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).
Wrenaria says
Love them! Good choice. I love how happy cheerful they make everything. It’s the color I would have chosen as well. So much more happy than the gray. :)
Ashley says
They look fabulous! I was rooting for teal. Question – do you ever worry about scratches showing through when you sand down the metal? I have a shiny gold floor lamp I want to paint ORB but am worried about sanding and leaving marks… Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
If you use 300 grit paper and then degloss there usually aren’t any scratches at all and then the primer and paint fill things in so it’s smooth and scratch free! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karen F says
LOVE! Just perfect! Nice one guys.
Lenora says
A very cheerful look. I want more color in my house too. I am looking for your source for stools, as I’m interested in items similar to this. Is the web site still available? I enjoy your projects so much and admire the way you show a step-by-step process for clueless people like me.
YoungHouseLove says
Yep – and if you click the link in the first paragraph it will take you there!
-John
Beth says
Love them, love them, LOVE THEM – this is on my top-10 favorite project from YHL list!
Whitney Dupuis says
Love them! I think I voted yellow, but now that you have them painted turquoise I can’t imagine them any other way. They look like they were made for your house.
Chrystal says
Love it! Such a great color! I have a set of lamps in my living room that I painted with this color a few weeks ago. Such a pretty turquoise!
Aly says
I wasn’t part of the color debate, but they look great!
Jen says
I love the new stool color!
But I’m really commenting to tell you about something I saw yesterday. We’re on vacation visiting my husband’s family in Michigan, and we were browsing through a Meijer store (it’s a Midwestern big box chain). I was in the furniture section, looking at the ottomans. I saw a black ottoman, a brown ottman, and … an ottoman covered in a knock-off of your curtain fabric! As soon as I saw it, I yelped and told my husband – those are John & Sherry’s curtains! He looked unimpressed and gave me his “you’ve-gotta-be-kidding” look. But your curtain fabric is unmistakable. I think their furniture designer/buyer has been reading your site :)
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s too funny!
xo,
s
Bub says
You have been nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger and One Lovely Blog Award!
Thank you for sharing such a great blog and inspiring me! Congrats, you deserved it!
Please check out your award at: http://inmy30sanditstime.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/blog-award/
Xo
Bub
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Bub!
xo,
s
Victoria C says
Do you find a difference between the Valspar and Rustoleum spray paints? I know Valspar makes most of the fun colors but wasn’t sure if there was any other reasons you’d use one brand over the other.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m actually used to Rustoelum but liked this stuff just as much. Of course I used a separate primer to help it hold, but it sprayed nicely and seemed to go on well!
xo,
s
Paula says
Truth be told, I was not a big fan of the stools… but now that they are painted… WOW! LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.THEM.
kb says
Fun, fresh, stylish … I likey.
Megan says
It’s lookin’ mighty chipper in there! The rug and color change have been nice additions.
-alex says
I’m too lazy to read through the five pages of comments already, so you may have answered this. How do you get in the nooks and crannies of the chair with the primer and spray paint? Like where the seat back and post connect.
Did you do the underside of the seat as well? If I were a kid, I’d totally be looking at the underside and wondering if you painted it.
YoungHouseLove says
I just misted them from all angles as they stood on the cardboard (by standing, crouching, etc). Spray paint particles are tiny so they get into cracks and crannies really well! I did crouch down and get the underside since I figure Clara sits on the rug all the time and should get a nice blue view from there too. Haha.
xo,
s
Dawn says
Great choice! I love the color and the glossy finish but I especially love how you walk through your process of color elimatation instead of just telling your readers “it’s turquois-y-teal tone”.
LARY@ Inspiration Nook says
This made me smile big! Love how they bring yet another pop of color into your awesome kitchen. You guys never cease to surprise me! Wish we lived closer so I can see this kitchen in person (in a NO creepy way) HAHA
how2home says
LOVE the color you’ve chosen for the stool, i dont think its too “match-y match-y” its subtle and bright. i know that you mentioned you purchase these stool on a online school supply store, just wondering which site that is? would you be able to share it with us? have you thought about maybe adding a cute cushion on the stool? b/c i know that sometimes when you sit on a wood stool for too long…your tush feels kind of uncomfortable after a while…
YoungHouseLove says
If you click the link to the original stool post in our into paragraph that has where we ordered it from included (there’s a screen grab from the site). As for a cushion, we’re happy with our easy-to-wipe surface for now, but down the line you never know!
xo,
s
Laura says
I love the stools and the rug. It’s so much fun to watch you guys transform your house and take risks with your decor – it has really paid off!
