Well, after reading every last one of the 750+ suggestions you guys left on this post (no doubt about it – there are definitely a million ways we could have gone with these guys!) and putting lots of thought into pretty much every possibility under the sun, we ended up going with our very first instinct. A chipper turquoise-y-teal tone.
So here’s the rundown of how we transformed these basic $32 stools from an online supply store.
The funny thing is that there were probably the most votes for blue from you guys too (closely followed by yellow). Although there were definitely suggestions for a ton of other options (four different colors, tones like orange/coral/purple/pink, upholstered cushions, seats painted a different color, dipped legs, an ombre effect, etc). But even before sharing our stool musings we found ourselves gravitating towards turquoise or teal. Especially since we already have green chairs that we painted and reupholstered for the office…
… and a yellow highchair for Clara that gets used in the dining room/living room (it’s not counter height, so it works better at normal tables than the kitchen peninsula, where we typically use a booster seat attached to one of our stools).
We decided not to make any final decisions until our rug arrived, and then to just follow our gut and pick a darn color already go with whatever we liked best. The truth is that a ton of other colors definitely could have worked (white cabinets & counters + gray tile + brown floors = a pretty neutral backdrop for any splash of color), so it really just came down to personal preference. I think we always would have done the “what if” thing if we hadn’t just followed our nose heart.
We love how the color relates to the dark teal built-ins in the dining room without being too matchy-matchy, and even ties into the small pops of color on the open shelves. Although I’m sort of tempted to completely white-ify the stuff on the shelves and the counters (fewer pops of yellow and blue) so the stools can really be the star – just because a lot of the kitchen photos that I’ve pinned as inspiration with colored stools don’t usually have a lot of bold pops of color all over the rest of the room (although some have a few). So I’ll keep you posted as the accessories continue to evolve in here!
In the meantime, it’s an especially great upgrade when staring at the other side of the room from the stove. Without any penny tile to the ceiling or colorful shelf accessories, this side used to look sort of bland. We love how the new stool color makes it look alive, but not too clown-car-crazy. It just feels like us.
The kitchen officially fits into the rest of our house, which has other bold pops of color going on in every room that we’ve tackled – like our teal guest room with a bright yellow rug, our gray living room with a bright green rug, our pink nursery with bold floral curtains, our stenciled office with green chairs and multicolored art, our gray-blue bedroom with a teal and charcoal rug, and our gray dining room with green curtains and dark turquoise built-ins.
And ultimately it was freeing to realize that the worst that could happen if we didn’t like our choice was that we’d repaint. Although I’ll admit that I’m very thankful that we like them this way (this wasn’t exactly a ten minute project). Haha. And luckily the veneer-ish brown seat took the new coat of paint really well, so the whole chair looks even and feels nice and durable. We opted to paint the brown part of the seat the same color just to keep things graphic and simple (we feared they might get too busy-looking with a brown seat and a blue painted frame).
One of our favorite views of them is this one, which used to look sort of flat with the stools in their gray-with-brown-seats state…
… but now looks cheerful and less monochromatic to color lovers like us (thanks to those hot little turquoise gams).
Even the view into the dining room makes a lot more sense in person (now that the stools tie into the subtle pops of turquoise in the ikat curtains). It used to be dull with eight brown dining chairs in the background and four gray stools with brown seats in the foreground, so it’s nice to have broken things up a bit more with some color to set the stools apart. And someday we’ll figure those dining room chairs out once and for all. Haha.
But I doth jabber on. Here’s how I got ‘er done.
1) I roughed them all up with 300 grit sandpaper. Just to give them a little tooth so they’d be more durable for the long-haul.
2) I used a liquid deglosser to remove all that sanding dust and further ready them for primer and paint (I like how it looks like I’m thumbless in both this photo and the one above it). We use a no-VOC deglosser called Crown’s Next that we got from Home Depot a while back for a few bucks.
3) I sat them out in the yard on an old tarp and some cardboard (so their legs wouldn’t sink into the grass so they could be sprayed evenly).
4) I misted them with very thin coats of spray primer until they had a nice even coverage (we generally love spraying metal since it takes paint really well – especially if it’s sanded, deglossed, primed, and painted in thin and even coats). You can check out some general spray painting tips of ours here.
