JULY 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!

 

Before 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.

 

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.

 

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).

 

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.

 

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

 

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 near the 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.

 

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.