Home Garden

How to Refinish a Bakers Rack

A baker's rack looks like a bookshelf with wire or wrought-iron shelves at the top and bottom and a single wooden shelf in the center. It is traditionally used as a place to set baked goods while they cool. While the metal portion of most baker's racks is powder coated with color at the factory, you can achieve a professional refinished look with spray paint designed for use on metal or wrought iron.

Things You'll Need

  • Screwdriver
  • Trisodium phosphate, or TSP
  • Rags
  • Sandpaper
  • Newspaper or plastic sheeting
  • Spray primer designed for metal
  • Spray paint designed for metal
  • Paint roller or brush
  • Primer
  • Semi- or high-gloss paint
  • Sawhorses
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Remove any wooden shelves by unscrewing them from the underside or back where they are attached to the rack.

    • 2

      Clean the rack and the shelves with a degreaser, such as trisodium phosphate, or TSP, and rinse well.

    • 3

      Sand the rack and the wooden shelves with a fine-grit sandpaper, and then wipe them down with a clean damp rag to remove any dust created by sanding.

    • 4

      Place the rack outside on several sheets of newspaper or plastic sheeting.

    • 5

      Spray a thin coat of primer on the baker's rack. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for applying the primer, such as shaking the can well before application and keeping the nozzle about 6 to 8 inches away from the rack while spraying.

    • 6

      Wait for the primer to dry. This usually takes about two hours.

    • 7

      Spray on a thin coat of paint in the same way that you applied the primer. Let the paint dry for two to four hours, and then apply a second thin coat.

    • 8

      Lay the wood shelves across a pair of sawhorses.

    • 9

      Roll or brush on a thin coat of primer on the wooden shelves and let it dry according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually around four hours.

    • 10

      Apply a thin coat of paint on the wooden shelves in the same way you applied the primer, let it dry and then apply a second coat of paint.

    • 11

      Replace the wooden shelves and screw them into place once the paint has cured for at least 24 hours.