I Painted My Fridge!

After 1 coat
You guessed it - this is part of my Git 'Er Done 2009 project!

I was sick of looking at it, and a new one certainly wasn't in the budget. We got a new stainless steel & black stove in the fall so the dingy yellowish white fridge was sticking out like a sore thumb. I went to Lowe's and picked up Rustoleum brand Stainless Steel paint for appliances. It was the only roll-on appliance paint they had so I took it even though I was looking for black. I got the paint and rollers for under $30.

Supplies needed:
Window cleaner (could be homemade)
Washcloths
Drop cloth or old sheet to protect the floor
Foam rollers
Paint tray
Stir stick
Screwdriver to open & close can
Tape
Newspaper
Paint (obviously)
Gloves & long sleeves (or paint thinner to get your hands/arms clean!)

Lay the drop cloth around the base of the fridge. Clean the fridge with window cleaner and allow it to dry. Paint the seals and crevices first, then you can roll over them and make the edges smooth. Roll on the first coat. I left the paint on the roller and in the tray sit out while the first coat dried and it kept fine. You can go over the seals again while the first coat dries, then do a second coat.

Finished project
One important thing I learned is that this paint is a bit different than normal in that you can still see your roller marks when it dries. You know how normal paint all blends together when it dries? Not so much with this. You can still see the stripes so try to go over it all very lightly until you can hardly see the roller's path even when it is still wet. If stripes do show when it dries you can go over those areas a third time. I have a normal to large sized fridge and did 2 coats plus some on the front & sides, and I have a little paint left. I didn't do the top, it is tall enough that it doesn't show.

The results aren't perfect but we've had a few visitors since I painted it and no one has noticed it until I point it out. I guess that means they aren't walking in a thinking it looks hideous, and everyone said they liked it when I did point it out. I can see a few stripes on the one side but maybe that is because I know where to look. It'll be covered with pictures and memos again anyway.

Overall I would recommend this for sure if you have an efficient fridge in the wrong color or can't afford a new one yet. It was pretty easy to do and looks better than I expected.