I found this ceramic seagull thrifting, with Gemma, for $2.99. Seagulls are actually my favorite bird, so I thought about keeping it au naturel (especially after I cleaned it). But then I decided it just wasn't pretty enough and so it got a coat of matte white spray paint.
I used Tremclad Flat White and applied multiple thin coats. I considered bright turquoise or silver, but thought a white bird would create a lovely, textural element against our white walls. I kind of have a thing for white ceramics (not necessarily animals, although animals will do in small doses).
Here's the bird with his new white feathers:
I even painted the small finishing nails white:
I found the perfect spot, too: above our coat hook is a blank spot that is too high for art to be hung. But when our coat hook isn't in use, it's kind of a lonely space. But a funky white bird added a little bit of something. It's barely there, but the wall is much less blank (and it doesn't compete with the postcard art, framed Hungarian embroidery, or gift card display, which are all white, white, white).
Here is out stealthy coat hook in action. The hooks flip down:
