In my humble opinion, these are the top ten pros and cons when it comes to the use of spray paint.

Pros

1. Spray paint offers more even coverage without brush strokes. 
2. Spray primer is a million times faster than brush primer. 
3. Spray paint is a million times faster than brush on paint.
4. Spray paint is typically oil based, therefore more durable than water based spray or regular latex paint.
5. Spray paint is easy to use outdoors, with a drop cloth and some newspaper.
6. Specialty spray paints can be used to transform metal, wicker, plastic, resin and other surfaces. 
7. Spray paint dries much faster than paint out of a can (without an additive).
8. With a spray paint nozzle gun in hand, you can conquer the world, or at least, transform a piece of furniture without losing your mind to a million brush strokes.
9. Clean up is quicker – no brushes to rinse or buckets to wash.
10. Spray paint feels a little devious – at least in my state – you have to be of a certain age to purchase it.

Cons

1. Compared to latex paint, there are limited color choices beyond the great ‘Heirloom White’ and some of the ‘American Accents’ line by Rustoleum. 
2. Spray paint is more expensive per square foot of coverage.
3. Spray paint requires ventilated area in which to work.  You can’t use it indoors. 
4. Drips are tricky.  I use my finger to wipe up drips, but they take away from the smoothness of even coverage.
5. Spray paint is typically oil based, so clean up on your hands requires mineral spirits or really strong exfoliation. 
6. Spray paint is extremely toxic (therefore, wear a mask).
7. A bad nozzle will spatter paint and ruin your day.
8. Spray primer is not as durable as brush primer so it shouldn’t be used on high traffic pieces (ex: tabletops).
9. Without a spray paint nozzle gun, your fingers can cramp.
10. I read somewhere that aerosol cans are bad for the environment.  For a very boring interesting article on how an aerosol can of spray paint works, look here.

Rules I Follow:

1. Shake shake shake.  Shake shake shake.  Shake your spray can.  Shake your spray can.
2. Always spray 7 inches away from your piece, and move back and forth in a rapid motion. 
3. Two thin coats is better than one thick coat – you risk drips.
4. Start your spray in an inconspicuous spot in case it spatters out of the can. 
5. Quality varies, so I mostly use Rustoleum brand spray paints. 
6. Always wear a mask, disposable or otherwise.  Have you seen the warning label on a can of spray paint?  Couldn’t be more toxic.
7. Dispose of your cans properly at a toxic waste disposal sites.

Here’s a throwback to a few months ago, but take a look at some brass thrift store finds that I transformed with a can of spray paint in this post. 

Before:

After:

What has been your experience with spray paint?  Are you as big of a fan as I am?  Do you fear the spray can?  Did I miss any pros or cons?

What tips can you share to help us all be better in our application? 

I’m talking about closet doors.  Those standard white doors installed by contractors in every house built in America in the last 15 years.  (That is, unless you can afford those upgraded wood or custom doors that we drool over in glossy décor magazines.) 

As you regular readers know, I am in the process of remodeling my home office.  I have ignored this space for years, but no more ! I’m starting from scratch this time.  A blank canvas.  I realized that before I could hang my gorgeous grasscloth wallpaper (in the most amazing slightly luminescent gray blue, oh joy!), I had to touch up some trim.  And I had to paint the closet doors.  The paint was dingy – yellowed from years of sunlight – and they are the first thing you notice when you walk in my home office.  No. Thank. You. 

Instead of just painting them white, I thought I’d give them a bit of interest and a hint more sophistication.  After all, they practically take up the entire wall, so why not embellish? 

Here’s a look at mine, post paint job:

Do you want to see the wall of doors before?  With the mess behind and in front?  Well do ya?  OK, fine – your wish is granted.  Here is the room before, from a few months ago.  Sad, I know. 

And After:

Do you like how I added the detail on the door so that it picks up the detail on my revamped ‘Cinderella’ office chair?  This chair is the only piece from the previous room that is staying. 

