A collection of white paint projects
In my efforts to beautify my rental home, I've done a bunch of small white painting projects, but none of them really warranted their own post.
So you get a round-up today!
Two plant pots
This small one is from Goodwill, I think, and the original spray paint coat had chipped off pretty badly.
Maybe I didn't use a primer? I'm not sure.
I also had two of these very worn plastic pots, which I think might be from Aldi, that I purchased years ago.
I scrubbed them down, but they still looked terribly faded and stained. That's a sign to paint. 😉
I had a stash of white spray paint at my house, and I grabbed it when I moved out (no one there would want it. I'm the most frequent painter in the family!).
So that made my color choice easy; might as well use what I have.
I was a little iffy about the idea of white outdoor pots, but I googled some images and it seemed like it might be ok.
I primed and painted these, curious to see how they'd turn out.
Here are the bigger ones:
And here's the little one.
I'm pretty pleased!
Lisey's bedroom furniture
Lisey's bedroom at the other house was filled with furniture that I'd rehabbed; a freecycle dresser, a freecycle chest, and a twin bed that I'd bought on craigslist.
(That dates these projects for sure! Freecycle and craigslist are not the powerhouses they used to be back in the day! Now we're all getting/giving stuff on Facebook groups instead.)
I picked it all up from the house and brought it over to the rental house. The bed in particular was pretty worn, so I gave it a fresh coat of paint and did the same for the little chest.
I'd done these items with Painter's Touch paint, before Benjamin Moore Advance existed.
I now massively prefer that paint, but a) Advance is hard to get right now and b) it would be more work to start over with a new shade of white. So, I stuck with the Painter's Touch.
Good enough is good enough.
An old frame
I've had an old 8x10 frame since my kids were pretty little; I think it was either a freebie or a Goodwill find.
(Here's the first time it appeared on my blog, 10 years ago.)
It was a little worse for the wear by this point, but I thought if I freshened it up, it might work to hang in my bathroom.
So, I spray-painted it.
And then I asked Sonia to come over and help me make a little watercolor painting to put in the frame.
I'm not much of an artist, and I've never used watercolors before, so this is not a perfect painting (I see many things that could be better!), but it was very cheap art.
And I can always try again.
A trash can
Trash cans aren't any fun to spend money on. B-O-R-I-N-G.
But I did need some for my rental.
Luckily, someone on my Buy Nothing group was getting rid of a bunch of small trash cans, so I picked them up.
I initially put this little blue one in my laundry room, but then I realized I should put one of the bigger, more oddly shaped trash cans in there. The laundry room is just an unfinished area; it doesn't matter what the trash can looks like.
That left this one available for my bedroom. However, light blue did not match a single thing in that room.
Of course, I painted it.
At first, I used spray paint, but that white was a little too cool for my room. So then I used some of the Cloud White Benjamin Moore paint and just rolled it on.
I'd never tried it before, but it seemed to work just fine.
Shelf brackets
I got a tall bookshelf free from Facebook, for Sonia to use (it has a built-in light, so she can use it for plants!)
I'm painting it (of course) and I realized the brown plastic shelf brackets were going to be eyesores once the bookshelf was white.
So I painted them and now they will blend in way better.
And that's it for now.
(Emphasis on "for now". We all know I will be painting more things white in the future. 😉 )
I love your little watercolor. It’s cheerful!
Everything looks so fresh and new. And I think your watercolor turned out lovely!
Bravo! You are an inspiration for making things better without spending any/much money.
Looks great!!!!
You must be a gentler sort than I; painted plastic would never make it in my house! I'm glad you pickup up Lisey's furniture, and her new room looks so relaxing.
Well, it's not like a painted trash can gets tons of surface friction; not anywhere near what a table does!
I used to draw all the time, but I'm very out of the habit, now. I admire you and Lisey for doing this. I love the watercolor! You will always see your own drawing/painting flaws, but almost no one else will.
I hope you will let us know how the paint holds up on the wastebasket and the plastic pots. I've used paint specifically for plastic before, but was never too impressed, so I'd like to know how this paint lasts.
