So yeah — our fridge is white now.
It’s the same refrigerator we’ve had for years; instead of buying a new one we refreshed the old almond finish with appliance paint so it would coordinate better with our white cabinets. After dozens of readers shared positive experiences with appliance paint in a recent post, we decided to give this DIY fridge makeover a try.
I had my doubts at first, but the overwhelmingly good feedback convinced us it was worth a shot. At best, painting the appliance would help our refrigerator blend in until we can afford a replacement during Phase 2 of our kitchen renovation. At worst, we’d show you the results and save anyone else the trouble of repeating our mistakes.
After reading user reviews and product notes, we chose a Specialty Appliance Epoxy from Home Depot — a $15 epoxy that came in a glossy white, exactly what we needed. We considered chalkboard paint (Sherry mentioned it a few times), but we didn’t want dust near food and figured a classic gloss white would be more appealing later if we sold the fridge.
The actual painting was straightforward; the prep work was the heavy lifting. We moved the fridge outside to avoid stinking up the house — the epoxy smells strong, so working in a well-ventilated area with a mask is important. After disconnecting the water line, my dad and I used a dolly to try to get it to the sunroom and discovered the handles made it too wide to pass through the door.
We removed the handles (and, incidentally, one door) so it would just barely fit out the doorway. To save time and effort we left most of the food inside, removing only very heavy, fragile, or spill-prone items. Surprisingly, that worked fine.
We moved the fridge out on Friday night so it would be ready to paint Saturday morning when temperatures rose. The epoxy specifies application in at least 50°F, so timing was important. We even plugged the fridge in on the porch so the food stayed cold — which made for an amusing routine: stepping outside for milk in the morning.
We began prep by taking off both handles so the finish would be seamless and drip-free. The handles came off easily after popping off small covers and unscrewing a couple of screws.
Per the epoxy instructions, we lightly sanded the whole surface to dull the gloss so the epoxy would adhere. A power sander seemed like overkill, so we used 150-grit sanding blocks. I sanded the doors while Sherry did the sides; you can clearly see the difference between the sanded and unsanded surfaces.
We wiped away sanding dust with a damp cloth, then dried the surface thoroughly. Wearing a respirator and working outdoors, I applied the epoxy with a foam roller for a smooth finish; Sherry, Burger, and Clara stayed inside to avoid fumes. The epoxy spreads like paint, goes on slightly bubbly, and levels out as it dries.
I used a small brush for tight areas like around the doors and the ice dispenser trim. We painted over that trim for a consistent front look — the epoxy does not contact the water/ice mechanisms, so it shouldn’t affect anything that touches food.
We painted the front, sides, and top, leaving the back unpainted because of cords, tubes, and vents that aren’t visible during normal installation. We also painted the small removable parts — handles, hinge covers, and the bottom grille — separately on cardboard to avoid drips.
The can recommended recoating after an hour if temperatures were 70°F. Because Saturday was cooler, we let the first coat cure overnight and applied a second coat on Sunday morning when it warmed up. The second coat made the finish more uniform and glossy.
By Sunday night we rolled the fridge back inside. The white finish isn’t a perfect color match to every cabinet or our hood — it’s a touch brighter — but it’s close enough to stop the clash the old cream color created. The glossy appliance epoxy preserved a light marbled texture and looks convincing, as if the fridge came that way from the factory. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to make such a big difference in the room.
Here’s a reminder of what that corner used to look like:
The epoxy finish is smooth and durable — it feels hard and authentic. If you look closely at the reflection you can see the light catch on the slightly marbled surface, which makes the finish read like factory gloss rather than a DIY job.
Based on reviews and reader reports, this epoxy can last five years or more. We hope to move to Phase 2 sooner than that, but if it chips over time it won’t be a major loss — at $15, this was an inexpensive way to modernize the kitchen and make the appliance blend into its surroundings.
Have you tried appliance paint or epoxy on a fridge or stove? We’ve heard stoves require high-heat paint typically available in spray form, and we considered painting the handles an accent color, but ultimately wanted the appliance to recede so the room’s better details — like our succulent art, rope chandelier, and rustic dining table — would stand out.