Weekend DIY: Painted Dog House Makeover

My daughters and I decided to tackle this painted dog house makeover project during quarantine. This old dog house has lasted a few moves and some nasty weather. It was time to give it some new life. Plus, I knew this would be a much easier project than the Mid Century Modern Dog House I built a couple years ago.

Here are a couple BEFORE pictures:

Watch the Video:

For some reason, I didn’t take many pictures during his makeover, so here is a video I put together of most of the process.

Here’s What You Need

Time: Weekend Project

Materials:

• Hose or Power Washer
• Clean Rags & Duster
• Electric Sander
• Hammer and Nails
• Exterior Paint
• Paint Brushes

Prepping the Dog House

1. First, I gave this old house a power wash inside and out. As you can see, there was a ton of grime.
2. After it dried completely overnight, I dusted it off. There were still some cobwebs inside! Yikes.
3. Lastly, I took the time to check all the old nails. I wiggled around to see if there were and loose ones and removed and replaced as well as added some extra nails too. I wanted to be able to lift it from the roof and it feel sturdy.

Sanding the Dog House

My oldest daughter and I took turns sanding it with an electric sander. We did use a sand block for some hard to reach areas. When we were finished we wiped off any debris with rags.

Painting the Dog House

We used leftover paint from our home so it would match. I made sure to shake the cans. We chose a dark gray with white trim. The color pictured is Behr Paint in Flint Gray. The girls helped at first but then decided it was too hard and took too long. Ha!

Pro Tip: For discounted paint, most hardware stores have an “Ooops” section in their paint department. It is an area for paint that has been mixed incorrectly in the wrong color and sold at a major discount.

Finishing Touches

I decided to add artificial grass inside each room that I had left over from the other dog house I built. It was perfect for this and was a great finishing touch.

Pro Tip: If you are looking for artificial grass for small projects like this one, check Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace (or similar). There are always people looking to sell their leftovers from larger projects. You can also check stores like Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

I may have also added a couple succulents as well. It’s all in the details!

I hope you like it!