Getting a handle on my crazy idea

So apparently the only show anyone is ever interested in watching anymore (on a certain home improvement network) is a show about people making inane comments while looking at and buying houses. Not exactly my kind of interesting. So I've been watching a certain other show about preparing houses for sale for a very small budget. I don't plan on selling anything but I like the small budget part and how some of their fixes are total genius. In that vein, it makes me want to change ugly stuff for little money. Thus this semi-insane project was born.

Exhibit A: my closet door handle. My peach of a neighbor (that was not being facetious) replaced all the handles in the house to the lever kind which is perfect when you have your hands/arms full of stuff. However...
Oh. So. Shiny. I like brass...in steampunk context and pretty much nothing else.

So an idea came to me...how about some spray paint? I've almost literally spray painted everything else I own - so why not? Next problem? Do I really want to undo my door handle to paint it outside? Umm.....

Nope! I don't. My closet looked like this for a month while I waited for a day nice enough to open all my windows. A month! Luckily no one sees this. "Niiiiice improvements you've made Molly." *eyeroll*

So, make sure if you are going to do something INSANE like spray painting indoors that there won't be too much humidity and that you can open every single window you can. And probably don't do anything bigger than a door handle. You may also need an overspray shield because you have to go at it from so many angles. I used an old catalog.

The first coat I put on quite thin - you can still see most of the brass. I also didn't worry about covering every single bit in the first shot. Do it in steps and then you won't have drips. Also, don't wait too long between coats. I waited a minute, maybe two between each of the four times I sprayed.

This is much better! It looks like it came that way. And it barely took any paint so it didn't even cost me the price of a can of Oil Rubbed Bronze.

It looks great next to that huge candle....thingy (what do you call that?) my brother bought me at a garage sale.

Of course the door is still super ugly but I have plans for it as well. And when I say I have plans, imagine me rubbing my hands together and doing this:

Linking to:

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Domestically Speaking

The Thrifty Home

I should clarify that I don't think spray painting a door handle is all that crazy - it's the painting INdoors that I think is insane. So please if you try this, be extra careful of your things (overspray will ruin everything) and your lungs (wear a mask and open all your windows).