A few years ago, we decided to transform our dark cookie cutter kitchen into a white and bright farmhouse haven. While we look back on it now and wonder what took us so long, we were honestly a bit scared to take the leap so we started with something small and fun to get us motivated to follow through. We were tired of our plain old side by side and didn’t have the funds at the time to invest in something brand new. So we transformed our boring old run-of-the-mill fridge into a central hub for our bustling kitchen.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• a small roller brush
• a basic angled brush
• painter’s tape
• a painting tray
• rags/dropcloths
I honestly thought there would be more to it, like a major crisis. Or the paint chipping off. Or the fridge not working…or the house spontaneously combusting. I was breaking ‘the rules’, after all. But it was just that simple.
Using painter’s tape, I started by taping off the handles. I also taped off the rubber sides that keep the door closed with one long strip. I decided I would paint the top as well, as it came to my attention per my husband that anyone over 6 feet tall who visit our home can totally see all the not so lovely things on top of our fridge. It didn’t really make sense NOT to paint the top. Taping took about an hour because I was precise (and balancing a one year old who didn’t want to nap).
Starting with your primer, mix it WELL. I mean, spend ten minutes just shaking and then stirring that can because sucka is thick and completely separated. I thought I had it a few times, but that just wasn’t so. When in doubt, keep going. This will be the hardest part. The label said it was better to do three thin coats than two thick. I simply followed the directions, even if at the time it was a little gut wrenching to patiently wait to see the results. I let each one dry about thirty minutes in between. Thus the time suck. After doing all I could with a roller, I trimmed it up around the hinges and handles with an angled brush.
Once the three layers of magnetic primer were dry, I started in with the plain old chalkboard paint. You probably totally know this, but the magnetic primer is so your fridge remains magnetic with all those layers on top. We’re so glad we used it.
After two more coats with at least 30 minutes in betweeen…I waited overnight to use my new little chalkboard and TADA! We have a new medium for our three little artists to have fun with.
Yes, I am a self admitted dork. But lists are much more fun this way!
Say bubye to those dark cabbies. That’s the last you’ll be seeing of em’!
UPDATED: Please click on over to see our finito kitchen!
People ask us all the time how our fridge is holding up. It’s the center of attention when we have guests over to our home. It’s really not messy to keep up with, and completely manageable with three children. Your standard wet rag will do the trick when clean up is necessary. Nearly two years later, there isn’t a chip in sight. Something else to consider: If you have a different color than black for your fridge, and are worried how it will look, did you know you can have chalkboard paint custom mixed to a different color? Consider your classic chalkboard green or another fun color to compliment your kitchen. With the exception of a little touch up paint here and there (because of one guilty party who went to town with a crayon) we highly recommend this wonderfully fun transformation. I believe in the power behind being fearless with your home. It saved us thousands of dollars, and you’ll be amazed at how much it can change up your space!
I LOVE this. Thank you for sharing it. I've seen a few pics here and there but not any instruction, and it sounds really simple. I really am pumped for your kitchen redo. I don't think you'll regret it if its what you really want. What a preview of things to come!
I have painted perfectly good darker cabinets white in an older home we owned. The transformation was SO worth it! We have a house now, not unlike yours, cookie-cutter houses with cookie-cutter cabinets. They are an orangish-light color stain and I've hated them from the beginning. I want to paint the top a lighter color and the bottom set a darker color but have no clue what to pick. Good luck with your cabinet re-do this weekend!! Can't wait to see what fab hardware you pick!!
Ahmazing!!
OMG! You are so BRAVE! And look at the great results it had!? Wonderful! I feel really inspired now, FYI.
Linking over here from The Lettered Cottage, and I am so glad I did! You are soooo brave!! And you did a fab job, too! I'm also in the process of "getting ready to paint my cherry wood cabinets", so I feel where you're coming from! I've already done it once in a prev. house, tho, so I *know* I will love it, but at the same time…..YIKES!! LOL!
I'll be following your progress with interest!
Cheers!
~Terry
What??? That is awesome! Love the chalkboard fridge. Now go get to those cabs and make them something you will love. (Was that what you were looking for?) 🙂
So very brave and fa-bu-lous!! Absolutely! And go for it!! White cabinets are SO much easier to keep clean (counter intuitive, I know).
