a hardware store.
Let your piece dry.
Move outside. Unless you have a super cool workshop/ garage…..in which case…..I hate you.
I paint in my driveway……with a big tarp. A large piece of cardboard works well too. Just don’t forget this stuff can get messy. It will make a mess of your driveway,deck, grass what ever. It doesn’t really come off either……which bodes well for your furniture..not so much for your driveway. Trust me on this. Just cover up.

You need air too…I don’t want to hear someone passed out cause they decide to paint in your closed up garage cause it was raining. Don’t be a dumbass……wait till the rain clears up. You’ll feel really dumb if pass out and crack your head open and you have to explain to the doctor that you just had to paint that adorable yellow side table inside the garage because you just couldn’t wait for a nice day!!

So…moving on….nice day…check! Furniture to paint…check. Tarp on ground…check. Piece cleaned and de-spidered….check. Gorgeous, perfect shade of turquoise purchased…CHECK!!

Now to the  painting. Here’s where you will inevitably stand there for a second…poised…..can in hand…..thinking. “Should I really do this??? I have stared at this ugly thing for years…whats a few more ! I can’t change it once I paint it!” (not to get technical…but you could just buy a different color and paint over it..but whatever). I have done this a million times…..I can hear my dad in my head. Don’t paint antiques. But here’s the deal. Just cause its old doesn’t  mean its valuable or historically important. Plus….its nice to make something out of date usable again. Recycle! Re-use! Update instead of buy new! Thats my theory!

Paint. Depress the spray button and change the world!!  You will feel better the moment that color appears!

Make nice even coats..move  the canwhile you spray. If you stay in the same spot it will look drippy. For big jobs they make this great spray handle you can attach to cans…it is a lifesaver…Well..a finger saver. Its only like $4 too…so even a dedicated cheap ass like myself found I can’t live without it.

Don’t over spray too thick….if you need more wait till the stuff dries and do additional coats. Be patient..its worth it. Let it dry as per the instructions before really putting it to use…but its spray paint so it dries fast!  Than if you want to give it a little distressing take some sandpaper and sand the spots where normal wear and tear would take place. Distressed furniture in a house with kids is an awesome thing…let me tell you. If you don’t want it distressed…well thats cool too.

Now..don’t you feel better!! That ugly dresser your aunt gave you while you were in collage and penniless is now cute, blue and is very you! Thats the point right? Creating something for your house that your proud of. That expresses your personality? Also if your like me…..was a great bargin?!?! Or if you are really lucky..free?

This little gem was at a yard sale, and it was exactly what I was searching for! I needed something to house the jewelry I make…so TONS of drawers was a must. So after slamming on my brakes, and throwing $20 at the people running the sale…here it is in my driveway….notice plastic tarp. Waiting to be painted.

DONE! I am having a grey moment here. At first I was going to remove hardware and add glass knobs (I have a real thing for glass knobs..they are like jewelry no?) but the damn things wouldn’t come off!! SO I painted the knobs and kind of loving how it turned out! I know the picture sucks but I took it as I finished…and it was getting dark outside! Yet another reason I need a garage. Sometimes I’m not ready to stop working……but good old mother nature stops me.

Now, I don’t have great before pics here. But the two upholstered chairs are my focus here (just FYI the two wood chairs were painted white). The burgandy one was all messed up in front….and it STANK!!!Ashtray!! And maybe Butt….I didn’t really try to hard to figure it out. The peach one came out of a barn auction…and everything had bird shit on it (among other things that I just didn’t try too hard to figure out).

This one was the peach one. Better right??? It just looks so Happy now.  I was so pleased with the paint on this one…that blue is one of my favorites. Now you can see all the details!

Here’s the burgandy one…….I love love LOVE how this came out. I sold it at Along Memory Lane ( A shop in Seville OH..you should all go…right now). It sold within a day! I will do more like it. I swear! Now…both these chairs were crazy cheap! Under $10 each! Both from different auctions. Showstoppers…right???

SO That’s all for now. SO just remember. No Fear plus not much money can equal something amazing! Just try! I you have questions just let me know! I can help! Or at bare minimum I can offer a smart ass reply and refer you to a website that can help! Have a great day.