5) I misted them with very thin coats of spray paint until they had nice even coverage. We went with Tropical Oasis by Valspar in a gloss finish (we liked that it had a fair amount of gray in it, while some other teal options looked a little too bright for us without any muted undertones to tie them into things like our gray wall of tile and our new scalloped rug). We applied around five super thin and even coats, beginning on the next coat pretty much as soon as the first one was done (light misty applications like that hold really well and don’t drip or peel like thicker ones tend to do).
6) I left them outside in the sun for 24 hours (after checking to be sure there was no rain in the forecast) so they could off-gas and cure up. Next they got brought into the sealed-off sunroom for another two full days, just so they could continue to cure up and let out any fumey smells before they were allowed into the house. Then finally (those few days felt like years of waiting) we got to bring them back into the kitchen and see how they looked. They should hold up for a nice long time (painted metal, when done correctly, can look great for decades). We’ll definitely keep you posted on how these guys do over time.
And now for a budget breakdown:
- 3 cans of primer + 3 cans of spray paint = $29
- 300 grit sandpaper and liquid deglosser = $0 (already owned, but they might run you $6 if you have to buy ’em)
- TOTAL: $29 (which meant each of my $32 stools got a $7 upgrade)
I totally think people would spend way more than $39 a pop for these chipper little stools at a furniture store. So, yay. As for a time breakdown…
- Sanding and deglossing them all = 1 hour
- Priming them all = 1.5 hours
- Painting them all = 1.5 hours
- TOTAL: Four hours (obviously with time in between steps since I primed during one Clara-nap and painted during another).
Speaking of the bean, Clara actually stopped to pet one and say “blue stool! so pretty! like a princess!” right after we brought them in. No idea why she equates blue stools with princesses, but we’ll take it. I gotta say that the kitchen finally feels semi-complete. Huzzah! And I might be imagining things, but proofing 352 pages of book layouts (not exaggerating) on our upgraded stools was a little less of a grind for some reason.
Maybe they have magical happy powers?
What have you guys been upgrading with paint or primer these days? Have you ever used a liquid deglosser? We used to be so scared of it since they seemed like it’d be fumey and burn your fingers off, but we love the stuff we use (and it has yet to remove my fingerprints – although it might have taken off my thumb for a few pics).
Janelle D says
YES! I was hoping you would pick a teal colour. I was picturing a greener teal, but I see now why you didn’t go that way. If the teal was a bit more green they would probably be too matchy-matchy with the bookcase. These are definitely ‘happy stools’! I reallly like them.
Megan I says
They look great! Definitely the right choice. I have that same color spray paint here at home. Except I don’t take nearly the amount of time prepping you do. I’m going to try it your way the next time I spray paint. Thanks for the inspiration!
Jill says
Love love the color!! (I was sorta rooting for that one from the start)….it all works together beautifully!
Stefanie D. says
where is that pretty pinkish color rooster you used to have in kitchen…
YoungHouseLove says
He’s in the bedroom. For some reason we think it’s hilarious to wake up and see a rooster. Haha.
xo,
s
Janae says
Well one thing for sure…ya’ll are not afraid of color! I like it!
Ginny @ goofymonkeys says
They look great! Do you guys have issues with wind when you spray paint? I always seem to want to paint when it’s really too windy and my results suffer.
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully it was a really calm day when I primed and when I painted, but if it’s too windy I resist the urge to try (knowing it could be an issue) and try to wait for a better day. The same is true for too-cold days, sometimes I hate to wait but it’s the best way to go.
xo,
s
Theresa says
OMG!!! Luv em. You guys are amazing!
Danielle says
I was really hoping you would go with teal! They look great, love them!
carra says
They look beautiful! I love that color I actually just recently bought two cans of that same color for a little project I plan to tackle this weekend. I love blue princess stools!
Jill says
Bee-u-tee-ful!!
Meaghan @ lovelee honeybee says
Love them! Makes a lovely difference. More colourful joy added into your loving home :)
Marilyn says
Love it! Have you thought about stenciling a pattern on the dining room chair covers to break up the solid brown?
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely want to do something to those chairs in there. It’s on the list!
xo,
s
Victoria says
How do you guys keep your house so tidy?! Every photo…never a thing out of place, no piles, spotless! I’m jealous. Teach me.