It was an easy fix.  I worked with the existing architecture of the door, and taped it off with painter’s tape.  Then I mixed some color from my existing trim and wall paint.  The wall color is ‘Seafoam Storm’ by Valspar, and the trim is ‘Swiss Coffee’’.  For my inside panel, I mixed 50% of the very translucent Pratt and Lambert ‘Opulence Silver’ with 40% ‘Swiss Coffee’ and 10% ‘Seafoam Storm’. 

I added a bit less of the ‘Seafoam Storm’ to mix the color for the surround.  Two coats later, I had a tone-on-tone painted panel door. 

I found these wood appliqués at Lowes that mimic the detail on my office chair.  I primed and painted them, and then glued them to the doors. 

Layer one is complete.  Now on to hanging the wallpaper, finding the perfect chandelier, refinishing the desk, painting the cabinets, organizing the storage accessories, the list goes on.  Whew, I’m tired.  I need to rest. 

But speaking of closet doors, when I was doing research on upgrading my own doors, looking for design inspiration, I Googled “painted closet door” and “wallpapered closet door”.   Strangely, there was not a lot of good images out there to look at.   I didn’t find much at my favorite go-to design and DIY sites either.  But I did find some other embellished closet doors out there in cyberspace.  Are they good or bad?  I’ll let you be the judge.

From HGTV.  Love these. 

Bulletin board doors from Domino

Painted Doors by Painter Girl 

Wrapping paper door from Grace at Design Sponge

Simple paint and molding from Better Homes & Gardens

Painted doors from Chez Larsson

Patchwork wallpapered door from Posie Gets Cozy

Map door from Better Homes and Gardens

Cherry Tree decals from Design Amour

Chicken wire and fabric from Country Living

Chalkboard door from Country Living

Painted and embellished door by Centsational Girl

Have you done something special with a door?  Do tell. 

Don’t forget, there’s still time to enter the Tim Irving art photography giveaway – it ends Friday at 11 p.m. PST.

Sunroom wall Before, cluttered and unorganized:

Sunroom wall After, with her new thrift store hutch that she transformed:

Here is the old fashioned hutch Before.  Beautiful glass !

Sanding step for the oak base:

After a fresh coat of white paint and modern knobs:

She told me a frustrating funny story.  The day she painted the piece white in her front yard, she left with the paint wet to go run some errands.  When she came back, she discovered that the neighbor had chosen that particular morning to use his blower to blow all the debris off his front yard.  Where did that debris end up?  Yessir.  Right in her paint job.  Needless to say she was beyond frustrated.  Had to pick it all out and paint again.  Ggggrrrrrr.  She had me in hysterics as she related that story.   My favorite part was when she said, “What the <bleeeeep> ?  Dude, who walks past a freshly painted cabinet with a yard blower on?  Some idiot !”

Here’s some detail up close:

I love how the glass in the ‘Before’ picture reflects the rusty honey tone of the oak, but now, Shazam !  Glorious sparkle !  Crisp white !

My sister’s got some skills, so go on, give her a shout out.

Last week, I found a shelving unit at the local thrift store, and transformed it with outdoor paint for my unique purpose.  In a cheerful shade of pale yellow, this baker’s rack style shelf fits my needs perfectly. 

I was inspired by this blue shelving unit I saw at Crown & Crumpet on last weekend’s San Francisco adventure. 

I bought my own version of a spindly wood shelf at the Goodwill for $12.  Then I brush primed it will oil based primer for durability.  

I then gave the shelf a light sanding, and covered it with Rustoleum’s ‘Strawflower’.  This indoor/outdoor spray paint is a pale yellow hue, and blends beautifully with the shade of the exterior stucco.  What I love about this paint is that since it is designed for outdoor furniture, the shelf should withstand multiple seasons of sunshine.  

I also added some small hooks to one side of my shelf, to hang some colorful tea towels. 

To the plant shelf, I added a thin plastic liner (available wherever oil cloth is sold) just in case the herbs overflow after watering.  An extra hook was added for the wasp trap, which is both decorative and functional.  I don’t want any of those pesky buggers invading my garden party.

The personalized herb pots were created with plastic paint and stickers, using the same spray paint I used here and here. 

