The Myth of Spray Paint

I don't know where or how I learned that spray paint was a good idea.

I had never used it for anything until I got to college and somehow got it in my head that I wanted to repaint all of the furniture in my room black and red. It never really gave me the desired result, my spray painted furniture always looked sort of patchy. Not to mention, spray painting takes many, many coats, and ends up costing an arm and a leg to do. There are far fewer color options, so you just sort of have to choose the least crappy hue on the shelf. Above all, it's messy. There is no way to contain the mess of spray paint once it gets started.

Unfortunately, I type this blog from sticky keyboard keys, now glossed with yellow. In fact, everything in my room, including the cat, is glossed with yellow. The window screen may never recover, and I just moved in. Spray paint is evil.

Of course, it can be handy when you're painting something really ornate with lots of little nooks and crannies that would be nearly impossible to paint evenly with a paint brush. I'm sure that there are uses for spray paint. But, right now, I'm starting to think that I should probably never allow myself to buy another can of this evil, over-hyped product again. And this is why...

Again, I've decided to repaint my furniture. So, I went to Home Depot and spent $30 (sort of a lot of money for someone as broke as I am right now) on spray paint. The color was, well, good enough. I bought a drop cloth at the dollar store (okay, fine, a shower curtain), and a spent and entire afternoon and evening putting one coat after another on my chest of drawers and nightstand. At the end of the spray paint, and my evening, things did not look good.

My furniture was splotchy. My house was covered in yellow paint. My new computer was covered in yellow paint. I was pissed.

So, the next day (now exactly 24 hours away from my housewarming party, yikes) I went back to the Home Depot and spent $20 more on a quart of latex paint and an edging roller. Two coats of this paint covered the mess that was the spray paint debacle, and I'm thrilled with the outcome. I decided, then and there, that I would never buy another can of spray paint again! I'm a convert. Only cans of paint for me, now!

But then, I realized, the hardware didn't match anymore. I wanted it to be white. Unfortunately, there is only one good way to paint something like a drawer pull. So, I begrudgingly I got out the white spray paint and gave them a couple coats. Damn. So really, the terrorists have won.

You may recall the bedroom used to look like this:

well, now it looks like this:

I know, the bedspread changed color too, which sort of throws off the whole thing, but it's still too stinking hot in my apartment for down. I was dying. Ignore the bed, focus on the furniture. I apologize for how lame this post is. I've gotta start taking better "before" photos.