Oh and PS the stools look great! We’re in the process of spray painting our vent covers. They’re currently painted the same color as the walls but we opted for an oil rubbed bronze look to make them unique.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh we’re normal, I promise. Our house gets messy like the best of them! We even did a few messy house tours where we didn’t clean a thing and walked around the house with a camera just to show people what it’s really like. For reveals like these we just clean up so people can honestly judge how things look as if they’re company coming over- ya know? Hard to focus on the stools if there’s a big old pile of mail on the counter along with a sippy cup and a pile of toys on the floor. Haha.
hjc says
That’s a good point Sherry. It’s no different than cleaning up for company. It’s not that you don’t have the mess, just that you’ve cleaned up (or hidden it) for the occasion! You’re also right that a ‘real life’ mess would take away from the reveal. It’s nice that you allow us to be the kind of “friends” that can occasionally see a mess or in progress project as well. I love the stools by the way – great color! I grew up with a beautiful, curvy china cabinet painted a similar color – it was really unexpected back then, but I loved it. My Mom would have been a great blogger – she was always painting or sewing or planting or cooking something!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that china cabinet sounds amazing HJC! As does your mom!
xo,
s
Sara says
Love them! I was just looking at that color spray paint at Lowe’s the other day and thought to myself, “What can I spray paint with this?” Nothing came to mind at the moment, but I’m determined to find something! :)
Richelle says
They look great! One of my favorite things is how they make the blue items on the open shelves pop out, but I’m sure all white would look great too. I just spray painted a little rocking chair that a co-worker had given me for my son’s room. It was bright red with fire truck fabric on the seat so I changed it to blue (pretty much the same color as your new stools) and recovered the seat to match his room.
Sheila says
Love it!
Alyssa says
I love the new color on the chairs. On another note, i noticed that you put the slip covers back on the dinning room chairs? Did the spray painted chairs not really work out…they didn’t grow on you?
YoungHouseLove says
If you read yesterday morning’s post that explains the slipcovers (I just put them on for Clara’s party since we brought the chairs outside and I wanted them to be washable in case of stains and still haven’t taken them off and washed them- haha). So the answer is laziness.
xo,
s
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Love it! I was definitely Team Teal and they look awesome! I love the way they play off the built-ins! :)
Sarah says
Ok, I know you said you left them in the sunroom for two full days (torture). Did you break at all and bring one in for a minute just to see what it looked like? I would have had to. They look awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
No, isn’t that crazy! I just kept walking in there to stare at them. But I dared not even touch them. Didn’t want to ding or scratch them while they continued to cure.
xo,
s
Meghan says
Do you guys ever have problems with little buggies while you’re spray painting? I’ve been sprucing up a couple things lately (tables, vases etc) and I keep coming out to check on my creations and finding little bugs have decided to make their way into the mix. Oof….
YoungHouseLove says
Our big tip is to spray in a nice open area without a tree hanging overhead or anything. That way it seems like fewer bugs and leaves and pollen things will get into the paint! Also if you use thin and even mists of paint it dries faster so if a leaf or a bug dropped on something you could wipe it away instead of it sinking into wet paint!
xo,
s
Kayla says
Love it! Not that the kitchen didn’t feel complete before, but between the new rug and blue stools, it really ties it all in and gives it that polished, happy YHL look! Love it! (Yes, I know I said that already)
Karen says
I love the chairs so much better painted a color, and I always go towards shades of teal with everything so I’m definitely on board with the aqua color. However…I thought when you pointed out the stack of red/blue/yellow books at the end of the stool post that you were giving us some ironic foreshadowing! I think the only thing I would like better than what you have right now are graduated shades of aqua or have the stools each a different color, but I’m on a laptop and maybe that does not play well in real life. Regardless, painting the stools was definitely a step in the right direction.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we just worried it might be too busy to have four different colors and all of the kitchens with bright stools that we loved on Pinterest had just one color for all the stools, so we just opted to give one color all the love! I’m sure we’ll bring those other colors in with small accessories (they’re all in the art already, actually!).
xo,
s
Rachel says
Love them! The color is so you guys.