The second shelf houses napkin rings, melamine plates and melamine glassware.  I lined the shelf with a crisp white tea towel, restaurant style. 

The bottom shelves hold various cloth placemats, napkins, and citronella candles, ready for setting our outdoor dinner table. 

This wall was bare before this newest addition, and I loved decorating it with an étagère that I will use all season long to hold all things culinary.

Have you added anything new to any of your outdoor spaces lately?

Some of you might actually like the “Before” and I have to tell you, I did too, but it was terribly scratched up at the base and on top, and for fifteen dollars, I felt no guilt in painting it.  The finish was also a speckled stain you see on a lot of old furniture, and up close it looked very old fashioned.  So I decided to paint it white for my daughter’s room because it was the perfect size for a narrow wall. 

It was a bit more challenging this time, because the piece was heavily varnished, and had a lot of paneling that required more attention.  

How to Paint Heavily Varnished Wood Furniture:

Supplies:

1. Medium grade sandpaper
2. Disposable paper mask
3. Oil based primer and brush
4. Paint thinner for cleanup
5. Paint color of choice
6. Wipe on polyurethane

Step One:  Sand with medium grade sandpaper to remove most of your varnish if possible.  Make sure to wear a disposable mask, or you will end up inhaling microscopic dust – no thank you !  Wipe off dust with moist wipes and allow to dry completely. 

Step Two:  Cover entire piece with primer.  In my opinion, oil based primer is more durable and provides stronger coverage than water based primer.   When dealing with heavily varnished furniture, or even laminate like my fellow DIYer Lindsay did, you absolutely must use primer.   Allow it to dry completely. 

 One note on cleanup:  When using oil based products like primer or poly, you must be prepared to clean your brushes with paint thinner.  It’s not the cleanup that is such a big deal, but the disposal.  Paint thinner is a toxic chemical that must be disposed of as a hazardous waste.  I keep mine in a glass jar away from the kiddies, and every few months drop it off at the hazardous waste disposal across town.

Never ever skip the primer step for a piece like this. I missed one tiny corner of my varnished cabinet, and look what happened.  I had to go back and prime and paint this tiny little corner.  Arrrgggh.   Now imagine if this happened to your entire project ! That would truly make even a grown man cry.

Step Three:  Cover your piece with two coats of paint.  It’s my experience that one coat never covers completely.  You’ll be glad you did two coats, especially when using a white or light shade of paint. 

I chose to use a brush application of paint instead of a spray application because of all of the paneling involved.  Sometimes when you use spray paint, you get drips, and it’s really tricky to go back and correct them without causing streaking in your spray paint job.  When you use a brush, you can easily correct drips.  Allow both coats of paint to dry completely. 

Step Four:  Add a coat of wipe on polyurethane to protect your paint and your hard work. 

I chose to “wallpaper” the back of this cabinet with some inexpensive wrapping paper I found on clearance.  Just a little double sided tape is all you need. 

I also splurged with my Restoration Hardware gift card, and purchased two glass knobs for the cabinet to match her room’s decor and add a little sparkle.  I love just these.

I had very big plans of using this piece for a sensible storage solution for books and toys.  My ‘client’ has made other plans.  I’ve been informed that this cabinet is now a home for all things furry.  Otherwise known as a “critter condo”. 

Some clients just have a different vision.  Oh well.

Here it is in her room, situated on that narrow wall next to her closet: 

Happy Three Day Weekend everyone.  I hope you all enjoy your time off.  I plan on BBQing and working on my secret project.

Cheers! 

Here’s the Before and After:

I had been looking for a desk for my daughter’s room, and got really lucky when I saw the $16.00 price tag on this desk at the local St. Vincent de Paul.  Yes I know.  Sixteen dollars.   

But get this.  I asked the manager for a discount, and he gave me 40% off, so I only paid $9.60 for this solid wood desk.  Total score !

It would have been easy to sand it down and stain it like I did with this dresser, but with those feminine base legs and that French style hardware, I just had to place it in my daughter’s room, and that meant I had to paint it. 

