The following is a guest post by Bryn Huntpalmer of Modernize
After a couple of months of being stuck indoors due to inclement weather, you start to notice things about your house you’d never realized before. Like how banged-up your heater looks, or how “blah” your living room decor seems. Winter makes the perfect time for these kinds of one-and-done updates, and with a single can of leftover paint, you can become a room revolutionary, bringing a punch of color with you wherever your paintbrush lands. In fact, there are a lot of surfaces you probably never dreamed of painting that could benefit from a fresh coat. Here’s just a sampling of some of those options.
Chair Legs
A plain wing-back or ho-hum kitchen chair makes a great candidate for this fix. An asymmetric dipped look offers an especially sophisticated twist—and a great way to jazz up ubiquitous hairpin or shaker chairs — or even boring wooden bar stools. Just make sure to tape off the ends with painter’s tape to give your lines a clean, sharp edge.
Your Coffee Table
Your coffee table should be more than a glorified coaster. As the centerpiece of your living room, it’s often one of the first things guests see when they enter your home. So why not make it a smashing first impression? An unusual paint choice, like a bold orange or bright teal—or even a distressed look created using all-natural milk paint—adds a special spark to living spaces, transforming even the plainest surface into a true statement piece. Just don’t let anyone spill their drinks on it afterwards!
Drawer Knobs and Hardware
After a million-and-one outfit changes, dresser drawer pulls and knobs can become just the slightest bit sodden-looking. Rustoleum or leftover latex paint in a bright hue can cover even the most beat up hardware, adding a little pop of color to your daily routine. Painting knobs and drawer pulls also provides a chance to wipe away dirt and oil that may have come off from your hands over the years. You’d be surprised what a difference a little TLC makes!
Outdated Upholstery
As crazy as it sounds, painting upholstery is a pretty common practice, and not just for the crafting-obsessed. Sprayable fabric and latex paint mixed with a fabric medium are two methods you can use to give textiles a little modern makeover. Make sure to use outdoor spray paint for furniture that’s going on the patio.
A Utility Rug
A good-looking rug can run you a pretty penny, especially when you just need to cover the floor next to a back door. That’s why many homeowners have been spray-painting inexpensive utility rugs as an affordable design shortcut to dress up a mudroom, entryway, rec room, or other heavily-trafficked area. A can of paint and a little ingenuity are all you need to get this one done! Use a stencil or even just a roll of painter’s tape to create a unique pattern, then cover the rug with indoor/outdoor spray paint. When you pull the tape away, you’ll have an eye-catching floor covering for mere pennies!
Vent Covers and Baseboard Heaters
Exposed as they are to dust, moisture, and daily wear-and-tear, it can be hard to keep heating and cooling equipment like vent covers and baseboard heaters looking crisp. It may seem like a little detail, but sometimes a single eyesore can mean the difference between a home and a hovel. To repaint baseboard heater covers, disconnect the power to the heater, then give them a once-over with a wire brush to remove any dust or paint flakes. Don’t forget to use rust-resistant metal paint.
Your Refrigerator
If your family likes making lists and keeping track of busy schedules, a coat of chalkboard paint on your refrigerator is a great idea for your home. It gives you a highly functional update while covering scratches and rust that can make your kitchen decor a little downtrodden. Now your grocery list can go right on the fridge—just hope you have good penmanship!
These projects should keep you busy for a long time—with any luck, maybe all the way until spring!
Bryn Huntpalmer lives in Austin, Texas where she currently works as editor-in-chief of Modernize with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence. In her fringe hours she hosts a birth story podcast called The Birth Hour.
