One of my biggest regrets in life is that I did not register for a KitchenAid mixer on our wedding registry. Oh, what a fool I was! I feel like registering for a KitchenAid is a rite of passage when you get married, and for whatever reason I neglected to do that. A year or so into our marriage I realized my mistake. I wanted to make cookies from scratch, I wanted to make homemade frosting! I wanted to make and bake so many magical things! But alas, I didn’t have a mixer to make the whole process smoother. *Tears* So the hunt began. I searched high and low to find this magical appliance by scouring Craigslist, but no luck. And I wasn’t about to pay the $400+ price tag for a new one!
One day, the heavens opened up and a college friend of mine said she was selling hers… for a mere $100! I jumped at the chance and a barely-used KitchenAid was mine! Score! And while I was so happy to be able to bake to my heart’s content, I was less than thrilled about the color of my new mixer. It was a pale popcorn buttery yellow. Meh. Time to DIY it! I’m more of an aqua kind of girl, so I decided to transform my mixer by changing the color to my favorite hue 🙂
I was a little intimidated at first by painting my KitchenAid mixer, but it actually ended up being pretty easy! I was inspired by Apartment Therapy to actually work up the courage and go for it! Here’s what you need to complete this project:
– – 120 grit sanding block          – Spray paint in your desired color         – Screwdriver
– Frogtape                       – Glossy enamel spray paint               – X-acto knife
Here’s what I started with; a nicely functioning KitchenAid, but just not my style. If you end up with a hand-me down or Craigslist mixer or you just picked out the wrong color when you bought it and are having regrets, this is the perfect solution to update it so it matches your current decor!
I started off by thoroughly cleaning my Kitchen Aid. A mild cleaner or a damp paper towel will do! After I wiped it down I also grabbed another paper towel and made sure everything was dry. I then dismantled some of my KitchenAid. I unscrewed the little bit in the front and set those aside and then also took off the back of the mixer. There is a little screw at the top holding it in place, simply unscrew, remove the plate and set both aside.
After I took some of the mixer parts off, I covered the remaining metal plates and the wires in the back with some frog tape. I pressed hard along all the edges of the tape to get a crisp and straight seal. To cover the screws you didn’t take out, cover with a small square of Frogtape and then take an X-acto knife, Â cut around the edges of the screw and remove the excess tape.
Once I was sure everything was taped off securely, I brought my mixer outside (and it weighs a ton!). Next I took my 120 grit sanding block and roughed up the surface of the KitchenAid, being careful to not rip the tape off. The goal is to get the all the gloss off – don’t worry about getting the paint itself off. Just making it matte and chalky is enough for this to work!
After I sanded, I wiped it down again with a wet cloth to get rid of all the dust and then took it into the garage and set about to painting. I went for my favorite aqua blue spray paint and did about 3 coats over the entire project, waiting for each coat to dry before I put on the next one. Don’t forget to lift up the head of your mixer to get underneath! After I let the coats of aqua dry for a couple days, it was time to make it glossy again! It’s best to use an enamel-specific glossy spray paint to get that same professional look as the original color! I waited a day between each glossy coat so it had time to set. After a few days of drying it was time to screw the backplate and other pieces back on!
Peel off the tape and voilà ! My finished masterpiece! I actually love having it on the counter now instead of being embarrassed by the popcorn yellow color. Pretty much swooning right now 😉
This pop of aqua definitely has me feeling happy! Bye-bye popcorn and hellooooo oasis. This pretty little thing now has a place of honor on my counter and I can’t wait to bake even more goodies with this beauty! And it really was so super easy – if you are scared to try it, don’t be! It really is a cinch! I believe in you – you can do it! 🙂
To summarize the steps:
1. Wipe down your mixer with a wet cloth or mild cleaner and dry.
2. Take off removable screws and the backplate.
3. Cover metal features and remaining screws with tape.
4. Sand the surface of the mixer with the 120 grit sanding block.
5. Wipe down with a wet cloth again and dry.
6. Spray paint 2-3 coats of your desired color.
7. Spray 2-3 coats of the enamel gloss spray and let cure.
8. Bake and Celebrate!
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What color is your KitchenAid (or what color do you wish it was)?