I love this! I wonder if I could convince the hubby to let me do this to our old fridge
That looks so fun. I am a little confused. The box you showed says it is magnetic paint, but you talked about using chalkboard paint, and I see that is what its being used for. Does magnetic paint come out like that?
Just curious. Love the project!
Denise
I am so jelly (yeah jealous, but all my young friends are now saying jelly… so i am jumping on that band wagon!) we just bought a brand new white side by side and I want to do this now…. I wonder if my husband would murder me????
BRAVO!!!!! Great job…..it looks so fantastic:)
BRAVO!! Absolutely brilliant! We bought our home 18 months ago and hubby wanted all stainless steal appliances for our First Home. Ummmm….I run a large family child care home with 9 kiddos under the age of 4!! Not our most well thought out decorating idea ever!
I'm taking my cabinets to light as well but, I don't think he's going to go for painting over our 'Brand-New, Beautiful Stainless Steel yadda yadda yadda…" no matter HOW many fingerprints are all over it (AND our dishwasher!) Maybe I can quietly wear him down over the next year or so! 😉
BTW – Love the blog, found it by way of The Lettered Cottage today and you are TOTALLY going in my reader!! Can't wait to dive into your archives!
I LOVE this! I'm planning to paint our kitchen cabinets white,too. My laundry room door is painted with chalkboard paint and I really enjoy it. By the way, your napless little booger is adorable!
HAHA yes, Sandra. It was! Thanks man! GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Hey Denise!
Check out the links above in the supply list. {I snapped a pic of the magnetic primer} but I did three coats of the primer, and then two of the chalkboard paint on top. Both Rustoleum…I hope that helps! I used both to keep the surface nice and cling-y. 😉
I have an old "coppertone" fridge at the lake – fishing shack. Once the snow melts I am going to chalkboard that sucka…thanks for the inspiration!
I think this idea is inspired! I almost like the matte chalkboard look better than stainless steel. And you WANT the kids to put marks on the chalkboard, unlike SS where you constantly have to buff it.
Good luck with the cabinets. I am in a similar position where I would love black cabs on the bottom and white on top. But the cabinets are nice quality wood and "some people" feel it would be a shame to paint that. It's just the previous owners picked the colors and it's not me! I think you will love your new kitchen when you are finished! Be you!
Sarah
Fabulous job!!! I think this would be SO fun to do in a colorful chalkboard paint – Hudson Paint carries some awesome options.
Be brave and paint those cabinets!! I have had a TON of cabinets painted for clients. Our secret is using a primer called XIM that we get locally at Sherwin Williams paint stores. It's stinky but you don't have to do any sanding – just brush it on! We have literally painted formica cabinets using XIM as our primer! The paint sticks, never peels or chips and looks great!
Good luck!
Love the fridge!
I recently painted my brand new cabinets, and love them majorly. Be sure to use semi-gloss paint! You can see before and afters here: http://www.yarnista.com/blog/2011/1/30/kitchen-before-and-after.html
LOVE IT. Really. Looks so, so good! Getting excited about our little road trip next week!
xoxo
shaunna
we painted our cabinets in our last (cookie cutter) house…I went from totally HATING to totally LOVING them…I say GO FOR IT!!!!
I heart the fridge…I am seriously putting this little project on my to-do list for our hideously ugly garage fridge! It is late 80's early 90's almond hideous…
That's a great idea !!!!!
Do you think I can do the same on my "aluminium" fridge ??
(i live in a fix her up… but we laready fixed the kitchen and bought a very nice fridge, but it's not magnetic !! So what's the use of a non-magnetic fridge ?!)
😉
Hey CouCou! Absolutely! Just be sure to use the magnetic primer, and it should solve that problem quite nicely! 😉
Oooh I love it! Maybe when we own our own home I will do that to our fridge. Though I doubt I could draw those flowers as pretty as you did!
