How to spray paint kitchen hardware {and save tons of money!}

Hello my friends! I'm back to share a project involving one of my very favorite DIY "tools" ever -- spray paint! I've blabbed on and on about my love of spray paint for years now. It's one of the easiest and least expensive ways to completely transform an item (or room!). 

I was thrilled when Krylon asked me to work with them this year. I've used their paints on tons of projects over the years and was excited to try out some new-to-me versions as well. I have some fun and helpful projects planned over the next few months.

This first one is in the kitchen and I'm SO excited about this transformation! 

When I was picking out the finishes for this house, I went much "softer" than I had done in the past. The floors were originally much lighter (that flooring became unavailable so we had to go with something different), and I went lighter with the cabinets, paint, hardware...almost everything. 

It felt right at the time, as we were starting fresh. But I quickly discovered that I am a contrast lover through and through. Almost immediately I was craving it. I started painting walls super dark, hung dark wallpaper and changed out some lighting for bigger and bolder options. 

For a couple years now I've been eyeing our kitchen hardware: 

I picked a lovely brass handle that looks GREAT. I love the handles and the color is gorgeous!

But they haven't felt substantial enough for me for awhile. It was something I noticed every time I walked in the kitchen. Last spring I decided to buy a set of black handles just to see if I liked them: 

We loved them! But it would have been hundreds of dollars to replace them. And ours are really nice, I just wanted to change the color. 

Spray paint to the rescue!! I've spray painted hardware in the past and it's a really easy DIY project. Spray paint is a GREAT way to ease into do-it-yourself projects. For this one I used the Krylon Fusion All-in-one spray paint: 

I wanted a slightly more modern feel so I went with the satin black. It's more of a matte finish but not dull at all. 

Spraying hardware can be tricky because you need to get all the angles. Sometimes it's difficult to access it all. My friend Lindsay shared this brilliant tip on Instagram: 

I grabbed a couple floral foam blocks and some wood sticks from the craft section. Stick them in and then set your hardware on top. This allows you to spray from any direction! The spray nozzle on the Krylon Fusion can made it so easy as well -- I held it upside down, sideways, whatever! It made really quick work of this project. 

Here are the basics of spray painting broken down!

Step one:  Prep your hardware well. 

I worked in shifts -- I would remove four handles at a time. I left the screws in the cabinets so there was no worry about misplacing them. 

I used a soft, damp cloth to wipe down the hardware well. There's no need to use cleaners unless you have grease build up or something stuck. Dry them well and then let sit for a bit to ensure they are completely dry. 

Step two:  Start spraying! (But not too much.)

First up, shake your spray can well (and continue to do so in between coats). 

My biggest tip when it comes to spraying an item is to use a very light hand. Try not to hold down the nozzle and go to town. For items that you want a "factory" finish on, lighter coats and more of them are best. 

You can see that even after two coats my hardware wasn't covered: 

I did three to four coats each, which may sound like a lot -- but you only have to wait about a minute in between coats. That's another reason for spraying lightly...it will dry much quicker!

If you spray too heavily or too thick you'll get drips, or it will get gummy and take forever to dry. If you add more coats on top of that it's a recipe for a mess. 

I also recommend starting to spray just before the item and then continuing off to the side. I learned this super helpful trick when I used a sprayer to paint our old kitchen cabinets. This helps control your spray and keeps the coats super even. 

This spray went on like butter! Zero drips, zero splatter...perfection! You can see here how my set up worked:  

The gardening tool was just used to weigh down the foam a bit. :)

This contraption made painting these SO much easier! What a great idea!

Step three:  Let them cure!

After the last coat I made sure to give them a good 20 minutes to dry before handling them at all. Then I moved to another spot to dry for longer. I used a cardboard box in the sun on nice days with no humidity: 

Check out that beautiful finish! 😍

I did this over a few days so some days were warmer/more humid. On those I brought them inside and placed them over an air vent to dry.

After they sat for a couple hours I was able to reinstall them, but at first I didn't tighten them against the cabinets: 

We didn't use the handles and 24 hours later I fully tightened them. 

For the next few weeks we will use a light touch, but they are completely useable! You just want to avoid knocking anything into them while they cure, or completely dry. 