I'm on a streak of painting and much of my painting is white, so I'm with you there. I noticed this weekend as I was cleaning the front door that there are some nicks in the door frame that need white touch up paint. I still have the original paint, so that's should be easy. I have some other places still needing paint that are on my list and I am slowly getting it all done. I truly enjoy your paint adventures. Keep 'em coming.
@JD,
Excuse me, I meant Sonia. I was thinking about Lisey's room. My mind flits around too much sometimes.
I'll keep you posted about the trash can and pots. Maybe a check-in in about a year.
I've painted a plastic pot before and it's lasted very, very well, so I am optimistic about these.
Kudos to you Kristen for all your efforts in making a new spot feel like home for you and your kiddos! I love watching and seeing the results of all of your projects - I find it so encouraging! Take Care!
I'm married to a woodworker who feels physically ill whenever I even mention covering wood with paint. Since it doesn't happen here, I REALLY enjoy watching you make beautiful old worn out furniture!
@Elaine N, back in the day, "cheap" wood like pine was always painted. Only "fancy" woods like mahogany weren't painted. (And the best furniture was always veneered.)
I have a c. 1780 kitchen dresser from Yorkshire in stripped pine. Originally it would have been painted and I sometimes think about it, but I kinda love all the dings and stains from 240 years of use in kitchens.
There ARE pieces I would never, ever consider painting. Like...a mid-century modern dresser.
But as you know there are also plenty of things that I will most definitely consider painting. 😉
@Kristen, your beautiful sleigh bed has made me think that I would like that style. Thanks for the inspiration.
I deserve no credit for that; my kind neighbor just gave it to me!
The do-it-yourself watercolor is charming! And, along with others, I admire the paint refresh jobs in general (and your persistence and ingenuity in doing them).
I did a free framing job myself last week: DH had a large supply of picture frames in the basement, so I used one of these to frame a handmade card with pressed flowers of types that grew in Jane Austen's garden. The frame was natural-finish brown wood in good condition, however, so I left it as it was--being a member of the Brown Wood Generation.
Speaking of the BWG, one of the topics that came up in a very merry gathering of elders yesterday (an early birthday brunch, hosted by the Bestest Neighbors, for a friend who's turning 96) was the preference for natural-finish browns among our cohort versus painted furniture among younger folks. We concluded amiably that this is just one of those generational things, like no tattoos vs. tattoos.
And when I say that this was a gathering of elders, I'm not exaggerating: I was the baby of the group at almost 67, and our ages (there were six of us present) totaled 487!
@A. Marie,
What flowers did Jane Austen have (do you have a collection of letters that mention it?)
@J NL, here's a post from the Jane Austen's World blog that identifies all the garden plantings--not just flowers, but fruit, vegetables, and shrubs--that JA mentioned in her letters (https://janeaustensworld.com/2010/03/13/the-flowers-in-jane-austens-garden/). On the card, I think I can identify a sweetbriar rose and a columbine, as well as a heart's ease pansy (not on the list in the blog post, but certainly a flower that JA would have known).
@A. Marie, I prefer a natural wood. My bedroom is in a dark cherry. There's some white. It's in my daughter's room. But, it came that way. Everywhere else has a golden medium wood. Probably oak. I'm 44.
@Amie, well, there are exceptions to every rule. Especially a rule developed by six old folks drinking prosecco at 11 am.
@A. Marie, hahaha! ♥️
@A. Marie, speaking of tattoos, my 6 year old currently thinks “tattoos that don’t come off” are the coolest ever and says he wants one. I asked what he would want a tattoo of, and he immediately replied, “I know! Mario!” (He of the famous Nintendo brothers.) Probably good that we don’t let kids pick their own permanent tats.
@A. Marie,
LOL about the BWG. I like both wood furniture AND painted furniture. Painted if the furniture is new (such as new unfinished furniture with uninteresting wood), or old furniture that is beyond refinishing (my very old dresser that I shared with my younger sister when we were young). I remember the house I bought as a single woman (house was built in the 1950s era, but not super cool Mid Century Modern) that had very dark brown kitchen cabinets; my parents always persuaded me to keep them that dark wood. before i sold the house, I painted them a creamy white - and it looked so much better. I wish I had done it much sooner. I'm 61.
@Liz B., I love painted wood. I have maple kitchen cabinets painted light blue, but I want to change them to olive green. I never seem to have the time, though.