Also, funny kid compliment story: I used to lifeguard and teach swim lessons from high school through my first year of grad school. One day, one of my kiddos told me, “You smell so good! Just like cereal!” :) I love their random compliments.
YoungHouseLove says
LOL!
-John
Stephanie says
Has anyone ever mentioned (or have you noticed yourselves) that the new opening between your dining room & kitchen is a giant ‘P’? I’ll apologize in advance for being redundant if you (or someone else) have already mentioned that :) Don’t know why, but today, the picture of your new stools in that opening made it really stand out for me.
Anyhoo…the stools look awesome (as does your kitchen!)! Keep up the great/inspiring work!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard that before – so funny how it worked out that way, right?
-John
Rebekka says
they look GREAT! you are a master spray painter! how do you get around all of the corners and in the nooks and crannies without getting drippy bits? do you do one side at a time? i have been practicing your technique, but it’s hard to keep things light and even if you have to go from the bottom or another weird angle.
YoungHouseLove says
I mist mist mist! I left them standing on the cardboard as you see them in that picture (never picked them up, moved them, turned them over, etc) and just crouched down and waved my hand all around them to coat the nooks and crannies very lightly (to avoid drips). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
KLL says
I think painting these stools all one color was THE way to go. The brown piece always looked a little like cardboard to me and sort of cheapened the otherwise slick gray color of the rest of the stool in my eyes.
I definitely think blue was the way to go. Especially in the angled view from the dining room (which I think is a view I haven’t really seen before with the dresser on that smaller wall) you can see how everything sort of ties together. That photo also somehow made the layout of the house ‘click’ for me.
I’m still working my way through the old blog posts working toward present-day. I finally hit the point that you’ve bought this house and are packing! I’m in the home stretch!
Linda says
They look great – and I do love the tie in to the dining room. As already said, a real home run!
Allison says
Oh please please don’t take away your pops of color from the kitchen! The stools are beautiful, but I think if you took away the other colors (especially on your open shelves), the rest of your stunning kitchen would not be noticed. When you look at the picture, first your eyes go to the stools. Then they hop back into the kitchen from one colorful accent to the next, highlighting the neutral details. It looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Fear not! There will always be color in the art, the fruit in the fruit bowl, and the sesame walls- I think everything on the shelves will evolve with my mood, so they might be full of color one day and more whitewashed the next! We love color though, so I’m sure if I phase it out for a week or two it’ll always be back (and I’ll be happy to see it)!
xo,
s
Jen says
I am so happy you selected the color you did, they look SOOOOOOOOOOO good! :) They pull together all of your surrounding spaces perfectly and with the new rug, it all seems so much more finished. I bet you smile every second you are in your new kitchen!
xoxo!
Jen
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jen! It’s definitely a smile-inducing change!
xo,
s
Mary says
Looks very cheery. I like them.
Karin K says
“..before it hits newsstands…” This ain’t a letter to the editor; it is a BOOK! Very humble typo.
The chairs are fabulous – perfect color pick! Now for what may be the dumbest question ever: when you leave stuff outside to dry, how do you avoid the inevitable bug or pine tree trash from getting stuck in the wet paint?
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, true, true. As for the bug or tree question, scroll back a bit for that answer! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Mai says
LOVE the color y’all decided on!
Julie (from Pocketful of Joules) says
I also just had a super fun spray painting job — I redid some old, dated patio furniture and now it looks like it came out of the Pottery Barn catalog!
What do you think?
http://pocketfulofjoules.com/2012/06/05/sunroom-on-a-budget/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that looks amazing!
xo,
s
leah says
SOOOOOOOOOOO much better! I have to say, I was not a fan of the gray stools from the get-go – they just seemed so out of place in such a happy environment. And then – BAM! – color changed everything! Yay, YHL! (fist pumps in air – Jersey-style!)
Suzy says
Love it!!!!My daughter wants to redo her room this summer using this color as one option. The stools look so much sleeker & retro somehow. I still like the pop of color on the shelves in the kitchen….it draws your eye to that side of the room but in a good way!!!! Were you happy with the Valspar spray paint?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I went into it worried because I love me some Rustoleum, but it was easy to use and went on nicely!
xo,
s
georgia says
One word…… WOW !
Love tHem!!!!
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
Spray painting 4 stools sounds more fun that the full sized Jenny Lind bed I’m currently spray painting. I’ve already used 3 cans of paint and it could use at least one more coat of paint……….it’s on the agenda for tonight!
