Spray Paint Sprucing + The Squad!

By Kate Riley June 25, 2012

This weekend, I decided to tackle one of the 2012 Home Goals I set a few months ago, one of which is to pull together a conversation area on our balcony that overlooks the yard.  Sadly, it’s sat there empty and neglected for too many years and I’m finally in the process of creating a conversation zone up there.  Instead of a new purchase, I decided to be cheap and spruce up a set of old furniture that I already have to work with what I got!  

true value blog squadBefore I get to that, I’m proud to announce that this will be year three I’ve partnered with True Value as a member of the True Value Blog Squad, oh yeah! 

Look for a bunch of projects in the coming months with the stuff I find on the shelves of my local store. 

Yesterday, I headed down to my local True Value to grab some outdoor metallic spray paint I’ve used in the past, Rust-Oleum makes a great version for outdoor furniture in oil rubbed bronze.  

kate at true value

 

If you’re looking to spruce up your old set, I’m tellin ya, spray paint is the way to go!   I spray painted all of my outdoor furniture five years ago, and it’s held up well, but this particular set was in special need of some touch up love.  

chipping paint

 

 

Here are the basic set of supplies you’ll need for some outdoor spray paint sprucing of your own.  You’ll need a drop cloth, a power washer, a kitchen sponge, a medium grit sanding wedge, some outdoor spray paint, a spray paint gun (not shown).

spray paint sprucing supplies

 

This may seem basic to many DIYers but I get this question so much – so I’ll break it down.  Here are the three basic steps for an afternoon spray paint spruce on your outdoor metal furniture.

First, sand down any rough spots where your paint is chipping. 

sand worn edges

 

Next, give your furniture a good wash and wipe them down with a kitchen sponge. 

power wash outdoor chairs

 

Allow them to dry in the sun, then when the temperature is right (read the can), place them on a tarp and spray your metal furniture with two light coats of outdoor spray paint, allowing to dry between coats.  These spray paint guns are a handy tool for jobs like this and you can usually find them in near the spray paint. 

rustoleum spray paint

 

Here’s a sneaky peak of one of the old painted chairs with its new cushion and the balcony space where it will soon sit.  

oil rubbed bronze outdoor chair cg

The “zone” is almost ready – a new rug, pillows, market umbrella, and end tables are waiting in the wings, hope to show it off later this week. 

Anyone else feeling the spray paint love lately ?

   

The necessary language: I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

26 comments

    • Hi Nova, I found the set at an antique fair years ago, it’s pretty old, wish I could send you to a link to snag it, so sorry!
      Kate

  1. I found some rusty old metal chairs that I’m planning to paint with spray paint. Do you use sth before the paint if there’s rust? Thanks and great job, I look forward to see the rest. Sole.

  2. So glad you put a spray paint post up today, I have been spray painting just about anything I can get my hands on! I have not tried the spray paint gun yet…what are the advantages over just spraying without it?

  3. Great minds think alike! I’ve been outside this morning finishing up that vintage patio set of mine. Working on the loveseat and second chair today! Your set looks fabulous…I’m planning on using the spray paint gun nozzle thingie today too. :)

  4. @ KateR… it makes a world of difference for our poor, aching fingers on big spray paint projects. :)

    About the Rustoleum line… I used the multi-purpose (metal, wood, plastic) on two white plastic self watering planters that had stains and imbedded grot issues. Fantastic product! I painted them matte black in April… more than two months later, out in the sun and weather… they look GREAT! (And my basil is fabulous, too!)

  5. These look great! I’d love to find some beat up outdoor chairs for our deck.

    It was awesome to meet you at Haven! Thanks so much for all the hard work you girls put into it. The entire conference was amazing and although a little overwhelming, I feel so much more empowered now!

  6. I just used ORB spray paint on my old folding lawn chairs, the kind with the webbing in the seat and back. It looks pretty good. I’ll have to see how it holds up.

  7. I think your new conversation area is going to look great. I love your railing behind the chair… I am sucker for all that white with the oil rubbed bronze. Have fun putting your new space together and then getting to enjoy it.

  8. I just want to tell you how much I love your blog and how much I have learned from you. Alas, I have yet to apply most of my newly found knowledge, but when I get around to all my future projects, I will know what to do or where to go to find out what to do. Everything you do is so beautiful. THanks so much.

  9. I’ve got a “new” small outdoor table that I am painting as we speak…got it at our local habitat/humanity. It was all of five bucks for a mosaic tile top and wrought iron base. It’s hideous green will soon be soothing cream :). Mastic and grout are next.

    My other project is an outdoor chandy/bird feeder that I saw on Pinterest. It’s so cute, and unlike a lot of crafts, it’s a useful item. It was shiny 80’s brass and now it’s just a lovely white.

    What would we do without spray paint? LOL

  10. Agreed Susan, what would the world be like without spray paint, the magic potion of DIYers across the land!
    :D
    Kate

  11. Very timely post! We just pulled our patio furniture out and I noticed a few spots of peeling paint. Nothing horrific, but I bet that next year I’ll dig up your tips so that I can fix them up.

  12. Love your blog :) My mom just gave me her old set and there are a few places where the paint has chipped.. I’d love to spruce them up myself! No primer required before spray painting??

  13. I really like your chairs, and they turned out beautifully! I recently spray painted a chair to go with the new (to me!) makeup vanity my hubby made for me out of a desk that was out on the sidewalk for free, and will soon be spray-painting a mirror frame to go with it all. Thank you for all your helpful tips–I appreciate them.

  14. Spray paint is fabulous. Our “new” outdoor table was a curbside give away in great shape, and with a little celery green paint on the sides and legs, it looks just right for summer on our porch. And best of all, when I stopped to check out the table, some guys saw me across the street and came over with tools in hand and took the legs off and helped load it into my van. That’s small town life in the midwest.

  15. Brilliant tip on the spray gun! I’d never seen them before and have just been frantically googling them to see if they’re available in the UK, and the answer is yes, but only with a few suppliers. I’ve just spent much of the weekend spraying the inside of some metal planters, and having moaned to myself about ‘finger strain’, it didn’t even cross my mind that there was a gadget out there to help in this area.

    Thanks again – fantastic!

    Best,

    Julian

  16. Kate, I love these chairs!! I’m an outdoor living area junkie. I just blogged about my DIY on my pitiful outdoor furniture. Wish I had seen this paint. I’m going to check it out at my True Value! Thanks for this post!

  17. We recently inherited my mother in laws set of wooden outdoor furniture that had been sitting in her backyard for years without covers or anything. We decided to just have fun with it and spray paint everything in bright colors. I had never used spray paint before and man, do I wish I had used a spray paint gun because my hand HURT after a week of spraying primer and then two coats of paint. But it was so totally worth it – my backyard has so much color it almost hurts the eyes!

  18. Your project turned out gorgeous. Can’t wait to see the whole area finished off. :)
    I actually want to use spray paint for our plastic white chairs that always look gross. I’m thinking about a Turquoise color to give some pop in the yard. I will buy one of those spray paint guns. I haven’t used spray paint before, so this is good to know about. I know, I know, I can’t believe I haven’t used spray paint before either. LOL!!! :)

  19. Inspired once again!! My patio set needs some sprucing. And I want the spray gun attachment! Ahhhh, you make everything look so simple and tidy, oh, and beautiful!! I want to sit on your conversation patio and pick your brain!

  20. It looks awesome! My next project is to revamp out outdoor furnitures! Did this project take long to do?

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