Still painting after all these years

I remember the very first time I spray painted something. The year was 1988, and I transformed a beat-up old shelf unit from the trash pile into a sleek black shelf unit to hold our stereo (you know, the kind of stereo with a turntable, a cassette deck, and big speakers). My love for spray paint was born that day, and it's never faltered.

One of my favorite things about spray paint is that it can transform an object of very humble origins into something useful for my home. My latest spray paint transformation? This old sewing box I found for a couple of dollars at Goodwill:

I don't know if you can tell, but the plastic of the box is embossed to resemble woodgrain. I didn't think the embossing looked too great on the original box, but look at it with a coat of Rustoleum's Heirloom White:

Not bad for a couple of bucks, huh?

As to where I'll use it in my house, I think I'll employ it as a "floor dressing" piece. An interior designer friend of mine once told me not to neglect empty floor space, such as under a side table. So I'm always on the lookout for things that would look good on the floor but not create a cluttered mess. Boxes like these tea chests are some of my favorites:

I found these several years ago at TJMaxx, and I like the way they look under the tea table in my dining room. (Bonus: they mostly hide the lamp cord!)

But even at TJMaxx prices, boxes like this can be pricey, so I'm really glad to re-purpose a Goodwill find with spray paint!

How about you? Are you a spray paint fan? You should check out Thrifty Decor Chick's Spray Paint Party for lots of inspiration!