I have a couple questions, since I bought the same stools and have been trying to figure out what to do with them. Did you also paint the bottom of the seat and the twisty knob? Are you worried about the paint cracking on the back where it flexes? Can you not adjust the back anymore now that they’re painted?
You’ve inspired me to modify my own now! Maybe not teal (our kitchen is more browns, stainless and green-ish glass tiles) but they look so much more expensive all painted!
YoungHouseLove says
I did squat when priming and painting to spray the underside briefly, just enough so they appear all the same color if you’re sitting on the floor- but I didn’t flip them over or anything). As for the curved seat back, that metal doesn’t really flex (it leans backwards and forwards, but by misting it I got all the little nooks, so if it’s being leaned on or not it’s all painted. When you properly prep metal with sanding/primer/paint it shouldn’t have any issues with cracking at all- unless it’s a metal twist tie that you’ll be bending like crazy. As for the adjustable back, after months of living with them as-is (never adjusting them) we decided to just spray them in that placement, so if we ever want to adjust them we’ll need to spray the small area of unpainted metal that would be exposed. Don’t expect to do that, but if we do it’s a pretty easy fix…
xo,
s
Reenie says
OMG…. LOVE them! So cute and cheery ~ they look so good =)
“blue stool! so pretty! like a princess!” …..too cute!
Brenda says
They look great! And I realized that I missed the post about the rug, so it’s like getting to read two new posts at once. Bonus!
Teri says
They look great! I especially like the view from the stove into the sitting area. The view from the other way is nice too, but there is still something a little off with the shelves…are you considering widening the vent hood? I love that you are not afraid to use bright happy colors!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s on the someday list actually! We mentioned that in the reveal!
xo,
s
Laura says
I love the stools! The color is great (since any shade of blue is my favorite color). We have really been inspired by your website and hope to start DIY-ing our home soon. It is a brick, ranch style home built in the 50’s. Do you have any suggestions on where to find materials that will not make our wallet cry? We have recently added to our family (baby # 2) so money in incredibly tight. Thanks for all of the inspiration! You have a beautiful family!
YoungHouseLove says
I would check out the Habitat For Humanity ReStore in your area (they’re everywhere, so there must be one near you!) and thrift stores and craigslist and yard sales. Those have lots of inexpensive things you can spruce up!
xo,
s
Amber Wallace says
Love them!! What a happy, colorful home you have!
Ashleigh says
Absolutly love them they are great! I am loving teal as a colour right now :-)
BTW when you do thin and even coats with the spray paint do you leave them to dry in between? I really struggle with stopping my spray paint from dripping.
xox
YoungHouseLove says
I just mist them for each coat. It’s very very light- I don’t get full coverage for about five coats. So when the coats are that light and misty they dry almost immediately, so by the time I’m done with one coat I can start on the next one without worrying about drips!
xo,
s
julie s says
the stools look great! and just in time for me to tackle a metal bed i found on craiglist – going valspar orange in gloss!
Monica F says
I am living the stools. I feel a bit like Picasso as I am going through a blue phase right now. Every room has something this color blue in it and my kitchen is in the process of being painted robin egg blue. OBSESSED!!!
Emily says
Love these! I spray painted the legs of our kitchen table this same color a few years ago (after restaining the light pine tabletop more of a dark cherryish color). Love your colors, love how much you spray paint.
:)
Amy says
Wow! What a difference the color makes. I was not a fan of the stools pre-paint. So this change really makes them look less school liquidation sale and more chic. Well done!
Jess J. says
Love the stools! Teal looks great. You’ve peeked my interest with the ombre’ look on a painted stools. Will soon be inheriting some wood counter height stools from my mom and I’m now determined to create a dipped legged look… Any tips? Thoughts? THANKS.
YoungHouseLove says
We just got a lot of suggestions for that, so maybe read the comments of our Stool Musing post for ideas? Could be really fun! Good luck!
xo,
s
Kelly says
So I’m wondering…when you walk into the kitchen in the morning, do you say “weeeeeeee!” and twirl around and do a happy dance, or do you smile and sigh that ‘I’m so in love’ sigh? :) love the stools, they are a perfect fit.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I said “well hello… fancy meeting you here” this morning. That’s not weird at all.
xo,
s
Julie says
Shiny and happy. Hooray!