Seriously! Who knew?! SUCH a brilliant idea and bravo for taking that giant leap (I’m terrified just thinking about it!)!
I know, right?? Who knew it could be done? I’m SO pleased with the results though – and it wasn’t even as hard as I thought it would be! 🙂
No way!!! You are brilliant! What a cool way to customize it to the exact colors in your kitchen. Now to actually buy one of these babies to begin with… I’ve always wanted one.
Aw, thank you SO much, Lauren! I’m definitely more proud to have it on my counter now that it ties in with my favorite color! It really is so great to have a KitchenAid around 🙂
I’m an airbrush artist who does goalie masks, and such; I’m trying to convince my fiancée to get a mixer just so I can paint it!
You are AMAZING! And brave!! I’ve gotta do this, I’m over my orange mixer. It’s not even a pretty orange. What was I thinking?! I love this aqua color!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Aw, thanks so much Amanda! I’m promise it’s not as hard as it seems! And orange is fun! But if you ever decide to change it, I’d love to see the pictures 🙂
PS, I’m featuring this at Motivational Monday tomorrow! 🙂
D’aww, thank you SO much! You’re the bestest 🙂
I have a hand-me-down from my grandma in your original color and I’ve been fawning over the mint colored KitchenAid for as long as I remember. This is a great alternative to buying a new one! Can I ask what paint color/brand you used? How is the paint holding up? I am definitely wanting to try this! 🙂
You should definitely do it, Michelle! A mint KitchenAid would be SO beautiful! For my color I used Valspar Color Radiance in ‘Nautical’ spray paint which is a nice aqua color. Though you can use any brand/color spray paint you want – the more important thing is to get a good enamel glossy spray for which I used Rust-Oleum’s Crystal Clear Enamel Spray Paint in Glossy 🙂 I’d love to see a picture when you complete the project!
I can’t tell you how excited I am about this! My mixer is red… and it’s the only red thing in my house. It’s in a cabinet because it doesn’t go with my decor! Can’t wait to try this!
I’m totally with you, Amanda, my mixer was the only pale yellow thing in my house and it stuck out like a sore thumb! I’m so much happier that I can have it out on the counter now. I’d love to see pics when you do this project! I just know it will turn out fantastically 🙂
I bought my brother a KitchenAid many years ago and opted for white because it was so much cheaper than the colored units. Now that I know I can “upgrade” it myself, he just might get the blue one he’s always wanted! Thank you, Erica!!!
No problem, Stephanie! It really is a lot easier to do it than it seems at first. I’m sure your brother will love the blue! I’d love to see pictures when you complete this project 🙂
I would love to paint my Kitchen Aid that color! I’m just afraid to commit to it! (What if I get tired of it in a couple of years? How many coats of color can it take? Lol!)
You did a great job! 🙂
I wish I was as bold as you! 🙂
Aww, thank you so much, Stephanie! And don’t be afraid to try it! It’s actually a lot easier than it sounds or seems. And if you wanted to change the color again in a few years the process would be the same as the first time – sand off the gloss and maybe some of the color and then reapply! I believe in you! 🙂
I don’t know what I like better…the fact that you got this beauty for $100 or the beautiful color! You did a great job! Thanks so much for sharing this at the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop (this will be one of my featured posts at our next party!!)
Aww, thank you SO much Carrie! You just made my day 🙂
Amazing idea!! It looks fantastic!
Thank you so much, Louanne! I’m so pleased with how it turned out 🙂
Hello! Wow! What a great idea! I have a Kitchenaid mixer and I love it, but I got it in white because I was to chicken to get it in any other color. I had no idea I could actually paint it! I would love to try this! Thanks for the inspiration! Pinning! 😀
Thank you so much for your kind words and for pinning, Vashti! I’d love to see pictures if you decide to go for it! What color would you paint your mixer?
What an awesome project- I never would have thought of that. I’m definitely pinning this in case I get sick of my current color (darker blue!).
I stopped by from The Weekend Retreat.
