If you’ve visited Talking Out of Turn in the past month, you may have noticed some colorful changes! Our signature pink arch is now front and center when you walk through the doors– donned with disco balls that shine when the light hits them just right. At the stage in the back of the store, sits a revamped set of lockers. Our amazing team turned the once gray lockers into a gradient rainbow, ranging from ballet slipper pink to a deep purple.
Prep, Prime, and Paint
Step One: Pick a color scheme. When choosing colors, we chose an 18-color gradient that ranges from a coral pink to a muted purple. We used artist spray paint, Montana 94, purchased at Asel Art Supply in Uptown Dallas.
Step Two: Sanding and Priming! Before priming and painting, we sanded the surface area with 120 grit sandpaper using sanding blocks and a palm sander to make everything smooth and even. After sanding, we wiped down all the sets of lockers with mineral spirits and a tack cloth to get rid of the dust and debris. We began with a basic, oil based, metal primer to seal the lockers and ensure proper adhesion of the next layer of spray paint. A good primer is essential to long-lasting and vibrant color. Once the primer was dry, we applied a Scotch Brite Pad to rough spots with any buildup.
Step Three: Let’s Paint! Each locker was individually taped off with craft paper and taped off to prevent overspray. This ensured a clean transition between colors. We laid out our spray paint in the order we wanted the gradient to work, and began spraying. DON’T FORGET TO WEAR A RESPIRATOR WHILE SPRAY PAINTING. It’s important to stay safe during this process- we like this one. The lockers dried for a little over a day before we transported them to the store. For best results, adhere to the recommended wait time listed on your spray paint bottle.
After every locker was prepped, primed, buffed, masked, and painted, it was time for their photography debut. We kicked off our back to school campaign featuring the lockers with our new everyday tumblers, can glasses with lids and so much more – you can shop the scenes here. After their photo session, we loaded them up and they made their way to the Toot store in time for Stationery Store Day.
Final Touch Time!
Once the lockers were in store, we added some finishing touches! Inside the lockers, we decorated them with some merch that fit best in the specific colored lockers. In the top left pink locker, we hung up our it’s okay to start today poster on the inside of the door, along with a tiny hearts doppelganger, and pink splatter taskpad! In true back to school fashion, we added a few large paper airplanes above the lockers, along with a “you can sit with us” decal. Fun Fact: The paper airplanes were constructed out of our own, colorful notebook paper!
We loved seeing all the fun y’all had with the lockers, and pictures you’ve taken! We’re excited for what’s coming next and hope you are, too. Make sure to follow us on Instagram to keep up with the latest from TOOT!
