$4 Fridge Revamp! Seriously.

[TheMistressT]

Our new-to-us house came with 2 fridges and a freezer, which is good because when we sold our last house the buyers stipulated purchasing our refrigerators in the contract.  But... this is the fridge in the kitchen (the other is in the mudroom and is too big for the cabinetry and no newer).



The stickers were sentimental in that they showed the interests and travels of the family that lived here for almost 30 years (not that the fridge is that old), but those weren't our memories on there and that's not our style.  Our other appliances are black and we aren't ready to buy a new fridge, so I decided to remove the stickers and do something. 



I used four $1 rolls of wood grain patterned contact paper to give that thing the faux bois treatment!  Then I spray painted the handles, grill and hinge cover with black spray paint that I had on hand.  There are more photos and more details on my blog: http://suddenlytaxidermy.blogspot.com/2012/11/3-fridge-makeover-how-i-spent.html.



There is something about the dorm/hotel fridge vibe that tickles me.  I do think it looks better than before, but I also think it's kind of a (subtle) hoot.

[lovesclutter]

That is an absolutely ingenious idea, frugal and very well executed.

[TwistMySister]

wowee that looks great, you did such a good job on it, it looks like real wood! even though the before fridge is more me, i think you did a stunning job! 

[TheMistressT]

That is an absolutely ingenious idea, frugal and very well executed.

Thanks!  I was pleasantly surprised at how well the seams came together which goes a long way to making it look less like it's contract paper. 

wowee that looks great, you did such a good job on it, it looks like real wood! even though the before fridge is more me, i think you did a stunning job! 

Thank you!  There was certainly a time in my life when I would have preferred the sticker laden version, but these days I'd rather there not even be magnets on there. 

[vjepson]

I love it! Awesome job!

[bunny1kenobi]

Well done!  If that had been me, there would have been bubbles EVERYWHERE - but I don't see a single one on your fridge!  And it looks great with the rest of your kitchen!

[TheMistressT]

Thank you!  To get the bubbles out, I used a smoothing tool that I have from using large scale, one-time, self-adhesive stencils that is similar to a wallpaper smoothing tool.  I think it's the same tool used to apply vinyl decals to cars and such.

[alwaysinmyroom]

A quick fix (relatively speaking!) that looks good!  Remodeling is such a long process that never ends...so it must be satisfying to get a nice result...love that you did your handles and the grill at the bottom.

I know they make stainless steel looking contact paper...I might use your tips from your blog to redo the front of my old dishwasher!

Have you tried Goo-Gone to remove adhesive residue?  I bought the stuff by the gallon when we moved in to remove hundreds of stickers that kids placed on their closet doors and windows.  I poured it into a spray bottle, let it sit for a few minutes...and the goo just seemed to melt away with a wipe!  I keep a bottle on hand now to remove labels from everything.

[TheMistressT]

A quick fix (relatively speaking!) that looks good!  Remodeling is such a long process that never ends...so it must be satisfying to get a nice result...love that you did your handles and the grill at the bottom.

I know they make stainless steel looking contact paper...I might use your tips from your blog to redo the front of my old dishwasher!

Have you tried Goo-Gone to remove adhesive residue?  I bought the stuff by the gallon when we moved in to remove hundreds of stickers that kids placed on their closet doors and windows.  I poured it into a spray bottle, let it sit for a few minutes...and the goo just seemed to melt away with a wipe!  I keep a bottle on hand now to remove labels from everything.

Thanks!  We're just trying to redecorate the new place to suit us and then in a few years we'll hopefully truly remodel the kitchens and baths.

I considered the SS contact paper, but I've had stainless steel appliance at my last 2 houses and I'm just done with all the maintenance. Maybe the paper doesn't smudge so easily?

I've used Goof-off a whole lot which is similar and I have plenty of it, but I wasn't sure how it would effect the vinyl finish on the fridge and I didn't want to do any permanent damage.  Also, it's COLD here this time of year and that whole "use in a well ventilated area" thing wasn't going to happen. 

Good luck and I'd love to see whatever it is you do so let me know!

[alwaysinmyroom]

Goof-off is more toxic and does need ventilation.  Goo-gone is a liquid and made of citrus.  It is smart to test it on a small spot, but so far, I have used it on glass, furniture, shoes, hair, plastic and even clothing with no issues.

I do not like the smudges on stainless either...plus it feels so industrial to me...the paper seems to be a bit "duller"  my sister did hers and it looked great.

I do like the funky dorm vibe...and it was fun reading all the old stickers...what an interesting family who owned your home previously!