Refreshing Your Home Decor with Paint: A Beginner's Guide

As we're settling into our new house, I'm trying to find homes for some of my favorite pieces of decor.  

I realized that several of my favorite things didn't quite work in our new house.  We've rearranged decor and the color scheme has changed.  Instead of buying all new things, I am determined to give things a new life with a coat of paint.  I'm not a pro painter.  I used spray paint and chalk paint that I already owned.  The pieces all look new and perfect for their new locations.

I refreshed some decor for my kitchen and two pieces for our laundry room.  It took 2 days for each painted item to be finished.  I did a first coat and then a second coat of paint a day later.  Light coats of paint dry faster and don't leave your finished product feeling sticky.

 

The hardest part is getting started sometimes.

I grabbed some flattened moving boxes, gathered my supplies and got busy in my garage.

Chalk paint is very thick so I watered it down a bit.  I didn't tape off the white knobs.  I opted to wipe them off right away if any paint got on them.  I improvised a bit - no paint stir stick - no problem.  I used a plastic fork.  No professional paint cups - no problem.  Solo cups work just fine.

We loved this coat rack in our old laundry room.  I decided green would be a better color for it in our new lemony laundry room.  I did 2 coats of paint and sealed it with the Annie Sloan clear wax.

This organizer has worked great for us for toys, kid stuff, pantry overflow and more.  I wanted it in the laundry room and knew that red wouldn't work with my lemon theme.  I had a can of white spray paint and got busy.  Spray from all angles.  All sides and let each application of paint dry really well before painting it again.  I LOVE how quick it is to paint something with spray paint.  It's much faster than brushing on paint.

Look how bright and fresh it looks now that it's white!

 

The organizer will hold all the miscellaneous winter items for the whole family and it fits perfectly under the coat rack for the adults.

I bought these decorating globes when we lived in Mississippi.  The blue has always worked in our family room, but it no longer matched our colors.  I had a can of black spray paint and got busy spraying them.  I did dust them quickly with a wet wash cloth first.  Let them dry and then sprayed them black.  It took two coats on two different days.  Cardboard boxes make the perfect backdrop.

Done!  They've been given new life!

They look great on top of my kitchen cabinets and match my decor much better now.

All 3 of these projects were pretty quick, fun, a good challenge and it makes me happy to know that I didn't buy any new supplies to make them happen.  

Do you have anything in your house that could use a fresh coat of paint??  

I enjoyed shopping my house instead of shopping for new stuff.  I've got my sights set on a small table next and maybe a picture frame or two.  Happy DIYing!