As I begin to type this post, I can’t stop hearing the AOL Man’s voice methodically saying, “You’ve Got Mail!” in my head.  But I digress…This post officially serves as the FIRST post since we’ve moved into the new house, and today you’re getting a sneak peek at the exterior.  I will start by saying that when I began the house hunt, many moons ago, a red brick house was not something I was remotely interested in, but alas, now I live in a giant red brick house.  Due to HOA regulations, I can’t paint the brick all white like I would love to do, so I am doing what I can to spruce up the curb appeal and ensure that I’ll at least have the chicest red brick house in the neighborhood!

The original front door was a dirty, off-white color with dated glass details—so that had to go.  I replaced it with a more traditional almost black door to make the white trim pop.  New exterior light fixtures, some greenery, and a darling pineapple door mat updated the space, but the final piece to modernize the porch was this super simple wall-mounted mailbox.  

This project was honestly one of the easiest I’ve done, and it only took the amount of time it takes to let the spray paint dry—two hours!

SUPPLIES

• Krylon® Chalky Finish in Anvil Gray*
• Krylon® Premium Metallic in 18 KT Gold*
• Industrial Adhesive
• Metal Mailbox
• House Numbers

*Available at your local Michaels

INSTRUCTIONS

As with all spray paint projects, it’s important to read the safety and application instructions on the back of the can.  Not all spray paints are created equal, and when you’re working with different finishes, in this case chalky and metallic, it’s important to read the fine print!  

Now that I finally have a back yard, I laid out some extra cardboard I had left over from the move and placed the mailbox on one piece and the house numbers on another.

I started with the mailbox open before painting the first coat of Krylon® Chalky Finish in Anvil Gray.

Per the instructions, I shook the can for 1-2 minutes and then applied the first coat. Y’all…It went on like ‘buttah’!  I was so impressed!  I painted the mailbox using sweeping strokes until it was completely covered and then let it dry for about 20-25 minutes before I closed lid and sprayed the top.  The coverage was so great, that this didn’t even really require a second coat of paint, so once the lid was completely covered, I let it dry for a full hour.

I repeated the process with the house numbers using my all-time favorite spray paint, Krylon® Premium Metallic in 18 KT Gold. Again, I let those dry for about two hours After one coat (that’s all it took!), so I knew that they would be safe to handle when it came time to adhere them to the mailbox. If you attempt to handle things before paint has had enough time to dry, you risk fingerprints and smudging, and it’s not cute. So be patient!

Once everything was good and dry, it was time to put it all together.  The house numbers came with mounting screws, as they’re meant to go directly on the side of a house, but I used an industrial strength adhesive to put attach them to the mailbox, and it did the trick!  I simply squeezed out little dots of glue where the screws would go on the back of the numbers and gently placed them on the box.  The glue is clear, so if a little seeps out from the edges, it’s ok – you can’t see it! I only had to let the glue dry really well for about 20 minutes, and then the mailbox was good to mount on the wall.

Mounting hardware will depend on the material of your house (brick, wood, stucco, etc…), so it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the mailbox.  But once it’s securely mounted to the wall, you’re ready to receive all of the catalogs, love notes, and magazines your heart desires!  

It’s so amazing how a few small changes can completely transform a space, and I’m so pleased with how the front porch refresh turned out.  I think I might really be into this whole ‘red brick house’ thing after all.