Earlier this week I shared how we updated our front door with a little paint and some vinyl letters. Today I'm going to show you how we used spray paint to spiff up the the hardware & complete the makeover!
I started this first thing in the morning (right after I painted the door) so the hardware had all day to dry and cure before it had to do any work. I removed all the hardware pieces and put them on a piece of cardboard. I could poke any long pieces through the cardboard so they would stand upright.
I followed Young House Love's tips for painting hardware and started with a super fine sandpaper on all the pieces. Then I wiped them all down with a liquid deglosser (left over from our cabinet painting adventure). I let that dry for 1/2 hour like the package suggested before I used my favorite Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint to apply several light thin coats of paint.
Then I just let them hang out the rest of the day.
Before bed we reinstalled all the pieces. All done!
It turned out so pretty and it's a great contrast to the light blue door. Plus it looks so much more modern than the old brassy finish. And we already had the paint left over so this project was totally free! (the paint is about $7 if you don't already have some) And yes, I do admit spray painting metal seems a bit iffy, but Young House Love did an update a few months after painting theirs and said they were still looking great! So here's hoping. But I'm trying not to get my hopes too high. I'm still not sure I buy it.
While I was at it, I decided to update the mailbox a bit as well. The style isn't fantastic, but I knew I could at least make it look a little better without spending the $$ for a new one.
I loosened the screws inside the box and took it down for a good painting.
I used the same ORB spray paint to apply several thin coats to the outside and inside the lid.
After a few hours to dry, back up it went. Ahhh, much better.
*smooth transition* My family was in town visiting a couple weekends ago and we decided to take B to the splash pad. This is as close as he got to the water before quickly ditching it for the playground. And holy cow, guys, it was hot out there. I don't know what the child was thinking!
He still had fun running around for a while.
With lots of cool-down breaks in the shade. He gets all red and sweaty in even mild heat. He's not sunburned, I promise!
"Lid. Off. Lid. On."
Then is was back to the slide for more sweltering fun.
And then we came home for a big old nap. Whew.
Followed by more outdoor play... this time "hockey." And yes, he's in his undies. He actually went to the store like that the other day because it didn't occur to me that they weren't pants. Mommy win. At least he wasn't naked, right? ;)
So... anyone else tried a hardware makeover? How are you beating (or not) the heat this summer?
I beat the heat by going to the store in my undies, too.
ReplyDeleteLove love,
Beffy
Oh. My. Word.
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ReplyDeleteThanks! Hopefully things will be back to normal soon! :)
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