So, can you paint a refrigerator? The answer is a big YES! When you don’t have the budget to upgrade that dated fridge, just give a good ol’ DIY paint job. Find out how to paint a refrigerator below – it’s actually not that hard at all!
Hi! My name is Madalyn and I nest over at Home Hearted where I share my latest crafting, homemaking and diy projects. My husband and I just bought our first house and since it took most of our resources to get it I have been trying to do what I can to restore and utilize what we already have. First on my list was to take our rusty old refrigerator that we inherited from our rental house and make it into something a little more pretty.
I had grand ideas, but my dad who is a painter talked me out of them and into restoring my fridge to its former glory, a simple white. And to compromise on the chalkboard he suggested I paint a large magnet in chalkboard paint and put it on the fridge.
DIY Refrigerator Paint Job
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Let’s start out with a good before and after shot, shall we?
As you can see, we also switched the door handle to function better in our new kitchen. The above picture doesn’t do the before any justice. It was so rusted and gross as you can clearly see in these pictures below.
This refrigerator was obviously in need of some major loving!
Materials and Supplies Needed:
- High Grit Sandpaper
- Tack Cloths
- Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer – if you have rust spots on your fridge.
- Refrigerator Paint – I used Rust-Oleum’s Protective Enamel, but you could also use a Specialty Appliance Paint or Appliance Epoxy.
- Small Paintbrush
- Fabric or Foam Roller – I used a small 4″x1/2″ fabric roller.
Steps
Step 1
If you have rusted areas on your refrigerator, you’ll want to take care of those first.
Start by lightly sanding the rusted areas, wiping them clean with a tack cloth and then applying two coats of Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer. See image below for step-by-step shots.
Step 2
After the rust neutralizer is completely dry, apply Rust-Oleum’s Protective Enamel in Gloss White or another appliance paint color of your choice.
Because the rust was so bad on the front of my fridge and thus where I applied the rust treatment, I had to apply two coats of the paint here. The rest of the fridge was fine with a light sanding and one coat of paint. Remember to always wipe the entire surface clean with a tack cloth after sanding to get a smooth finish in the end.
I used a small roller for most all of the painting. I used a small artists paint brush for one tiny area that I couldn’t get to with the roller.
Step 3
To top off this little home improvement project, I also spray painted the bottom vent on the refrigerator a nice black. That really cleaned things up and adds to the “brand new” look.
While I was at it I also took the time to clean up the inside of the refrigerator as the etched glass had received a stain at some point. I love the liner, it keeps things very simple as you can just pull it out and wash it, keeps things cleaner and easier!
When all was said and done I spent a total of $36.83 which includes the magnet, fabric rollers, paint and spray paint.
I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions about painting a refrigerator, please leave a comment!
Need more DIY kitchen project ideas?
See how I made my laminate countertops look like stone here!
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Want more countertop makeover ideas? There are nine here!
And finally, get 10+ ideas for decorating, organizing and storage in your kitchen here!
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