Oh my goodness this is awesome! We are finishing up on a big kitchen remodel. I have replaced my dishwasher and microwave with black ones. We have future plans to replace the fridge and stove with black but after a trip to the orthodontist with DD yesterday that will not be anytime soon. This would solve my problem and give me my black fridge much cheaper. I wonder what I would do with the handles and ice maker part since they are white. Any suggestions? Also when you wipe it down with a wet rag does it look nice and black or does it have the white film that most chalkboards have on it?
Hi!! I LOVE your fridge!! I found you from The Inspired Room. I have actually been thinking about painting ours with chalkboard paint for some time. My problem is this – I have an off – white fridge. The handles I could do but I don’t know what to do with the water/ice dispenser. It is off white also with goldish labels – came with house – can’t afford a new one!! Do you have any suggestions?
hey girl! well, did you know that you can get your chalkboard paint mixed in custom colors? You can do something other than black that may work with that white water spout area! play around and see what you can come up with-a nice classic schoolhouse green may work, or a pastel blue…you never know-but that option is available! I hope that helps!
I love that you used chalkboard paint for the fridge, I have a fridge from the 80’s and dont really have the money to get a new one right now and when I saw this I thought that’s too cool, so I have to ask, hows it holding up? The paint chipping or anything?
PERFECTLY. Just do many coats of primer, and it will be fine. Ours has held up beautifully.
Kinda funny question… I just got done putting the three layers of magnetic primer on my fridge. I noticed on the box it said the smoother the better but… mine seems to be a little rough. Do you think I did something wrong or is that just how it turns out?
Thanks! 🙂
Ashley, what a wonderful project! It turned out so great. Thank you so much for using Rust-Oleum. We love it so much we’re posting it as our Project Idea of the Day on our Paint Ideas Facebook page.
facebook.com/paintideas
I love the look and am working up the courage to paint my fridge. How easy is it to clean? And when you erase the chalk, does it erase well or leave a lot of left over marks? Thanks for sharing.
Stay true to your heart and paint those cabinets! You won’t regret it at all and, yes, I do believe that some funky, cool buyer will come to your house one day and fall in love with it’s original personality. Anybody can live in a cookie cutter home, but the free spirits of the world get to have the really fun houses. 🙂 Good luck and have fun!
I got the idea to paint my ugly appliance warehouse fridge with chalkboard paint and had browsed around some sites via google and im soo glad i found your blog. Now im definitely ready to try & tackle this project. Your fridge looks awesome! and great tip to use magnetic primer as well thats something i didn’t even think of.
Love the fridge. I have a new black stove and buying a black fridge is just not in the budget so I think I found my solution now, thanks. Last month I painted my boring oak cupboards and they turned out great. I first washed them really good making sure to get all the grease off them. Then I reoved the door knobs and hindges. I sanded them with a small electric sander. Then I painted them with a prier. I used a white semi gloss paint and painted them 2 coats. Then I took a chocolate glaze and brused it on and wiped it off with a rag, turning them into antique looking cupboards. They turned out great. I am going to buy a new countertop & a brown granite sink. I encourage you to paint your cupboards it was alot of work but well worth it.
I love this idea! I think I might try this with our garage/beer fridge! But even with ur beautiful handy chalk art u did, what caught my eye was that freakishly weird baby on ur counter next to the fridge! Lol what the heck is that?!!
Hey! Well, there’s not really a good shot of it so you can tell, but it’s actually a portrait of my oldest when he was a baby sleeping. I painted it and love it! 😉 good luck with the fridge! 😉
I love this! How do you clean your fridge once the chalkboard paint is on? We are thinking of doing this this weekend.
This is the most asked question! It’s holding up great, and I clean it with a clorox wipe. ;} It’s a fun surface for the kids to play with! Good luck and I hope it goes well!
I am torn.
between CLEVER & BRILLIANT!
So I jumped on board and painted our fridge & the front panel of dishwasher as well. I surprised my little one (she’s 5) with holiday drawings, & now she tells me every day that I’m the best mom she’s ever had! (tehehee)
Anyhoo!
Thanks again for sharing and being the source of our inspiration!
My husband insists that the texture on our fridge is going to make this chalkboard fridge dream impossible. I see your fridge has the same texture as ours. How dos it effect the finish?