When you take your time spray painting you'll get a factory finish on your "new" hardware!: 

You can use a primer before painting as well, but this Krylon Fusion All-in-one paint is just that, all in one! No sanding or priming is required, which is a huge time saver! In my experience, cleaning the item well and then letting it fully cure is most important. 

The black hardware makes such a big difference in here!:

We LOVE it!! Start to finish this took a few days, but by far the majority of that time was letting the hardware dry. I also did it in shifts because I only had four spots in my spray paint "station." 

Both versions of the hardware are equally pretty -- but I was craving more distinction. This was such an easy and cheap transformation. Spray paint can make such a difference!: 

I'm a HUGE fan of using black accents in a room. It's one of my favorite ways to decorate a space. 

I really wanted to tie in our lights and island stools: 

I'm still a huge brass fan and think I always will be. We still have plenty of brass accents in here that I love. (In fact, I've left the island hardware brass for a two toned look. I may spray those eventually but love it for now.) The darker cabinet hardware makes a bigger statement. 

Here are the basics of spray painting if you want to give it a try!:

1. Clean and dry item well (any moisture will cause crackling or uneven finish).
2. Use light, quick strokes instead of heavy, long ones. The finish will look so much better!
3. Let the item dry well before handling and then cure for plenty of time before using or setting items on top. 

I did this transformation with less than one can of the Krylon Fusion spray paint! That's 40 handles and I still have a ton of paint left in the can. You just can't beat it: 

You can see all of the awesome Krylon products and more inspiration here!

Have you ever spray painted something in your home? Have you had good luck with it? If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments!

If you're interested in anything pictured you can find most of the items (or similar) here!: 

This post sponsored by Krylon but all opinions are my own. I only work with companies and products I know, love and would recommend to you. 

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How to hang a light fixture from a recessed light

I've been having fun with the small hallways we have in this house. Our home is very open but has a few of these little spots that I want to make special. I feel the same about smaller spaces like powder and laundry rooms -- they are the perfect spot to do something dramatic and fun! 

I've already given the hallway off the kitchen a makeover: 

You can read all about that at the link above. I LOVE that wallpaper and am so happy with how that space came together. 

I shared another "hall" last week that's next on my list: 

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It's an area off our foyer that transitions to the basement stairs and bathroom. Our foyer is a calm and pretty spot and I want to continue that feel into this area.  

I showed you how I added the art light without electricity: 

And the next step was to add another lighting hack to dress up the space a little. 

I've shared this easy adapter before when I worked on the hallway pictured above. Did you know you can easily change up a recessed can light to hang a pendant light? You just need this light converter: 

You just unscrew the existing light bulb, then screw in this instead. You can adjust the length of the cord to whatever you want. 

Then you use this white part at the bottom to attach your new pendant cover:

This works for a pendant light fixture (like a glass cover or shade), but you can also adapt a recessed light for a regular hanging fixture using this converter: 

If you want a heavier or bigger light fixture that's what you'll want to use. 

I've always loved the look of basket pendant lights and found this one at IKEA: 

But when I got it up, it just didn't work. This space is small, but it still needed something more substantial. I think going small in a small space only emphasizes the smallness. Got that? ;) 

This is the second time I've tried a basket light and I'm realizing it's just not my thing. I tried though! So instead, I went to the basement for the lamp shade I have from IKEA. 

It used to hang in that wallpapered hallway I shared above, but I hung the white version there instead. (Both are from IKEA.) I've always loved the color on this one and the cut outs are so pretty! It worked SO much better!: 

I just love these shades! I just remembered I also have one above our tub!:

I love the detailed cut outs -- they're slightly different for each color. 

I also really like the gold lining -- it's a beautiful detail, especially when the light is on:

You can use a regular bulb, but I find bigger, globe bulbs like this one look better in a shade like this. 

You may notice I also painted the ceiling in this small area. It's a light blue called North Star, at 50 percent: 

If you love a paint color but would prefer it a little lighter or darker, they can adjust that for you at the paint store. 

This is the same color I used on the foyer ceiling right next to this space: 

The light shade is a really pretty grayish green color that works perfectly with the art in the hallway: 

The next step for this little makeover is the biggest one! I hope to share that one with you soon! 

These converters are an easy way to add a little flair to a space with a recessed light. No electrical experience needed. :) 

This lamp shade trick for ceiling fans is another great hack!: 

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