DIY-Er Turns Basic Silver Fridge Into A Vintage-Style Appliance

A modern refrigerator with a sleek stainless steel surface can lend a clean and industrial aesthetic to your cooking space. However, if you want a fridge with a warmer character, you don't have to shell out for a brand-new retro-looking appliance in a vibrant color. Simply transform your basic silver fridge into a vintage-style appliance with a few sheets of contact paper and some brass corners, as showcased in this TikTok by Lavender Estate.

Old school refrigerators definitely came with vintage design perks, such as rounded shells, funky latches, and foot pedals. One model of 1950s fridge even had rotating shelves to make it easier to access produce at the very back! While you can't change the internal features or shape of a modern silver fridge, you can still update the surface by smoothly laying a sheet of contact paper over it in your choice of color. Wood-grained paper is ideal for giving a basic fridge a sense of warmth and depth, but you could just as easily opt for a brighter color for a quirkier tone. 

First, you'll need to wipe down and dry the fridge to make sure it's free from grease and any textured food residues. You'll also need a craft knife handy to create cut-outs for parts that you don't want to cover, such as water dispensers, touch screens, and door handles.

Once you've neatly covered the surface of your fridge, feel free to lean into the vintage aesthetic you've created by gluing brass accessories onto the corners of the doors or drawers to lend your appliance a considered flourish. You could also use peel-and-stick flexible molding that comes with an adhesive backing to make the job easier, or spray paint and embellish decorative white corner trims in metallic hues for a personalized finish.

In the TikTok video, the broken water dispenser is repurposed into a cute spot for spices with the addition of some gold-colored trim. Obviously, this isn't a mandatory move if yours is still working. However, the original creator does hang paintings and pictures in brass or warm golden-toned frames on the fridge to give the kitchen a sense of history and a lived-in character, which will work with every appliance. In this case, use self-adhesive hooks to protect the surface, or use sticky tack for lighter items, like art prints or posters. 

If you still have the urge to get crafty after completing all of that, consider making your own fridge magnets with old jar lids. Simply draw a design on the inside, pour on some resin to protect your motif, and stick a magnet on the back.