I have a white old fridge. I am concerned about the white rubber seal. I do not want to keep it white but not sure what type of paint to use to it would be black but not crack or peal. Any thoughts?
Hey Autumn! Have you considered another color other than black? If you did a lighter chalkboard color, you could just leave the white stripping. You can pretty much mix any color into a chalkboard solution at your local paint store. I hope that helps you!
Can’t wait to do this…but I have the same question as others. If my frig has the textured finish…will the chalk write over it and will it erase fully?
Hey Mary,
If you are looking for a smooth finish like a classroom, that just isn’t possible with a fridge. It also isn’t possible with most things painted with chalkboard paint, though, because it’s paint. Not a purchased chalkboard. We have been very happy with ours, and it cleans up nicely with a wet rag when you are finished. A roller gets it on as smoothly as possible, and the more coats, the better, because it fills in all the grooves. Don’t expect perfection with this, but for me, it was better than my nasty generic look ! ;} It has held up nicely, and we really love ours. I’ll probably give it a fresh coat of chalkboard paint this spring, because the kids have scraped up against it in subtle places, and I’m a perfectionist. It is textured but it looks great! ;} I hope this helps!
how did you clean the supplies you used to apply the magnetic paint? the can i just bought said i need xylene. . . me and my kids can’t wait to get started on this project!!!
How is it holding up to water splashes and grease spots? How is it cleaning up? Please email me to let me know, because I’d really like to try this!
[email protected]
Could you respond on how much primer and paint was used? I found them both at Walmart but in quart cans. I don’t want to spend anymore then I’ll have to. Is one quart of each enough to do a traditional fridge? Top freezer model?
Thanks!
Hey! Just like the photos above, a quart should do it!
Oh ok great! Thanks again. Great how-to.
FABULOUS! I so want to do this. We do home school in the kitchen I could really use a chalkboard. 😉
Found your chalkboard fridge on Pinterest and knew it was THE answer to my old, boring fridge. I mean, It’s over 14 years old, so if it didn’t turn out – no big deal. It was a little more work because it started out WHITE, but I painted that sucker all over and I couldn’t be happier! Thanks for sharing!!!
go for it our cupboards were unfinished pine which we stained dark 20 plus years ago and 1 year ago we were finally brave enough to refinish them with rustoleum cabinet transformations it was not as easy as it says but oh so worth it we love them we did do quite a bit of sanding though to take out some of the wear and tear also to remove shine as we thought that was easier than using the deglosser i am still looking at them and thinking how much i love the look from dark walnut to antiqued white
Even though I’m a bit nervous, I think I’m going to give this a try! I have a huge old monster of a fridge that I got off freecycle. It’s beige and ugly…I think chalkboard paint is the answer! 🙂
Hello, I LOVE the idea of painting a fridge with chalkboard paint! I live in an apt. so I can’t do it but as soon as I get one of my own, I’m painting it for sure! I hope it’s okay, I’ve featured your chalkboard painted fridge in a round-up along with some other great chalkboard paint crafts and home decor projects. You can see it here:
http://jamiebrock.hubpages.com/hub/Clever-Crafts-Using-Chalkboard-Paint
Thank you so much for sharing!
thanks so much, Jamie!
You got me thinking… Do they make chalkboard paint in white? I would love to a fancy frame out of molding and paint it light purple (my daughters favorite color). Then add a white chalkboard surface to the center. Wouldn’t that look so cute hanging in a little girls room? Love your idea on the fridge though. Would keep the kiddos busy while you’re cooking.
Hi Ashley, just have to say your chalkboard painted fridge is the best looking one I have found online! I love the idea and am really considering painting mine because it’s white and the rest of my kitchen is stainless steel and really dark brown/black. I bought the black chalkboard paint a little while ago and after finding your blog I was wondering if yours is the black paint or the gray paint? it looks more gray in the picture but maybe it is because of the magnetic primer you used? Thanks!
Hey Felicia! No, we just used standard chalkboard paint. The grey you are seeing, I think, Is the primer going on. ;} It’s super black in real life! Go for it I can’t wait to see!
Thank you thank you for the tutorial! We have wanted to do this for a whole but couldn’t figure out how!
