I'll have to tell you - this is one of the most exciting projects that I've done in a long time!
I got my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer from a pawn shop, and although I didn't like the color I was more interested in getting a good deal. I've had it for about 7 years and it never even occurred to me that I should spray paint it until just the other day when I came across a copper colored version... for $599!! How ridiculous is that!? I loved it but of course I couldn't justify such a heavy price tag for just a color. Well I'm happy to say that I got my copper mixer for only $8 and a few hours of work! Now I LOVE it! It brightens up my kitchen (and my day).. I find myself peering into my kitchen just to get another glance at it.
Go to Lowe's and get yourself a can of Rust-oleum Copper spray paint - you won't regret it! I love the hammered look - it goes on flawlessly, gives it a professional look and it hides any blemishes there might be.
BEFORE
AFTER
WHAT YOU NEED:
-Spray Paint*
-220 Grit Sand Paper
-Painter's Tape
-Cleaning Solution
-Screw Driver/Flat Head
-Razor Knife (If you're doing more detailed taping)
-Paper Towel or Grocery Bag
*If your spray paint doesn't have primer included make sure you buy primer and spray it on first!
Here you can see I have everything I need and I've disassembled the parts of my machine I could easily take off. The trickiest part you might think is taking the silver ring off around where the beater attaches - simply use your flat head to pry off (gently)... Everything else comes off easily with screws and should be self-explanatory. Remember those little rubber feet on the bottom!
Sand your machine down to give it a matte look - any gloss finish makes spray paint hard to adhere to.
I didn't worry about sanding underneath my machine (even though I painted it). Clean the surface really well so it is free from sanding dust. I used TSP Cleaning Solution (specifically for surfaces you are prepping for paint).
Tape off anything on your machine you don't want painted. I put my cord in a bag and tapped the rest and used paper towels to stuff around where the back was exposed and taped off the edges. The only other thing I taped was the silver part where the beater attaches.
TIP: If you want to paint the bottom/inside of your machine do it first then you can tip your machine back and paint the rest. Also, do the same with the back cap. (I've never seen the bottom of my machine until now but I knew it would bug me knowing it was still blue inside).
Do 2 to 3 light coats of paint. Follow the directions on the back. It was 50-degrees outside when I painted which is right on the edge of when it says not to paint so I had to give more time in-between coats. Even then, the surface was tacky for a long time so I brought it inside to finish curing (and it stunk up my house)!
This is after the 2nd coat of paint - much different than the first!
Give your paint 24 hours to dry before you add the hardware back on and another 24 hours (at the least) before you handle/use your mixer.
I love how it turned out!
Labels: decoration, DIY, Featured, restoration, tutorial
