Avery's Dresser Redo and Some Tips on Spray Paint

I've been a busy little bee with painting this week! It's not something I really like to do but I do it because I LOVE the results. Jason has had this dresser for years and it was in sad shape. It was wood for a long time, but I got so tired of looking at the knicks in it and the stickers that Jason let the kids put on it, that one day I decided to just paint it black. It looked a million times better. That was three years ago. It has traveled with us from Jason's apartment, to our first apartment together, to our rent house, to our new house. It was time for us to get some new bedroom furniture, so we did. (More on that reveal later!) Since Avery was in need of a dresser in her room, she got our old one.

 

This is why I love paint. Because it looks brand new and it's probably 10 years old, if not older.

 

Here is a before:

 

 

And the after!

 

 

I have had this vision in my head for a long time. Her comforter has stripes and this matches the colors perfectly!! I had leftover spray paint for a couple of projects in her room, so all I had to buy was a couple cans of the light pink. Since I was painting black, I had to put on a couple good coats. So, this dresser redo cost me $8.64. Not too shabby. The hardware is original, I just painted them white. Surprisingly, if you put on a top sealant coat, the paint stays on really well.

 

Ok - this is a good chance for me to do a little spray paint lesson and some spray paint reviews.

 

If you are interested in trying out spray paint for the first time for a DIY project, word to the wise - never, ever scrimp and try to save money by buying the cheap stuff. If it's less than $1.50, that can of spray paint will be awful to work with. The more expensive the can, the better off you will be. Trust me - it's worth spending another few dollars and buying quality, especially if that item gets a lot of use. With that said, let me tell you some information on the two major brands I see in my area most often - Rustoleum and Valspar.

 

First of all, the type of spray paint at your disposal has a lot to do with the stores you have to choose from and their color options. Home Depot, as far as I know, sells Rustoleum, while Lowes carries Valspar. What Walmart sells really depends on the store. There is a blogger I follow who swears by Ace Hardware and their selection, but the only one by me has a terrible selection and all of their cans are about $1 more than other home improvement stores. Rustoleum is a cheaper option at around $3.80 a can and Valspar, I've found, is about $4.80.

 

In my experience, Valspar offers great color choices. If you really want a great array of unique colors, this is the one to pick. I have found all of the colors I could ever want in either brand, so I will just compare them, in terms of application and paint coverage.

 

Rustoleum's applicator looks like this....

 

 

It has your typical spray paint applicator. On a large project, you could be spray painting for more than one to two hours. Your hand will hurt using this can. I find myself switching hands back and forth a lot. In order to really have an even coat without a lot of paint blots and build up, it requires you to use short, small bursts of paint by pressing and releasing the trigger a lot. This technique is pretty much required for Rustoleum if you want the finished product to look good. You also can't spray too close to the surface - that's a surefire way to get drips and it will take you a lot longer to get an even coat. To make the painting process a little easier, there is a little gadget that looks like this:

 

It is a spray can handle specifically for this paint can that allows for easier painting. (why they can't change their applicators for comfort and make people buy a separate product is beyond me). I still find this to be cumbersome, but it does make the job easier.

 

I have had more trouble with Rustoleum, in that probably one out of every 10 cans has issues with paint either not being able to spray out because of a clog or it taking a while to come out without huge paint blobs. OR it will spray in the totally wrong direction. With this dresser, I bought a can of Cotton Candy. Well, I shook the can quite a bit before starting, but it took each can a good minute of constant spraying to decide what color it wanted to be. It was first hot pint until it settled on light pink. That was really annoying, considering I had made a special trip across town to Home Depot just to buy these two cans of paint. Needless to say, leaving again to replace them really wasn't something I wanted to do. Luckily, the decided to spray correctly, but this happens frequently. But with all of these negatives aside, for the price, it's certainly a good brand and you will be happy with the end result.

 

At $1 more a can, with Valspar, you are paying for comfortability of the applicator and the finish of the paint and it's definitely worth it.

 

 

This applicator allows you to use two fingers and your hands don't get nearly as tired. As you can also see, this is a paint and primer in one. Therefore, it's not necessary to use short spurts of paint - you can actually just use one solid stream and it will not drip. Definitely something that will help get the job done quicker!! If I have a choice between Rustoleum and Valspar, I will always choose Valspar. But the Lowe's is farther away from me, so I usually end up with Rustoleum. And like I said, it's totally fine, it's just a little more annoying to use.

 

Well, I guess that's my small DIY contribution this evening - have a great Labor Day, everyone!