We have a stainless steel that we wanted to makeover (can’t stand all the fingerprints). One tip, if you redo a SS you need to sand it slightly before applying the first coat. And make sure you rinse it off and let it dry completely before applying primer.
Bravo! I recently finished my cabinets…painted over the cookie-cutter dark brown and made them a beautiful spanish yellow. Time consuming, but SO worth it! First, scrub your cabinets with soapy water, then sand (I used 220 fine-grain), then scrub again with TSP, then prime (really important!!) and then painted 2 coats. Finished off with new hardware on all the cabinets. The whole project took about 3 weeks, since I work during the day. Just make sure that, as you take your old cupboards down, number every single hinge and door, so you know which way they go back up!
I think that this is a great idea! im always running out of space when it comes to keeping things in the fridge. it holds magnets and then i can write on it when i need to write something down! This is amazing!!!!
I’m wondering how the refrigerator is holding up after a year? Does the paint get filmy from the chalk? Any chipping?
Hi Rachel! I did a bit of a re-post, with FAQ’s, here. Three months later, it’s still kickin’! ;}
This is awesome! Can’t wait to do this on our old black fridge. When we moved it got a few scratches on it that I tried to cover (with a black sharpi-lol). I’m in the same boat with cabinets, I’m just too nervous to take the plunge…but I’ll get there. Thanks so much!!!!
We did it, and it was well worth the work! {the cabinets} Go for it, on the fridge! I’d love to see! ;}
Wow, your fridge looks beautiful and I have this linked to my “appliances” post too today, for DIY ideas!
Was wondering if this will work on a newer fridge….mine has kind of a rounded front with no handles….well they are in the door….and it’s a slick surface not texture….was wondering if it will stick…we just moved and I remembered I had a quart of Deep Teal…was actually looking into places that paint cars for a little color…but this would be better
Hey Melodie! While I would like to recommend one way or another, I don’t really know. Can you try priming + the paint in an inconspicuous spot? If it peels, then it peels. And no harm done. ;} sorry. Hope that helps!
My husband and I really want to try this, but after reading the reviews on the magnetic paint are a little worried. Are you able to use big magents on your fridge? A lot of people’s reviews say that it only holds small magnets….
Hey Jacci – It depends on if your fridge was magnetic before you applied the magnetic paint??? I know it’s not too strong, but with the coats we used on top of our already magnetic fridge, it works just fine. I hope that helps!
I am borrowing your picture of the headboard for my blog. There is a link back to your blog. The post is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13th. If no response from you, I will understand that as consent. Thank you!
I was curious…I have a white fridge. Would it look terrible to paint it with black chalkboard paint or can you get it to match?
Hey Laura! You can get paint to match your color of choice-so you could always go with something lighter, or a classic chalkboard green color… though I’m not sure black would be horrible if you did something interesting with the handles! ;} Hope that helps!
Thank you. What do you suggest to do with the handles?
Laura, did you paint your white fridge? I’m wanting to paint our white fridge.
I just found this and think this is the perfect solution for our tired old white fridge, the only kitchen appliance we haven’t upgraded to stainless yet. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks!
Did you only need ONE can of primer and ONE can of chalkboard paint to do the whole fridge?
Yes! One small can was enough! ;}
I was so excited to see this! Although I have yet to buy my own home, I’ve stashed this into my project list for low-budget changes. Thanks so much for taking the plunge and showing us how to do it!
I’ve been reading some of the comments/questions, and I wonder if you could use dry erase paint for those who are questioning using it with stainless steel fridges or have dust concerns?
It would probably work best with stainless steel because markers don’t do as well on the textured surfaces… But would be worth looking into, I’d think?
Here’s a link: http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=128
Hey there..I love this idea..I am wanting to paint my white fridge with the chalkboard pain. Any suggestions for the ice maker part? My fridge looks just like yours.
Hey Rebekah! Have you thought about trying another color? I guess you could always paint that as well, it all depends on the color you’re going for. A traditional green color could blend a little better with the white. Just a thought!
Did you do two or three coats of the chaulkboard paint? I am totally doing this! all my appliances are black except my fridge. I need to figure out how to paint my cabinets ~ can’t afford new ones & these are the 80’s icky oak.