Ooh, I bet your framed piece is lovely!
I love the little watercolor Kristen!
How beautiful! White makes everything look so fresh and clean.
Pretty sure I had a larger relative of the first black/pink flowered small pot. I got it at Target in the early 1980's. The textured exterior looks very stylish in white!
I love watercolors as much as great photography. And I love it when people dive in and make watercolor paintings of their own. Yours and Sonia's is fresh and adorable! It’s happy-making to see each day and then know you did it yourselves. All of your painting projects are a delight to follow, the little WC included.
Will you all do more paintings do you think?
Well, maybe! Sonia is already a regular watercolor painter...it's me that's the newbie. 🙂
Well, your white paint projects are very impressive, but I absolutely adore your floral painting. Seriously, I would buy something like that from you.
Ok, well, that is a very nice compliment. Thank you!
Ha. You want one way in which we are emphatically not the same? I would NEVER paint a trash can. I hate painting, and avoid it whenever possible, so something like a trash can? Nope, never gonna happen.
@kristin @ going country, I did! An outdoor trash bin, even. My trash company has a SCREAMING ORANGE sticker on their plastic bins, and I got so sick of that being the first thing I saw all the time, I bought matching spray paint and painted them out. Much better.
@Rose, Sort of like I always wanted to (though never did) stick little pieces of gray felt over the Warning Use Child Seats Properly messages in two languages on the car windshield visors. Got so tired of looking at them, and one reading was quite enough for me to follow the rule.
@Heidi Louise, srsly.
I absolutely love how cheerful you are making your rental! You are a constant reminder of how to make the best of a not-ideal situation. I can't imagine how much your girls much appreciate your hard work--both physically and emotionally. I certainly admire it!
Awww, thank you, Jamie!
All your projects turned out really nice! They look very classy. I like the watercolour: it’s really cute.
I never thought of painting my dismal looking pots! Next spring those roses and dahlias will have refurbished pots, thanks to you.
Have you ever seen the movie Miss Potter? It's loosely based off the life of Beatrix Potter. She was a master of watercolors starting pretty young.
@Amie, I love the Miss Potter movie! Beatrix Potter is one of my “heroines,” a mentor of sorts, along with Lilias Trotter, Mary Cassatt, my own mother, and other creative, strong women.
Kristen, your watercolor is perfectly delightful! I think you ARE an artist and one of the most creative ladies I know. If you enjoyed doing this first flower painting, I hope you try doing some more. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Emily Lex? A few years ago, she started painting a mini watercolor each day for a year. This project led her to open an online shop where she sells prints of her work and collections of scripture cards illustrated with her watercolors. I love her style.
And I love yours, too!
I will look her up! And thank you; that means a lot coming from an artist such as yourself.
Doh, I didn't realize outdoor plastic pots could be painted. I have a couple that I was going to slap a free sign on and place at the bottom of the driveway, but now I'm going to try my hand at painting first. You're an inspiration, as always!
@MB in MN, If you use the right spray paint, anything can be painted--even things like those children's plastic jungle gym toys and plastic outdoor cottages. Easy way to refresh them.
Yep! Spray paint does indeed stick to plastic. 🙂
Have a wonderful time in Wisconsin. I grew up in those north woods, and this is a great time of year to be there. !
The weather here is SO nice! Sunny, warm, and the air is so dry. I love the low humidity!
While I didn't paint anything I received two black lamps with white shades that I bought from Target online. I do believe it was one of the men on the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that said every room should have a touch of black. So now I have my black lamps and a black and white framed wedding photo of my son and lovely daughter in law hanging on the wall of family pictures.
With regard to watercolours, I'd recommend checking out Andrea Nelson (@andrea.nelson.art) on instagram for lots of fun "kids" watercolour and other painting projects. I did a two-hour watercolours class last year (kind of by accident) and it was so much fun. But it has taken me until very recently, and watching a bunch of her videos, to actually start doing it myself at home. I may even frame and hang the first one of flowers I did. Even though it's not perfect and I can see a ton of things I'll do differently next time, it's good enough.
I think kid watercolor tutorials are probably RIGHT at my level. Ha.
Great job on all the painting! And your watercolor is lovely!