Some time back ago, DW picked up this Copper High Heat paint, typically used for fixing up old outdoor grills I suppose.
Originally she was thinking "new color" for the avocado green range (she's a copper girl). Me? I feel strongly both ways. New color choices vs traditional, classic pieces, and their associated colors - each have their benefits.
Now I don't see a robin-egg blue range working out very well, what with all our other color choices. The spare range we trashed (it was terribly dirty and still installed in a previously mouse infested cabinet - it went away) was a tomato-soup red or orange. Now that's a color that MIGHT have worked! But Lil' Queeny's range was avocado, and that works quite well with our other colors - I think. So does DW, and she didn't like the plastic off-white trim stuff either, but she eventually caught my vision.
However, the range hood was a bit ugly, not being appliance porcelain or epoxy surfaced and all. And she just felt better using "high-heat" on the vent hood and the stove cover. So that's the way we went. As it turned out, the same color choice also worked well for the metal frame around the fridge face.
Let's start with the folding stove cover.
You can see the pitted chrome plating if you look close. I've never tried to re-finish a plated surface, so this is an experiment. I started by simply laying down a 220 scratch - you can see that done on the left side.
I couldn't remove the chrome nubs (I think they are used in preventing a flat surface something-or-other covering up the oven vent opening), because the studs on the reverse were a bit flared and the nuts wouldn't spin. So I just taped them.
And here's the finished product. Now of course the painted surface simply won't hold up to being used as a counter top. It will get ugly quick. I intend to fasten some sort of grill to the tops which will fold and stay out of the way, but which will protect the painted surface. Ideas are still gelling.
And the vent hood, the chrome trim ring came off and got some steel wool attention, while the rest of it received a sanding with 220 grit.
And the finished unit.
Then it was on to the fridge. I had been scraping rust from the surface of the magnetic door seal. Got it back to white and in pretty darn good shape! I was quite pleased. And it still seals really well.
But here's what happens after many years of use, often without proper cleaning and storage upon return from those weekend camping trips.
And we have to keep in mind, this appliance came out of the parts camper, which wasn't treated as well as Lil' Queeny, I don't think.
Now on this one (away from heat use), I primed first with this red primer.
These are the primed hinge brackets. Two for the hinge pins, and one for the opposing side "hold-close" pin.
The color choice turned out pretty fine. It's amazing how well it goes with the stained and finished birch paneled walls.
And with the door mounted.
Now before we end today, let's just give info on one more finished surface - the tiled stove surround. Originally it was plastic laminate, countertop stuff, or what many call Formica (using a trade name). We used these 12" square sheets in our home, so I had the tools, the experience. The thinner 1/8" glass tiles are half the weight of 1/4" tiles - and that's important. Now if I can just get it to stick to a "moving down the road" wall surface. We'll show that when completed over in Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom.