Three. ;} Three very thin ones. It’s held up great!
I’ve mostly seen horror stories about paint appliances and refrigerators it’s so refreshing to see encouragement. The instructions you’ve written are so clear and easy to understand. I’m gonna do it. I’ll invite a couple friend to join me. Thanks for the inspiration. And I like your white cabinets in that last photo, too.
Thank you, Mary Jean! It was a fun project, and it’s held up nicely. Have an amazing day! ;}
Just found your blog and love it. We too have a black refrigerator and have been writing on it with blackboard chalk pens. We just use the original finish — did not paint it. The original black finish is holding up just fine even after years of use. All the children who visit love to draw on it.
This is a great idea…I got inspired to do this instead of buying a new fridge,,!
So I loved this idea and have seen it all over pintrest and wanted to try. Our fridge is stainless steel on the front and wasn’t sure it would work. But I tried anyways, I wasn’t worried about the magnetic part, so I just painted it with chalkboard paint. I put 2 coats and let dry for 24hrs. I opened the door and my nail caught the edge and it chipped. Is there something I did wrong?
Hey Carmen! I have never tried it on stainless before, as this tutorial was just for a plain old black fridge. So I haven’t ever had any trouble with ours, because we started with a different base in the first place. I can’t recommend trying or not, but I think maybe you definitely should have tried some primer. It it comes off easily, it may be worth it to try to peel off the front and see what you can work with from there. I’m sorry I’m not more help than that. I have never worked with stainless before. 🙁
I found your site on Pinterest & just love it! I can’t wait to convince my husband that our fridge needs a chalkboard makeover! Thanks for the great instructions!
We have stainless steel doors and I don’t care
If the fridge is magnetic -its the downstairs fridge:)-
So would I just use a Kilz primer or would the magnetic
primer still work better in your opinion-thanks! Loved it!
Hey! I would say the magnetic primer for the fridge. I’ve just never tried it on a stainless so please don’t beat me up if it doesn’t work ;}
This is fantastic…I rent and the frige that is here has rust stains on the door. I can’t go another color but would love to repaint it white. My question is. can I use a regular gloss paint over the primer?? Thanks
Hey Nancy! I have never done that before, but I really don’t see why not! ;}
I LOVE what you have done with your kitchen. We have an old kitchen and am just plain scared that I could somehow make it worse!! But after seeing your transformation I am encouraged! I was wondering about the beadboard. I am sooo gonna do that in my kitchen, but we also have it in our bathroom. Have you ever tried the same technique with the glue gun in a bathroom? I am worried that the moisture would make it come unglued or mold would grow unseen. Thanks!
Hey Shannon! No, I have not tried the same technique in a bathroom. I think the results all depend on the situation, so I’m just not sure. ;} Sorry I can’t be more help in that area! ;}
This is amazing. If we weren’t renting, I’d do this today! Might I suggest Chalk Markers? They are fun to use and so easy to clean up with a wet sponge or paper towel. http://www.amazon.com/NeoChalk-Liquid-Chalk-Marker-Tip-Set/dp/B0019FJQOQ/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1370285621&sr=8-12&keywords=chalk+marker
How much paint did it take? Can you send the ounces you bought? I have a similar sized fridge and don’t want to be short 🙂
Hey Allison. I just purchased the small can of paint and the small can of primer. Just like the photos. I hope that helps! It was plenty.
I haven’t read all of the comments so I don’t know if it’s been mentioned already, but I know of stores and online stores that sell peel and stick chalkboards that claim to be removable and will not harm most surfaces. If you weren’t committed to permanently painting your fridge or are worried about the resell factor when leaving behind appliances, this could be a good alternative. As far as I’m aware, most sheets won’t come in perfect sizes to scale your fridge, but I imagine the sheets are flexible enough to cut and piece together. I’m also not 100 percent sure how easy clean up might be with the possibility of chalk dust building up in the creases of where the pieces meet, but this is only theory. I am completely in love with the chalkboard fridge and absolutely testing this theory out with my next place!
I used the sheets on our camper’s refrig. works ok
Add chalkboard paint to my list for our big remodel! I had no idea there was chalk board paint……I never really thought about how chalkboards were even made. My daughter has always admired the chalkboard fridge on Good Luck Charlie, so I know she will be very pleased.
