How to update your bathroom fixtures with spray paint! Bathroom re-fresh series
In this tutorial I will show you how to update your bathroom fixtures with spray paint!
As you know – I’m currently in a blog series called bathroom refresh where I’m trying to update my bathroom on only a $100 budget. This is actually quite hard to do – so I’m trying to pull as many things from my house as possible to save the budget for statement items such as new light fixtures and pulls. Now – You might be confused because the title of my blog is called “How to update your bathroom fixtures with spray paint” but in my case, my light fixture and pulls are so outdated – spray paint wasn’t going to fix it. I decided to use my budget to try and buy a light clearanced out, new pulls, and textiles. So, this meant I had to be willing to repaint a brand new light fixture to get it exactly the customized shade I was looking for. I found a light on clearance for $40 and it was exactly perfect for this DIY tutorial! Except that it was brown and not black. I also pulled a mirror that was the perfect size from my guest room – and it’s also brown and not black. That’s where my handy dandy can of spray paint comes in.
Use the right spray paint
It’s important to always use the right spray paint for your projects. In this case, I’m spray painting metal so enamel paint is best. It will last longer on metal surfaces compared to lacquer. It also adheres better the the metal. Sometimes I will use a top coat to help seal in the color, but not always. I usually only do that on “high traffic” items that get used a lot or touched a lot like chairs, furniture, etc. Because this bathroom mirror and light fixture is a “hung and done” kind of deal, I’m not worried about the paint coming off.
Light coats
You should use 2-3 light coats of paint which is always a good idea when spray painting to ensure you’re getting full coverage. Also, I’ll emphasize LIGHT coats! If you spray it on too thick it’ll probably drip and then it’ll be obvious that it was spray painted. Try and stand a good 12 inches away from your fixtures so that it doesn’t bubble up and look sloppy.
Wedge your tape
It’s important to wedge your tape right up underneath the frame of your mirror so you don’t “accidentally” leave a thick stripe of spray paint. The more of the tape you get under the frame the better.
The great thing about spray paint is that it only takes seconds to get an even coat… it’s the dry time between coats that can be time-consuming. A half-hour is a good amount of time to wait in between coats if the coats are light.
If you don’t have fixtures – or yours were so outdated like mine then you should check out my latest post on choosing the right fixtures for your bath!
