Fabulous Finds
Fabulous Finds
Today, I am going to show you how a can of spray paint can transform two ordinary pieces of furniture into something chic! My idea was to update an entryway by creating a small little vignette with a mirror and table to showcase the blue and white chinoiserie collection I have started. When it came time to determine the color of the furniture, I narrowed it down to pink or orange. Either combination looks amazing together. Ultimately, I went with the orange because I knew it would make the chinoiserie pieces pop.
The Fabulous Finds are on oval mirror and a glass-topped table. The oval mirror use to hang in our powder room. It got replaced with a tall rectangular mirror during the last make-over. Since then, the mirror has been collecting dust in our garage for a couple of years. It’s one of those items that was taking up space, but I didn’t want to part with it because I had a feeling that I would be able to use it again. The little glass-topped table was found at a flea market. I love the bamboo features and I was counting on a fresh coat of paint to help bring it back to life. Below are the before and after photos, I’m thrilled with how bright and cheery it is! I’ve also included my spray painting tips in case you’d like to try this yourself.
| here is the table before is was painted and the mirror in the background with its first coat of paint |
| I started with the table upside down to reserve the finishing coats for the top |
| the table getting its final coat of paint |
| I’m getting great results with RUST-OLEUM, it adheres to just about everything |
Sarah’s spray painting tips:
- Buy enough paint to do the job. One can of spray paint will be enough to paint one small piece of furniture. For example, the two items that I spray painted required three cans. Buy more paint than you think you will need as long as the store will take back any unopened cans. It’s totally worth the trip to return the paint than running out of paint in the middle of the job.
- Make sure that you are spray painting on a day with no or low humidity. I’ve found that paint never dries to a hard finish (it always feels a bit tacky to the touch) if I have painted on humid days.
- READ THE DIRECTIONS AND WARNINGS ON THE SPRAY PAINT FIRST. Ideally, you want to spray paint outdoors which will provide the maximum ventilation. If that’s not possible, find a place, such as a garage and leave the door open. If you feel like the fumes are getting too much, step away for a few minutes and then resume painting. One of the best things about spray paint versus painting with a brush, is that you do not have to worry about leaving brush marks and it is easy to pick up where you left off.
- Lay a very large piece of plastic underneath the items that you will be painting making sure that several feet of plastic extends beyond the item you are painting. You’d be surprised (and dismayed) at how far spray paint will travel! It is also a good idea to cover any other objects that are within 8-10 feet of where you will be painting.
- Always wear a protective mask to cut down on inhaling the fumes, disposal gloves are helpful to avoid getting paint on your fingers.
- Shake the can of spray paint for a full minute to mix the contents, you will hear a metal ball inside the can, the ball is helping to ensure everything gets blended. You will want to start painting as soon as you have finished mixing the paint.
- When you are ready to start painting, hold the can about 12 inches away from the item you are painting, and lightly spray with a slow back and forth motion. When the item has been completely covered with a light coat of paint, wait 15-20 minutes and apply a second coat, repeat. Most items will require at least three coats of paint to provide the coverage, protection, color saturation and gloss (if using gloss paint).
Spray painting is easy and fun and as you can see, will elevate any piece of furniture into something you’ll be proud of! Go for it!