Aw, thank you so much, Jessy! I’m definitely glad I found a way to paint mine – I couldn’t stand that popcorn yellow another minute! haha. Dark blue sounds so dreamy and beautiful, though 🙂
Hi Erica
It looks amazing! Can you give me the brands of paints you used?
Hi Bonnie! Thanks so much for stopping by! For my color I used Valspar Radiance brand spray-paint and for the enamel spray paint I used this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010NY95S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0010NY95S&linkCode=as2&tag=dwellbeaut0e-20&linkId=JUGWFXA7TXSPYB2E Hope that helps! 🙂
I’m sending a link to this post to my niece. She has a pink mixer and was just saying she needed a new one because she’s tired of the pink. Good idea, it came out great!! Thanks for sharing with us at Pin-Worthy Wednesday!
Aw, thank you SO much for sharing this with your niece, Roxanne! 🙂 I’d love to see what color she picks next!
Oh my I love it I too am an aqua girl and I would love a kitchen aid of my very own – I will now be scouring the internet for a second hand one thank you so much Erica and thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Thank you SO much, Amber! Aqua is definitely the best 🙂 I hope you can find an awesome one secondhand – you’ll have to show me pics once you give it a makeover!
thank you for the step by step tutorial. I am currently in search of a KitchenAid myself. And this is great advise for the wonderful day that I find it. (fingers-crossed and prayers sent up)
Thanks so much, BettySue – I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you find one soon! 🙂
Love it. I about fell off the couch seeing this post. I have a boarding silver kitchen aid and I have regretted not listening to my first mind and not getting aqua or pastel pink . Thank you soooo much for this post. I am so scared but its better than trying to selling mine and fork out more money to get the color i really want….what is the name of the color/brand you used?
Aww, thank you so much! You should definitely go for it! It’s not as hard or scary as it seems – promise 🙂 And the color I used was Valspar Color Radiance brand in Nautical!
If y’all watch Pioneer Woman you may have noticed her beautiful mixer that’s been personalized with gorgeous hand painted flowers. Now, I’m not talented like that but for someone that is, you could do the same thing with your mixer. I’m sure one of the vendors (KitchenAid) or a viewer did hers, or maybe she did, but it’s divine. I’d be happy to have one like yours, Erica, but I got married SO long ago, I don’t think they were even around! You did a bang up job, girl.
I haven’t seen Pioneer Woman, but I’ll have to check it out! Her mixer sounds just lovely 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words!
Mine is babypink (the pink ribbon limited edition) and I would like to paint it teal or offwhite. I can’t decide yet. Thanks for the amazing tutorial!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Esmée! I’m so glad you found the tutorial helpful 🙂 I know your KitchenAid will turn out amazing, no matter what color you choose! 🙂
So has any of the paint chipped off yet? I’d love to do this, but I always figured that the paint might not stick long…. Thanks! 🙂
The paint is still going strong! Because of the enamel spray paint clear coat, the finish is basically exactly the same as the original finish. I don’t think it will be chipping anytime soon! 🙂
I was financially challenged but always wanted a Kitchen Aid Mixer until I found one at Goodwill in the box for $35.00. As I started to use it I found out why…it was loose and shook as I used it. After looking on Google for help, I found the screw I needed to tighten….works great now. However, it is white…so I need to decide on a color for the background and then get my granddaughter to draw some pretty flowers on it before the glossy finish. Such a wonderful idea starting with the painting a different color!
What a steal of a deal for a KitchenAid, Barbara! I’m so glad you were able to get it fixed and working again. I love the idea of your granddaughter painting some flowers on it – that’ll be just gorgeous 🙂 Send me a picture when it’s done and I’d love to feature it!
Oh my goodness! You did a fabulous job! You totally convinced me to try this. I was so tired of my boring ole silver Kitchen Aid, but there was no way I could bring myself to drop $400 on a new one especially when mine was still practically new! I never thought I could paint it! Genius! Like you I also love Aqua. I have the Professional 6qt, so color choices were much more limited. I’ve alredy made a trip to the Home Depot for paint and I can’t wait to get started! Thank you for posting this!