Julia @Chris Loves Julia says
I’m in love. I can’t even imagine them another color right now! They definitely raised the bar for chairs in your home…ahem…and I’m referring to YOU dining chairs! ;)
Chrissy Henry says
Totally the color I would have picked too!! LOVE the upgrade… funny how a little spray paint can make a whole room feel happier :)
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
They look great. I wasn’t really a fan of them unpainted but I think the paint works wonders on them. And I love the blue! I used the same color last month when I painted my planters outside. It is such a cheerful color. Now the blue on your stools pulls some of the blues out from your shelving in the back of the kitchen tying everything together. http://www.colortransformedfamily.com/2012/05/11/planter-transformation/
YoungHouseLove says
Those look great!
xo,
s
Amber says
Long time reader…first time commenter :)
i LOVE them! and i’m so excited that you didn’t leave them gray…i was a little worried lol :) as if i should be worried about someone elses stools! i have liquid deglosser that i bought over a year ago and have been to afraid to use it. or maybe its more like too lazy. i do love that teal color though, a couple of weeks ago i found some awesome horse head bookends and thats the color i painted them. you can see the pictures if you want here http://www.lightheartedparties.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-yard-sale-find-and-little-spray.html i was so proud of myself! that was my first spray painting project!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute Amber! Love them.
xo,
s
kalibrooke says
luuuuuuuuuurve them, and the lighter teal-ish blue in your mockups was definitely my favorite even though i didn’t officially weigh in! well done.
i’m curious about the cork (is it cork? or particle board?), actually…since cork is so porous, i imagine that spray painting is a natural fit, but i’m curious about what the feel is like. are you considering a cushion at all?
yay for happy color!
YoungHouseLove says
It was sort of a veneer-ish material but thankfully it took the paint really well. The chairs are really comfy without cushions and we like how easy to wipe-down they are, so we might avoid fabric for a while, just because we don’t mind them as is!
xo,
s
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Well, I have to admit I was wrong. I didn’t think I’d like them painted, being a fan of their original industrial-chic-ness, but I do. I think I even like them better now.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jess! So glad!
xo,
s
Amy says
Great as always! Looks awesome.
Stephanie says
I’m kind of torn. I love the way the chairs look in the teal but I’m not sure I like them in the room. Not that it matters because it’s your kitchen. lol :) And I’m sure you will do some little tweak and I’ll be like “omg it’s perfect.” I do love that color. It reminds me of the ocean.
I love all your spray painting tips. I’ve got some stuff that I can tackle with paint/spray paint that I just haven’t gotten around to but once I do, you guys are going to be my go-to guide.
Sherry says
I just spray painted a vintage cruiser bike I found this same color! I was standing at Lowe’s looking at all of the colors and Tropical Oasis just made me smile.
The stools look great! I might need to bring some Tropical Oasis into my house too!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that! Must be the cutest bike ever!
xo,
s
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Speaking of painting the seat portion, any worry that the paint would eventually rub off on someone’s booty? Just curious! I love it though! The color is spot-on! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully once spray paint is cured it won’t rub off, even when wet (it’s oil-based so it hardens like automotive paint).
xo,
s
Katherine R. says
LOVE them! They look super pretty (like a princess) with the pops of yellow and the nod to the bookshelves. I just used the same spray paint in my kitchen on a pegboard that I framed to use for pots and pans to free up space in our tiny apartment kitchen. The pop of aqua makes me smile each time I walk in there.
Sayward says
YES!!! Princess stools for the win!!! These totally make the kitchen. I guess you should name them all after princesses now. Then when people come over you can get fancy and say ‘ah yes, shall we take a seat on Ariel and Belle?’
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahah, I love it!
xo,
s
Sayward says
plus, Ariel… clam shells… swimming painting. These stools are “part of your world” now if you “catch my drift.” SEA what I’m doing here?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I like it.
xo,
s
Natalie says
Love the new color pop! And also I love your color accents on the shelves and counters. They just tie everything together.
Adrienne says
Oh my gosh…they look GREAT! The entire kitchen looks beautiful. Bright and cheerful! You guys are awesome! Side note: Sherdog, you’ve inspired me to clean out my makeup bag and get rid of the I-might-use-that-purple-eyeshadow-someday type of stuff. Thank you both for being you :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re sweet! Thanks!
xo,
s