I was inspired by these bright pieces I saw at the local Antique Fair a few weeks ago, selling for hundreds of dollars. 

I decided, rather than painting the desk a cream color like all of the other furniture in her room, that I would mix it up !  Be bold ! Paint it green !  But what color green ?

I had some leftover color from her wall paint, so I simply added some apple green craft paint from my stash, and this old Pratt and Lambert dark green I had leftover to create my own custom color. 

Using your wall color as a base is a great idea when mixing up color for your painted furniture.  Your final color will be complimentary and not something jarring.  And it cost me no money to throw this paint color together !

I’m also a big believer in adding a bit of black (or gray) to cooler tone colors to calm them down.  I think that’s why I love all of the Benjamin Moore shades – did you ever notice that many of them seem to have a bit of gray undertone ?  

Painting Older Wood Furniture:

Supplies:

1. Medium grade sandpaper
2. Primer
3. Paint color of choice
4. Roller brush and holder
5. Polycrylic protectant

Step One:  Remove hardware. Sand your surface to remove any varnish or debris in preparation of primer. 

Step Two:  Prime your piece with a good primer.  I prefer the spray variety since it saves a lot of time, but you can also use a brush on like Zinsser’s oil based in the brown can.   Allow to dry for recommended time.  I highly recommend these snap on spray paint guns, they save time and finger cramps, plus assist with even application.

Step Three:  Roll on the paint with a roller and follow up with a paintbrush to smooth any uneven spots and fill in any hard to reach nooks.  Apply two coats and allow to dry for 24 hours. 

A few helpful tips on paint application:

1. Use a new roller brush (not the rolling tool, the roller brush itself).  I tried to be “green” and reuse an old roller leftover from a previous project, but it had tiny fibers and dust on it, which ended up in my paint, and I had to hand pick it all out, wasting about thirty minutes and causing intense frustration.  Aaarrrggghh.  Spend the extra $2 for the new roller – trust me. 
2. Paint in an area where there is no chance of a breeze.  In my case, it was my garage with the garage door closed and the screened window open.  I have tried to paint outside several times, but the gnats and dust always ends up in my paint, and I really wasn’t looking for that extra “texture”. 

Here I am painting in my garage last Thursday late at night in frustration because my personal favorite was kicked off American Idol.  I was working off my anger.   (My poor Danny. Sniff, sigh.)  

Step Four (optional):  If you seek a distressed or antiqued look, go over the edges of your painted surface lightly with sandpaper to expose the wood underneath. 

[When using spray paint, I use candle wax and moist wipes technique to expose the wood underneath, like I did with this chair.  However, sandpaper is also a great tool to use to expose your edges when you’ve applied your paint with a roller and/or brush.] 

Step Five:  Apply a protectant like Minwax Polycrylic to your piece to protect your marvelous paint job.  I like to use Minwax products for a good reason.  If you’ve distressed your edges with sandpaper, the poly also helps to enhance the wood tone underneath.  Allow your poly to dry for at least 24 hours. 

This French style hardware was much too beautiful to spray paint.  Look at this antiqued bronze color.  That’s completely legit.  No “faux technique” to achieve that look. 

Don’t forget to line the drawers.  Did you know you can make your own drawer liner for old furniture simply by misting linen water on scrapbook paper?  True.  I love that trick. 

The liners pictured below I’ve had for years, and finally got a chance to use.  And they actually smell pretty good, not that musty stank-ay smell that a lot of liners have. 

Final Result

Here’s the desk in her room:

Do you remember that vanity bench revamp ?  And do you spot the tufted bench in the background from this project ?   Both of those benches were thrift store transformations.  I think the new green desk perfectly compliments the green silk on the bench under the window.  I really love the way the color turned out. 

Look how great the edges look with just enough distressing:

And this hardware looks great in the deep bronze color.  I am so glad I didn’t paint it !

Wait, I think that bottom one is upside down !  Ooops.  Better switch that tomorrow.  Pay attention CG !

What do you all think of the new desk?  Are you about to paint a piece of furniture and completely transform it?   Do tell.