Hello fellow Erika! 🙂 I’m SO glad you found my tutorial helpful! I’m totally with you $400 is a lot to drop on an appliance! I’m so happy that you are going to give your KitchenAid some new life – you’ll have to send me a picture when you’re done and I’d love to feature it! 🙂
I definitely will! I’m currently waiting for the paint to set so I can spray on the clear coat, the waiting is killing me! LOL. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
AHH how exciting!! I know – the waiting absolutely killed me too! I’m not generally super patient so this was a hard project to wait to finish but the end results are just so worth it 🙂 Can’t wait to see it!!
Hi Erica! It’s done! Phew! It ended up being a bit trickier than I expected, the pro series doesn’t come apart as easily as the smaller versions. And then I ran into a little glitch with a defective bottle of clear coat! But all is well now. How do I send you a pic?
Oh yay!! Sorry you ran into a few hitches, but I bet it feels SO good to have it done! 🙂 Feel free to email a pic at dwellbeautiful@gmail.com and I’ll share it on my social media! Also let me know know your instagram/twitter/facebook handles if you have them so I can tag you! 🙂
Don’t forget to monogram it! My friend’s daughter received an aqua KitchenAid mixer for a bridal shower gift and we had it monogrammed in silver. It really makes it special and on the counter it looks like jewelry for the kitchen! I love it – my cobalt blue one is next! My friends call me “The Monogram Queen”!
Ooh, a monogram is such a great idea, Judy! I hadn’t thought of that. It would definitely class it up even more! Now I’m off to go play with my Silhouette Cameo to come up with a cool design 🙂
What a fabulous idea, You are soo brave! Mine is black, I hope the process will work the same. Thanks so much for the inspiration ? I’m definitely pinning this one! Thanks again
Aww, thank you so much, Sylvia! It did take a little time to find the courage to try it, but once I got going it really was pretty easy! Painting a black one should work just fine as well – just make sure you thoroughly scuff up the paint/finish with a sanding block and you should be fine! 🙂
Swoon worthy! You did a fabulous job!
Aw, thanks so much Julie! I’m definitely enjoying it more now that it’s my favorite color! 🙂
This is just fabulous idea!!! An ex boyfriend of mine bought mine and it is a odd color but I would love to do this but I would like to put some sunflowers on it do you have any suggestions on how I can do this along with painting it a new color
Aw, thank you so much! As for sunflowers, my favorite way to add designs to painted mixers is to put vinyl decals on them! Once your mixer is painted and sealed, you can add cool sunflower decals/stickers! I founds some neat ones on etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=sunflower%20vinyl%20for%20mixer Let me know if that helps!
I found an old Hobart Kitchenaid mixer at an estate sale for $50. It worked really well and had all the parts, but it was cream like yours with a large scratch on paint at top and had a lot of grime and dirt on it. I cleaned it really well, took off all the parts I could, taped the rest and painted aqua like yours. The sanding and taping was the hardest part other than waiting on the paint to dry. I gave to my daughter for her college dorm (I call it an apartment). It really turned out great and adds a pop of color to her kitchen.
Aw, that’s so great, Lisa! I’m sure your daughter really appreciated the mixer and the awesome makeover you gave it! What a great deal and an even better gift from mother to daughter 🙂
Yeah! I love your transformation! My KitchenAid was a prize for a Michigan Apple recipe contest several years ago – it is a workhorse and I do appreciate it, but it sticks out like a sore thumb on my counter – it is … apple RED! I tried to bring in other red accent to make it feel at home, but I’m just not a red kind of gal I guess. Now I know what to do … and my red lidded glass canisters are getting a new shade too! Thank you!
Thank you! I’m SO glad that my tutorial was helpful 🙂 Congrats on winning that recipe contest! What was your winning recipe? What color do you think you’ll paint your KitchenAid and canisters?
This is a great idea. I will absolutely try it if I get up the nerve! My Kitchen Aid is orange (yuck!) and obviously goes with nothing. Anywhere. We are going to be renovating our kitchen in the next few years so I think I will wait and pick a color once I see how that looks. I will pin for later 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jessica! Orange is definitely a hard color to incorporate into home decor. Can’t wait to hear what color you choose when you renovate your new kitchen!! 🙂
Is the mixer makeover still easy to clean like it was in original condition? Washable? I hate my white mixer and thinking about going purple.
