painting a fridge Archives - Chalkboard Fridge: DIY or Buy Cheap

How to Paint a Refrigerator with Rust

Do you have an old rusted fridge that works well – but looks awful? Here’s how to paint a refrigerator with rust to make it look beautiful again.

1. Scrape/Sand Rusty Patches Off Fridge:

First, remove as much loose rust as possible with a scraper. Then, you want to sand down the rusty spots with sandpaper.

I personally like sanding blocks because they are easy to grip onto. There are comfortable to work with, and consequently make sanding more enjoyable.

In addition, each side of the sanding block typically has a different level of grit. Therefore, you can start with a stronger grit to speed up the job. Then, switch to a finer grit to achieve a smooth finish without having to buy multiple blocks.

2. Spray Primer Over Rust Prior to Painting Fridge:

Second, spray a primer over the rusty area. Primer will help paint adhere to rusted metal, so it’s worth taking this extra step before painting. This also helps prevent discoloration later in your painted finish.

3. How to Paint Your Refrigerator:

Third, remove any door handles and tape hinges and edges before you paint. This prep work takes a little time, but ends up speeding up how much time you spend painting. (Not to mention, it will make your paint job look more professional.)

Many people choose to spray paint their fridges versus using a roller because you don’t have to worry about roller marks. However, what if the surface of your refrigerator door is uneven due to rust?

You can easily solve this issue by using textured spray paint. No, it won’t look like a popcorn ceiling. Rather, the texture is more subtle, and you can buy it in a variety of different neutral colors.

And, depending on the color and sheen that you choose, you can actually make your refrigerator look like a heavy-duty commercial style model.

For example, you can can get paint that looks like hammered metal, vintage style aged iron or with a stone-like finish. The light texturing can hide the unwanted surface blemishes while giving your rusty refrigerator door a new, fresh look.

If your fridge door doesn’t have blemishes, knicks or an uneven surface, you can also repaint it with a stainless steel finish. You can also buy black chalkboard spray paint.

Note: If your appliance has 2 doors, like for a fridge and a freezer, you can paint them 2 different colors. For example, one side can be a chalkboard while the other has a hammered metal finish, or a bright glossy color. The options are endless.

How to Paint a Refrigerator Stainless Steel

To most people, stainless steel appliances have the look of sophistication, quality and elegance. However, they come with a significantly higher price tag – especially refrigerators.

So, what if you could transform your white or black fridge into a modern and industrial-looking stainless steel appliance… simply by using paint? Well, you can!

I was actually surprised by how easy the project is, and how realistic the final result turns out. That said, you need to have patience. There are a few tricks of the trade that I recommend you follow below.

“Can You Paint Stainless Steel?”

Now hold on, I’m not talking about silver paint that’s cheap-looking and leaves your fridge looking worse than when you started. I’m talking about paint that actually has stainless steel in it. It is super durable, so it doesn’t chip or even show fingerprints. Some people even call it “liquid stainless steel”.

It’s pretty darn cool, if you ask me. Plus, it’s an easy way to update the look of your kitchen without spending thousands of dollars.

In fact, you can even get a high-quality, easy-to-use kit that includes all of the special paint and brushes you need, including a clear top coat finish to give your fridge a new, finished look that doesn’t show fingerprints or chip. (Less than $100!)

Stainless steel paint does cost more that chalkboard paint, or other types for that matter. If you are looking for a super cheap way to renovate your fridge, this is not your best option.

That said, if you don’t want to spend over $1,000 on a new appliance, this is a nice option to have.

Note: Wondering if you can paint your dishwasher and oven to match? Wonder no longer – you can!

What else can you do?

Cabinet Handles
Sink Fixtures
Furniture Trim
Small Countertop Appliances like Toasters

Think of all the money you’ll save. Then, check out this short video below to see a real-life demo of how it’s done:

Transform Your Fridge for $80

By the way, if you like saving money by faux-finishing appliances, you may interested in countertop refinishing ideas. For example, you can get faux stone re-finishing kits for countertops or spray paint a counter or wall to look like concrete.

How to Distress Paint a Fridge in 3 Steps

If you are into DIY home decorating, you’ve probably heard of distressing furniture to give a cool, shabby chic look without a lot of effort. In fact, this painting technique doesn’t require any know-how, and you need very few supplies to complete a project.

In essence, you can easily transform an old, ugly piece of furniture into something you love without spending a lot of money. And, believe it or not, the same idea works on refrigerators. Really.

As with other fridge painting jobs, you can choose to make your appliance stand out – or match the surrounding cabinets (like the photo below).

Refrigerator with Distress-Painted Panels — courtesy of https://www.aegive.com

A Simple Trick to Saving Money:

And since kitchen cupboards are typically constructed of wood, you will probably need door panels for your refrigerator that will match your cabinetry. However, don’t think that you need to hire a contractor to build them for you or pay high prices to have them custom made.

Many kitchen cupboards have a simple design that can can be replicated more easily than you might think. Check out this page to see lots of examples and get instructions on how to do it yourself very inexpensively.

Make Mistakes:

The distressed look is meant to look worn and weathered. Therefore, you can make plenty of mistakes on your projects without worrying about how it will look. The naturally imperfect look that you are trying to achieve through distressed painting might even turn out better when you don’t have any idea what you are doing.

Look at the next photo. This distressed fridge is impressive, even though it has plenty of imperfections. Note the unique handles, that were most likely added to create a more sophisticated look.

Distress-Painted Fridge: How to Distress Paint — courtesy of https://www.pinterest.com

Step 1: Learn the Distressed Paint Technique

If you think that this look would work well in your kitchen, the first step to learn more about how to create a distressed look with paint. The video below shows a good example.

Distressing technique with chalk paint:

Give Distressed Furniture a Finished Look w/ Beeswax

Step 2: Find Out How to Make Door Panels

The second step is to figure out the door panelling you need. You may not need any at all. This blog has very helpful instructions and photos on making diy refrigerator panels. After seeing how it’s done, I was pretty impressed, especially with the final result.

Step 3: Get the Paint You Need

Although I love chalkboard paint, you don’t need to turn your distress-painted fridge into a chalkboard too. You may want to use chalk paint instead, which is virtually the same thing. Alternatively, you can use chalkboard paint and simply not write on it.

Chalk paint helps your painted surfaces appear naturally weathered, when using the distressed painting method. You aren’t limited by colors, and the paint is not expensive either. Get it at your local paint or home improvements store or order it online.

Information on Dry Brushing:

Dry brushing is another similar technique you can use to achieve the shabby chic or antique look on your fridge and/or kitchen cabinets. As you can see, the method is very simple. On top of that, if you feel like you made a mistake, you can easily brush over it to look…. naturally imperfect.

And when in doubt, I look for a Distressed Paint Kit.

50 Decorative Furniture Finishes: Step-by-Step

If you’re like me, you’ve probably got lots of chalk painting ideas floating around in your head already. Test out this style on a flower pot, picture frame or scrap piece of wood first if you want to practice. Then, jump in and get started. I bet you’ll be hooked!

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