How to Spray Paint a Fridge
Instead of replacing your fridge, customize it for less than $100! Don’t spend money on a new fridge, give it a makeover instead. Here’s how to spray paint a fridge the easy way.
This transformation is our most drastic yet: a REFRIGERATOR makeover!!! I can’t believe this is the same appliance, it looks so incredible but the best part is it only took a few cans of spray paint (yes, spray paint!) and a few hours to transform!
supplies to spray paint a fridge
You’ll need a handful of supplies to paint your fridge to prevent scratching. Primer, the paint and sealer are give-ins but here are items we recommend:
- Sandpaper + Sander
- Rag for buffing
- Drop Cloth
- Painters Tape
- Saran Wrap
- Primer (or use a paint and primer in one)
- Spray Paint (We love COLORSHOT for amazing coverage: Little Black Dress for the fridge, Lucky Penny for the handles.)
- Sealer
- New Handles *optional (more on that below)
visit more colorshot paint projects
We love this spray paint! Amazing coverage with a fun line of colors:
Check out other projects we’ve done using their pretty paint:
how to prep a fridge to paint it
Prep is key. With all painted projects, prep is the MOST important step. Also, here’s a sneak peek at the “before:”
Step one: Take apart your fridge handles and remove doors. Put all screws and loose pieces in a small sandwich baggie to keep track of it later. Label if necessary.
Step two: Sand the fridge. We used a medium grit sandpaper with our electric sander to sand the fridge enough to give it a little grit for the paint to adhere.
Step three: Tape the insides of the doors with painters tape. Stick the Saran Wrap edges to the tape to cover the inside shelves and food.
Step four: If you’re not using a paint and primer in one, you’ll need to prime your fridge. You’ll have even coverage and use less paint when priming. We prefer a spray primer. Hold the can 6-8″ from the fridge then spray in even lines. Two coats is recommended for best coverage.
*NOTE: Follow the same process for the handles and any extra pieces.
how to spray paint a fridge
Step five: Spray paint. Hold your can 6-8 inches from the fridge then spray in even lines. We used 2 coats total. The first coat covered so nicely but the second coat really finished it off.
Step six: Seal the fridge. We like a spray sealer, so easy. We actually used a polyurethane sealer, it left a smooth finish.
SPRAY PAINTING TIPS: If you get any runs in your paint or blemishes, let it dry for at least an hour. Use a fine grit sandpaper to sand it out then use a rag to buff it. Spray again in light coats.
We also like to buff in-between coats, just to smooth out any build up.
Spray Painted Fridge
What a change! Isn’t it so pretty?
My kids came home from school and asked if we got a new fridge! That’s how different it looked to them. ?
Painting appliances: additional tips for a quality finish
- When we taped off the doors, we didn’t tape the plastic seal around the door off. We didn’t want that white plastic seal showing so we painted right over it. We kept the doors closed when we painted them. When they were dry, we opened them, taped them off with the clear wrap then shot a coat so it left a nice crisp line.
- We also removed the grill below the door to paint it the fun gold color. It gives it a little custom pop! We did the same with the top plastic piece that hides the bolts. So cute.
Frequently Asked Question about Painting A Fridge
When we told our IG community we were going to paint a refrigerator, they had so many questions! We had them write them all down so we could answer them in one spot:
Is it safe to paint a refrigerator? Yes. You’re not painting inside the fridge so you’ll have no issues with your food being safe.
What kind of paint would you use to paint a refrigerator? You can use spray paint, appliance paint or even latex paint. Again: prep is key for long lasting adhesion.
How do you paint an old fridge? Follow the steps above, it’s easy! It took us a few hours in one afternoon, by the time we got everything prepped.
Can you resurface a refrigerator? Can you respray a fridge? Yes. You can! Follow the steps above. If it’s been painted before, use a coarse sandpaper on it before spraying.
Can I paint my fridge with chalk paint? We wouldn’t recommend it because it’s so thick and may scratch off easily but if you prep and seal, you’ll have a decent chance of it holding strong. If it gets wet at all, you may see some color changes in it due to the chalky ingredients in the paint.
BONUS: How to customize fridge handles
After we painted the handles, I saw the cutest fridge with gold handles. It looked totally custom, what??
I started searching for “DIY custom handles on fridge” and realized that people are simply screwing towel bars onto their fridges for custom handles!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Brilliant.
Look for an update on the fridge handles this weekend, they’re en route and I can’t wait to install them! To find the right size, I measured the old handles then took off a few inches. I chose 16″ so I could keep one hole to prevent additional drilling.
Since the original holes on the insides of the doors, I won’t have to fill them in. SWEET! To do so, you’ll need to repair the holes with Bondo (a cream hardener) if you’re not using the same holes.
Additionally, I chose my handles because of the design to install them. It comes with a plate I can screw directly into the fridge then the handles attaches to the plate. This way, I can avoid having to drill from the inside of the fridge.
Questions? Comments?
Leave any more questions or comments below, we’re happy to help you on your own budget friendly kitchen makeover, too!
PIN FOR LATER
We’d be honored if you pinned our painted fridge tutorial for later! xoxo
We have an older fridge in the basement and now we know what we can do with it. I think we will pick the color black. This is a great idea, thank you so much for sharing!
You’re so welcome, happy painting! 🙂