Absolutely, Zareena! The enamel spray coat that you put on the end makes the finish exactly as if it came from the factory like that! I wipe down my mixer all the time with no problem 🙂 A purple mixer sounds really fun! Send a picture to dwellbeautiful@gmail.com if you decide to go ahead with it!
Wow this looks so easy, I inherited a white Kitchen Aid from my brother it’s in perfect condition although it’s 20 years old. I have been contemplating buying another one for years I never thought about painting it. Thanks for the detailed instructions I hope I can find fuchsia paint.
It really was pretty easy with such great results! You should definitely paint it 🙂 It looks like they have quite a few fuschia/magenta type spray paints at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/s/magenta%2520spray%2520paint?NCNI-5 I hope that helps and that you can find the perfect color!
This is amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Thinking i may do either a teal or purple with diamond dust glitter blast from kyrlon over top then do the enamel gloss….. i can’t wait to try it!
Oooh, adding the glitter blast would be SO beautiful! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out! Feel free to email me a pic at dwellbeautiful@gmail.com when you finish! 🙂
Is your paint job still holding up 7 months later?? I’m Wanting to paint mine. I got a white one for Christmas and love it, but I’m afraid of making it look crappy, especially since it’s brand new.
It absolutely is! Just as shiny and new as when I painted it. No chips or anything! The enamel spray paint final coat is what really seals the deal. I baked a ton of cookies over the holidays and it still looks great! 🙂
Do you have any recommendations if I wanted to add glitter to mine? I was thinking a pale/bubblegum pink with some sparkle. But then I thought it might be harder to repaint later on? Any suggestions?
I think you could either add some glitter to the spray paint while it’s still wet or just by spray paint in it like ‘Glitter Blast’ from Krylon. I think it could be potentially harder to repaint again later on, but if you had a power sander, you could probably get it off again if you needed to. I think a glitter mixer would look awesome!! 🙂
Really really want to do this but I have a lift mixer… Any time I have seen a tutorial it has always been for the tilt models any suggestions?? Love your Aqua and your ideas
I absolutely think it’s possible to do a lift mixer with the same basic steps – just be sure to protect any moving or electrical parts with some tape and the rest of the process should be the same! Good luck!
This is AWESOME!!! I purchased a Cinnamon Red Kitchen Aid a few years ago. After I had it for a few months I realized that I really wanted the Candy Apple Red mixer but was stuck with this one. I first contacted Kitchen Aid and found out that they do not repaint them. I then took it to a local auto body shop for an estimate. What a sticker shock–$200 to repaint it. I really think that they didn’t want to fool with it since it was such a small item for them. This site is such a blessing for me. I happened upon it while looking at vinyl decals to liven up my mixer.
Thanks so much for sharing your information.
I’m so glad I could help, Terri! Auto body shops are definitely expensive, so it’s such a relief to be able to do it on the cheap and get the same great results! I’d love to see your Kitchen Aid when it’s done 🙂
This is a great idea. The plate where your bowl kinda screws on comes completely off if you take the screws out. That would one less thing to have to carefully mask off. I take mine off occasionally to clean any grime that gets in the cracks.
Hi Erica,
I bought an old Sunbeam Mixmaster, which had the discolouring like your Kitchen Aid, but it ran great. My husband prepped, taped, & spray painted it for me in yellow. I just luv how it turned out & I use it more than my Cuisinart for mixing up only one cake or a dozen muffins.
I am a lucky woman to have such a wonderful man in my life, thanks hon!
Aw, it sounds like you really do have an amazing husband! How sweet of him to paint your mixer for you! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
I also love aqua color, and I loooooovvveeee this!
Aw, thanks so much, Devi! I really love how it turned out, too 🙂 Aqua is my favorite!
