When I bought these mismatched flower pots at the end of the season last year, they were so hugely discounted that I purchased them without a plan for their use. After a long winter to ponder it, I finally pulled the pots out of storage, gave them a little makeover, and put them to use.
It's not that these pots were ugly to begin with, they just didn't match anything in my house. Spray paint to the rescue! With some leftover Rustoleum Black Lacquer spray paint from my luggage rack project, the pots are transformed! I didn't even put a primer on the pots before painting them this time so the spray painting only took a few minutes. I was a little concerned that, without primer, the black lacquer may chip off easily but it actually adhered really well. And I love the way the shiny black finish altered the appearance of the pots.
Once the pots had dried, it was time to plant! I knew that I wanted these pots to go in my bathroom window so my original plan to plant herbs in the pots was abandoned. For some reason, herbs in the bathroom just didn't seem very practical (and weirdly unsanitary). My second thought was to buy a spring flowering plant for the pots but when the guy at the nursery told me they would only last indoors for a couple of weeks I changed my mind. That was then I saw these spike plants. I've used these spikes in the middle of containers for height so I know from experience that they're very durable and long lasting. And at $2 each, they were a minimal investment for maximum impact.
Images: Jason Loper
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Too bad, I loved the original color combo.
Very pretty but I actually liked the original too.
i think the black is wayy better :) i love it!
love the new look, much more modern
Love your window garden ... your plants probably exhale in that spot ... plenty of light and humidity of the bathroom. I loved the original colors of the pots as well.
yup, gotta love spraypaint!
I agree with the first posting but it has to match with the rest of the room and you have to be content with the result.
Funny, I just took my potted plants to the front doorstep outside yesterday (crossing my fingers that it's finally safe to do so). I have a collection of mismatched pots - all pretty but very different shapes, sizes, and textures. I think the mismatched look is great outside, but when it gets too cold I have to bring my "babies" inside to live on the windowsill, where they make the room look quite messy indeed. I was just pondering whether I should replace all the pots for a more uniform collection. I don't think spray paint will do the trick for me given how different each of my pots is, but I do love the look of all same/similar pots. Bummer, I can't spend the money on new ones now.
I have spray painted everything black. My outdoor chairs (were green), my end tables (were 80's oak) and a console table (also oak) my husband was sure I bought it at PB. Then I took down some old oak cabinets and spray painted them....I am on a mission!
I liked the original colors too, but I see now how a group of the same colored pots does make more of a statement, even if they are different styles of pots.
Love the black paint, although calling them mismatched is a stretch... they were coordinated to say the least.
Please let us know if they last/don't peel. I'm hesitant to invest in spraypaint if the original finish is durable (kiln-fired glaze) because of the a)mess b)my lack of finesse c)chemicals d)disposal issues with spray cans.
But if they give a few good years, and if they reinvent older pots that'd go to waste, it's a great re-use.
@lolafabiola - I think that repainting all your pots to a single color will make them a LOT better inside. I found when I redid a bunch of frames to be all black, that the 'mismatch' size, moldings shapes, etc actually look planned.
Some paint is a pretty cheap, and if you still don't like the look, you can always replace them.