With all that said, I wanted to try a little gold spray paint. I can sense you sighing, "she's so stubborn".
I had thrifted this vintage metal typewriter table for $2.50 and decided it might look cute in the computer shop I've been slowly helping gussy up. Two chairs in their waiting area + a fancy coffee maker necessitated a side table. I don't know why, but I decided this would be my chance to try gold spray paint. Here it is before (I had already popped the wheelie feet off):
I actually liked the patina, but it was bordering on shabby. And the computer shop owner detests shabby (remember the cute antique chair that was vetoed?).
I scrubbed the table with Mr. Clean, then rinsed it and let it dry. I used a fine grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the entire surface and then wiped it down again. I removed the wheels (they just pop off) and carefully wrapped them in painter's tape.
Then I got to spraying, using Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic in Pure Gold. This Rust-Oleum spray paint bonds well with metal and has a built-in primer so painting the table was easy. This was another spray painting job I tackled in my Father-in-law's spray painting booth. I am so ecstatic about the potential for cold-weather spray painting!! Paint ALL the things...
I flipped the table over and did the underside first. I let it dry about half an hour and then gingerly flipped it back to spray paint the top and sides. The spray in any direction nozzles are so fabulous - how did we spray paint without them? Also, these new formulas dry fast - I love that.
I have been doing my best to be a patient spray-painter: applying super thin, sheer coats and waiting a few minutes in between. When we were out at my in-laws', chopping wood and painting, we brought Szuka and added her to my father-in-law's existing three dogs (one of whom won't play nice with anyone, and two that do hang out but can't be let outside together). I was on puppy-patrol and was kept pretty busy letting them out individually for pee breaks and breaking up fights. Paint a little, let a dog out for a pee, paint another coat, try to find that dog and lure it back inside, spray on another thin coat, let out another dog. It worked well for me! Being distracted is great for spray painting projects because it keeps me from sitting there, with a twitchy spray painting finger, globbing on heavy coat coat after coat.
Once done, I let it cure for a few hours while we had dinner. Hubby's Dad said the finish looked so perfect, it's like it came from the factory like that! He said it didn't look spray painted, which is a high compliment from a woodworker who knows his finishes. Hubby and his Dad actually both like the colour, which was surprising because it's gold, which I thought they'd deem to be too "feminine". This gold is pretty - it's not glam and glitzy, it's a subtle gold with the tiniest amount of gleam. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I reluctantly delivered it to the computer shop last week, but not before I snapped a few photos.
The finished product is not as yellow-gold as the lid, and I suspect that's because it was applied to a green-ish colour to begin with. Had I primed with white, I suspect the gold would have been truer.
This winter I'll be recovering the computer store's counter with Rustoleum's counter top refinishing kit (I'm so curious and just have to try it out) and then maybe I'll show you the shop.
For now, you'll have to take my word that it's such a cute piece of furniture for an otherwise modern computer store. These typewriter tables seem to be a dime a dozen. If you stumble across one for cheap, you might one to give it a little makeover. If not gold, then perhaps one of these gorgeous colours?
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| Visual Heart, Our Secondhand House, Design Dining Diapers |
Thanks to Rustoleum for providing the product for this project. I've been really lucky to be able to work with a great brand (a longtime favorite), who gives me total freedom concerning what projects I tackle, what products I use, when (or if) I blog about them, and how I write my posts.