Emily says
LOVE IT!!! We just painted our outdoor furniture that same color – we went with the blue for the chairs and bench, and green for the tables! It is such a happy color!
And I’m completely loving your kitchen! I’m currently looking a kitchen with a fridge in front of the window and painters tape marking the piece of wall that we will remove. Seeing your beautiful kitchen is getting me VERY anxious to get this thing started!!!
Patty C says
I love them! I think all of your spray painting is effecting me. I’m switching positions for next school year and this morning while scouting out one of my new spaces a co-worker asked me if I wanted this odd black wire desk organizer. I told her it looked like it needed to be spray painted and immediately thought of you. :) Enjoy your “princess” stools.
Stefanie says
Love them! I think I may have to work in some stools somewhere of my own to paint a funky color! I painted my front door last weekend, using your tutorial. It’s a pretty apple green that pops nicely against our brick and really makes our house stick out on our master planned neighborhood street. We get tons of compliments on our bold choice and we couldn’t be happier!
http://instagr.am/p/LGcE3_Jzic/
Laci says
LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melanie says
My vote was for yellow but little did know how perfect teal would look. You have an eye for color! I have the urge to paint something now… :)
Kristin B says
Love, love, LOVE! They look awesome, and I would love the same look in my super-boring dining room. But my chairs are fabric parsons chairs (similar to yours) and I am at a loss as to how to make them look colorful, fun and vintage-y. I like someone’s idea of adding piping. Maybe adding a monogram or numbers, too?
YoungHouseLove says
Always another fun idea! You guys are so creative. Haha. I love it.
xo,
s
Catherine M says
LOVE THEM!!!!
Colleen Irby says
I love them….you did an awesome job. I wish you could give a tutorial on how to spray paint something like that and not have any runs! I have no success with spray painting. :(
YoungHouseLove says
Check out the link that we included in this post in the tutorial (it links to a post with detailed how-to-spray-paint tips)! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Kelly says
I love the color you picked! The blue goes so nicely and really compliments the pops of yellow…my favorite view is the one from your dining room. I love how the blue stools look with the blue background of your built-ins.
P.S. Clara’s yellow highchair just makes me smile :)
Ally says
It’s not often I utter these words…
What glorious looking stools! :)
And, really, they’re the perfect perch for JBoom’s next hair modelling gig…next up: The Virginia Mullet (where Clara takes over where mummy left off :)
xox
Elizabeth says
The chairs look amazing! The color couldn’t be any more perfect! Clara will have so much fun doing homework up there one day!
Question for you – whenever I paint furniture outside, I cannot keep bugs and dirt off of it. We don’t have a garage or anything where we could seal the furniture off…any tips for this?
Love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
If you scroll back through the comments I have answered that for ya! The key is three things (no trees overhead, no wind, light coats). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ami says
I LOVE love love the new stools! I think the color is PERFECT. Also just my two cents – do what you like b/c its your house – but Im not sure I’d white-ify the rest of the kitchen. I think the pops of color serve to tie things in and balance the room. I love it and think its perfect.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, after I said that I was like “who am I kidding, I love my colorful pops of fun on those shelves” – haha. I tend to switch things up there depending to my mood, so if colorful stuff leaves I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I bring it right back- and maybe add more. Haha.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Every time you guys do a stool update I get the “Stool Boom” song from Waiting for Guffman in my head. Today, I’ll be singing “Stoool Spruuuuce!” instead. The color looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it.
-John
Melissa says
Love the color! I do think think this room needs some pattern though. Even though you have pops of color, everything is plain. What do you think? I realize that may not be the case in real life–pics are hard to tell sometimes.
YoungHouseLove says
You’re totally right about real life vs. pics. The bane of my existence about blogging about our kitchen is that the gorgeous penny tile (which is a ton of texture all along an entire back wall) just looks gray in pics. In real life it gleams and glitters and bounces so much light and it’s always the first thing people notice. So we count the circle-riddled penny tile as our pattern along with the subtle veins of the cork flooring! Who knows if we’ll add more in though – always a possibility!
xo,
s
Lisa Price says
What a great post – I should try this!
Xo,
Lisa
http://www.lisapriceinc.com
@LPriceSOright
Lauren says
I love your stools. Great color. I’ve used deglosser a few times to paint over our laminate counters and linoleum flooring. Its always worked really well and I think it helps the paint adhere way better. Painted flooring is now almost 5 years old and no peeling or chips.
Allyson of Lovely Explorer says
I love them and I was a skeptic. I love industrial, exposed metal but I’m a big fan of the blue. It definitely feels yours!