Refrigerator Makeover
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
This post is long overdue! Remember when I mentioned that I painted my refrigerator with chalkboard paint here? Well, I am finally going to tell you about it! Exciting, I know.
When Dane purchased the house it came with all of the appliances. However, not long after moving in the pretty, white fridge kicked the bucket. So, Dane went fridge hunting and found a fridge that worked perfectly for $100...not something you can pass up. The only problem...it was tan, which didn't exactly match the rest of our black and white appliances. It was fine for a while, but after I moved in I decided it could use a facelift. So, I started looking at ways to paint a fridge, and I came across this post on The Handmade Home (this blog is filled with great ideas).
It made perfect sense to paint the fridge with chalkboard paint.
•It would match the rest of the appliances. (clearly one of my big worries)
•It would be a great place for the weekly menu and shopping list.
•It would keep kids entertained when they came over to visit.
After some convincing Dane agreed to let me do it, and it was surprisingly easy (the painting, not the convincing). I picked up a can of chalkboard paint, foam rollers, and chalk at WalMart for about $15 dollars, and got to work! At first I thought it was going to take forever. The first coat went on very thin, but I followed the instructions and continued painting. The paint dries very quickly, but you have to wait several hours before you paint the next coats...I ended up painting 3 coats.
I absolutely love the way it turned out! At first I was hesitant to let kids color on it because 1. I thought their aggressive scribbling would take the paint off (it hasn't) and 2. I didn't want them to think it was okay to color on someone else's fridge (so far that hasn't happened either).
I really enjoy writing inspiring quotes and reminders on the fridge to add a little character. It is way more fun than an ordinary fridge!
9 comments
Did you use the magnetic paint like @The Handmade Home? Looks good!
ReplyDeleteNo, I used Rust-oleum chalkboard paint. I got it at Wal-Mart for about $10.
DeleteWhat did you do with the handles? Did you paint them or were they already black?
ReplyDeleteI painted them. I just took my time! :)
ReplyDeleteI finally have this done! I just painted the front of our freezer in the basement...to include an on-going list of the freezer contents! No more digging through the freezer to figure out what we've got. Thanks for the idea, Brit!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it Valerie! I am glad that it worked out for you!
ReplyDeleteHey Brittney, this is such a great idea. I am looking into doing the same to my fridge soon. Can you tell me how the fridge held up over time? Especially around the handles? Would you do it again? Would love to hear from you! Thx :)
ReplyDeleteI would do it again in a heartbeat! We have had the fridge painted for almost 4 years, and I have only had to do some minor touch ups once.
DeleteHi Brittney - I love the look of your fridge. I have been well and truely inspired. I'm so excited to show you my painted fridge - you can see it here - http://www.paperbarkplace.com/project/upcycled-fridge-in-3-simple-steps/.
ReplyDeleteThanks again! Dee