I have an average fridge with an unattractive side prominently exposed to the dining room. I was considering attaching a chalkboard-painted panel and stained wood trim using strong magnets. This gives a nice look but isn’t permanent. Now I’m told mildew could grow behind the panel. I’m only interested in doing the side, not the front. If I simply paint the side as you have done, I could still possibly attach trim pieces with magnets, which would be a lot easier to remove and clean behind. Have you had any difficulties with mildew on or under your painted fridge? What if you wanted to remove the chalk paint and return the fridge to normal? Some kind of stripper and appliance paint?
Thanks very much,
Matt
I had no idea you could have chalkboard paint a different color. That’s awesome. We have a white side by side fridge :(. Do you think we could do it black or a color? My only worry is around the ice machine and water. My husband thinks we should just buy a new one but I’d rather save the money, when we have one working!
I would totally do it in a lighter color, so that you don’t have to paint the ice part. (like you said, if you’re worried about it, I wouldn’t paint it) Like a pretty blue or other light color that would blend well with the white that you can still write on! ;}
We painted our fridge with magnetic chalkboard paint last year. It was probably one of the best idea’s ever. My son and his friends love to draw all over it. I also did his closet door in his room, turns out to be hours and hours of fun.
LOVE it!! And so cool that you can have chalkboard paint tinted – I had no idea! I love out of the box ideas (much to the exhaustion of my husband) so your site is such an encouragement to me (another self-admitted dork – I would draw the pictures too!).
Thanks so much, Candi! ;}
Will this work on a smooth, shiny finish refrigerator. We have a 2 door 2 drawer refrig from Samsung
Hey Cindy – sorry for the slow response! If you use a good primer I don’t know why not. I would still maybe test it out on an inner place where it doesn’t really matter… just to make sure! ;}
Wow! This is exactly what I can do to revamp my kitchen. Thank you for the great tutorial.
So, I was just so excited and encouraged by your post, especially the update that 2 years later it is scratch free, that I decided to paint my own fridge. Before starting I scrubbed the fridge, then rinsed it all with clean water, then dried it. I did no sanding because the paint direction said sand if a glossy surface and my fridge is one of those indestructible 30 year old ones with a matte rough almond finish. I went to Home Depot and I bought exactly what you suggest and I followed your instructions EXACTLY (except for the balancing the 1 year old part) and during coat 2 of primer, the paint started to glob a bit. Upon inspection I found that the roller was also disintegrating (though it was a high end expensive roller). I assumed I wasn’t waiting long enough between coats (40 minutes I was) so I quit mid coat to let it dry overnight and start again today. Today I tested a dry spot, to find that the primer scratched right off with a simple light touch of my finger nail. So now here I am, in my kitchen, with quite a mess on my hands, one that feels far worse than if it had simply spontaneously combusted. Ideas? Help?
Hey Mary! I am so sorry I am just now seeing this comment. How has it turned out? Have you tried anything else? I hate that there are some issues going on – that is so crazy! I almost wonder if it’s some type of chemical reaction between such an old fridge and the paint? We simply have never heard of that happening before. I hope it turns out okay! So sorry for the problems!
I want to do this to my fridge! I have a question, though– did you unplug the refrigerator while you sanded/painted it? Thank you!
Hey Tara! Nope. Call me lazy, but I just rolled out from the wall and went to town. ;}
I’m so glad I found this! You have my exact fridge, and I’ve been thinking about using chalkboard paint on it but was worried how it would look. Now I know it looks amazing! Definitely doing this.
Brilliant idea. will be doing this to our fridge when we move home. practical for me and fun for my little one 🙂
OMG!! AWESOME! We are moving out of a ridiculously updated, modern, beautiful home. Our kitchen here is amazing. We are moving into an outdated home and I have been looking for inexpensive ways to update the kitchen! Thank you – I’m so ready to go DIY crazy in T-30 days!!! Great job and thanks for encouraging taking the plunge!!!
Such a beautiful diy makeover, you gave it an incredible transformation and I would love to do something like this in the future.