Why I Spraypainted All My Frames Black

Most of the art (I use the term loosely, for the most part) hanging in my apartment has been acquired at thrift stores, yard sales, antique shops, and from moving friends. Consequently, for a long time it hung rather blandly in a mishmash of antiqued, boring pea-green, brown, and gold frames with no sense of unity or cohesiveness at all.  Sometimes I’m okay a mishmash (see: the assortment of blankets on my bed, the pillows on my couch), but  since the kinds of things I have hanging on my wall are so diverse (you should know that all of my art is not so cutesy–there are zombies hanging in the living room, but that’s for another post), I decided to spraypaint all these thrift-store frames a unifying black. I chose spraypaint because I wanted a smooth, even finish that still allowed the character of the frames to still shine through despite their newfound homogeny. Today I’ll show you the three from the bedroom and hall, since there’s still work to be done where the living room is concerned.  All in all, though, this is a very quick and inexpensive way to make your home feel more put-together with minimal effort.

One thing to keep in mind: I used black glossy all purpose spraypaint, the cheapest kind I could find. I did the base coat on one of the frames with what I had left of an old can of black matte spraypaint, and once dry it was really chalky and didn’t look good at all. Since it was just a base coat, I didn’t have a problem with it, but if you want to do this project yourself make sure you get the glossy kind.  I used 2-4 coats, depending on the frame’s original finish (I didn’t bother to sand them, only wiped them down) and how windy it was when I painted each frame.

A boring brown frame, before (I'd already disassembled and started painting the smaller one before I remembered to take pictures)

Before: Cute kitten, boring frame

Butterflies in black frames, after

Sweet kitten in a new black frame, hanging proudly in the hallway.

P.S.  That is an aqua globe you see in the plant on my chest.

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