There’s no need to completely replace your hardware if some of your drawer pulls and cabinet knobs are starting to get a little worn out. Here’s how to update hardware with spray paint!
It’s just amazing the number of things that you can update with a can of spray paint. I’ve seen people do faucets and door knobs, and I’ve even updated old vent covers using a simple can of spray paint. It works wonders! Today I wanted to talk about how to update hardware using spray paint because I had some that needed to be fixed up a little bit.
I have a big cabinet in my dining room that Chris built about 12 years ago. I love it and don’t think I’ll ever be able to part with it, but it’s definitely been well-used over its lifetime so far. It started out as our TV cabinet back when everyone had those giant, deep TV’s, and now it’s kind of a top-secret office-in-a-cabinet for us in our dining room. It holds our printer, all kinds of my blogging stuff, and lots of office supplies too.
I shared this photo of the cabinet on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. You can see it still had the silvery metal knobs there. I’m @creeklinehouse on Instagram by the way if you’d like to follow along with me over there!
I really still like the size and shape of the little knobs on the doors, but I noticed that they were getting a little worn out. They used to be kind of a brushed metal finish, but they’d been worn down to the point that all of the “brushing” was completely gone. I thought some oil rubbed bronze spray paint would add a little farmhouse charm and make the knobs look fresh and new again!
How to Update Hardware with Spray Paint
So here are the steps that you need to take if you want to update your hardware with spray paint!
First, start out by removing the hardware from the doors or drawers. You’ll only need the actual knobs or pulls, so stash the screws in a safe place so you don’t lose them.
Clean the hardware thoroughly with rubbing alcohol to remove all of the dirt, grime, and oils that have probably built up on there. Just dip a little cotton pad in some rubbing alcohol and swipe it over the entire surface of the hardware, making sure to get into any nooks, crannies, and detailed areas.
Take your hardware to a well-ventilated area (like outside) and place them on a flat, clean surface like a piece of paper or cardboard, facing up.
Spray two coats of paint onto the fronts of your hardware pieces, waiting about 10 minutes between coats. Try to also get around the sides of the pieces as much as possible.
When your two coats have dried, flip the pieces over upside down and spray one more light coat on the back sides of the hardware, getting any spots that you missed when you were spraying from the other angle.
Key Notes for When You Update Hardware with Spray Paint
Very important!——> Flip your hardware back over so that it’s facing right side up again to fully dry after you do the upside down coat. Don’t leave them to dry upside down because you may risk having the odd drip run down and ruin the most visible side of the hardware. The paint may not be fully dry yet also, so you don’t want to leave any marks or imprints on the surface of the paint that will be right front and centre when you re-install your hardware.
Let your hardware dry like this for another 20-30 minutes. If you find that you’re having trouble getting your spray paint to dry, you can use my trick to get spray paint to dry almost instantly! That trick is perfect for if you’re in a hurry to re-install as well!
That’s it!
Re-install your hardware, stand back, and admire your brand new look!
Do you have any pieces of hardware that could use a spray paint update around your house?
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.