Stumbled upon this article during a rare 10mins of “holy crap I have nothing im supposed to be doing right now!” [I’m perpetually chasing my own tail/To-Do List] Upon seeing that a DIY-GENIUS had discovered and achieved the ultimate KitchenAid hack- I.Was.HOOKED.
I must confess, when it comes to DIYing, I am hopelessly addicted to reading/watching the tutorial, fantasizing the project completed in my home, even going so far as to bookmark or email the tutorial and buy the supplies- all the while imagining that THISSSS DIY will be the catalyst to build my Craft Kingdom!!!
Fast forward- a day.. Or 2… Or 7 … Life marches on… DIY Project gets back-burnered… Craft Kingdom remains the stuff of DIY Fantasies…
UNTIL TODAY! Thank you!!!
I am super excited to drag out my lame brushed-nickel stand mixer and jazz it the F up with some chartreuse spray paint ( helloooo burned retinas!) I shall bask in the glow of my rare DIY accomplishment/glow-in-the-dark green mixer! Who knows- I might even end up baking something! … I don’t know I don’t wanna get ahead of myself here. Thank you for the clear, concise steps to lead me to the DIY promiseland!
Just curious how its holding up. Have a guy who will paint my old sunbeam for $100 and replace all the old wires. But truthfully im afraid if I put it in the mail I wont get it back.
Hi Miranda – thanks for your comment! As for the KitchenAid, it’s held up wonderfully! Still looks as good as the day I painted it. The key is to use an enamel top coat spray paint – that seals everything and gives it a nice hard coating that won’t chip or fade! You really should try it – it only took me a day or so to do and it’s looked lovely ever since! 🙂
Oh my goodness started this today. I may have been a bit heavy handed with my first coat. Gonna have to sand off the drip spots before applying a second and third coat. But my oldest decided a nice purple with glitter in it was the color for us. I will try to take a picture when it is finished.
Purple with glitter sounds like an awesome new look for your KitchenAid! I just love anything sparkly and shiny! I was a bit heavy-handed at first too. Sanding should help even out the coat and then just proceed as normal for the next coats. I’d love to see a picture when it’s finished that I could share with other readers! Feel free to send it to dwellbeautiful@gmail.com 🙂 You’ve got this!
Hi! I’m thinking of doing this with my mixer but I’m scared of the paint chipping off. Did your paint chip or flake off? How did it hold up? Do you recommend sanding it before painting? Thank you so much!!
Amanda
Hi Amanda! You should absolutely go for it! The paint has held up beautifully on my mixer. The key is using the enamel clear coat over the top of the paint – this provides a hard enamel shell that prevents paint from chipping off. And I advise sanding before painting – no need to go crazy, but a quick go over with some sandpaper or sanding block will help the paint stick all the better! Best of luck, and let me know how it goes 🙂
SO happy to see this idea! Did you only do the clear gloss coat after the few color coats? Why did you take off the back round plate? Doesn’t it need to be painted too? TIA 🙂
Hi Lauren, thank you for stopping by! I did the clear gloss enamel coats after 2 coats of color. I took off the back plate to spray paint in separately because it has vent holes and I didn’t want the spray getting into the mechanism of the mixer 🙂 After I sprayed it with color and enamel I reattached it!
I am so thankful to have found you, and this information! I have been looking at decals to update my 32-yr. old white Kitchen Aid lift mixer but can’t find anything that I like. Wow! Now I know what I will do to my little gem… paint it!
And I suppose I should send you the $300.00+ that I almost spent to get a colored mixer ;))
Thanks so very much, Erica! You are a treasure!
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words Darla! I’m so glad you found my tutorial! No need to buy a brand new mixer – the paint job holds up amazingly well (just make sure to do the enamel spray paint top coat!). What color are you going to do? Always happy to help someone make their homes and lives a little bit more beautiful! 🙂
Great idea !!! Cheers to your effort !!! Keep updating new stuffs for us
Ohhh, You are so brilliant! What a cool way to customize it to the exact colors in your kitchen. I love decorating kitchen but have no idea to chose color suitable for my lovely kitchen.
Ohhh, You are so kind. I love decorating kitchen but have no idea to chose color suitable for my lovely kitchen.