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).
Gaidig says
I love the stools. I liked them in the natural metal, but you’re right, they’re really amazing in the blue. I especially love how they tie in with your pops of color around the room, and with the other things going on in other parts of your house.
S Reeves says
Perfect color and accent for your rooms! I agree with all white dishes on the shelves. I did this in my glassed door cabinets and it is so soothing.
Laura says
they look sooo good!!
Hena says
I love the stools! I have been wanting to tackle a “painting metal” project myself and but don’t know where to start. It’s a solid brass (very shinny) table that I want to spray paint. Could you tell me what steps to take? The hardware store guys didn’t give me a good answer, some said to just prime and paint. Others said to sand it or use steel wool to scuff it up, but didn’t tell me what grit to use. Any help will be appreciated!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d follow this tutorial to the letter (300 grit paper, deglosser, good spray primer, quality spray paint – and very thin and even coats). Good luck!
xo,
s
Hena says
Thank you!
Kelsy says
I need you to tell me how you only used 3 cans of spray paint on these 4 chairs!? :) I must be doing something wrong? Yesterday I was spraying a highchair just like Clara’s yellow one. I used an entire can on one chair and I am still not done. I need to do at least 2 more coats. It is pretty windy here. Is that my problem???
YoungHouseLove says
The key is primer! It makes coverage so much better! And definitely do light misty sprays. If you apply it too thickly you won’t get much coverage at all! Also could definitely be the wind as well.
xo,
s
Kathryn says
These look great! When you initially said that you were painting the stools, I didn’t think it would make that much of a difference. But the change is huge! And I love the color you picked – the first thing I noticed was how it tied in with the teal built-ins. Great job!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kathryn!
xo,
s
Kylie says
LOVE them! I have these chairs in red and I’m ready for an update. Do you think it would be possible to paint them?
http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/L1015319c.jpg
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes! I bet if you sand/degloss/prime/paint you’d be golden. Just keep it thin and even!
xo,
s
kelsy says
Thanks Sherry! i have been trying my hardest to get a light misty spray but the darn wind takes my spray away! i might give primer a go next time around. im always spraying something ;)
ps. love that chair color!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck Kelsy!
xo,
s
Ashley says
I am inspired! I am painting my stools red. . .
Keri says
I have to admit that I was on team yellow, but you have proven me wrong! I can’t stop staring at the blue built-ins and the stools. They’re shiny like candy and I love them so much! Yellow/ shmellow!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Keri!
xo,
s
Rhapsody says
Your chairs look nice, but they also look uncomfortable to sit on since there’s no padding. Are you planning on upholstering the seats?
YoungHouseLove says
Oddly enough they’re really comfortable! They’re made for school labs where kids sit on them for hours, and while I wouldn’t sit on them for an entire day, they work really well for a meal or some laptop time!
xo,
s
Brittany says
There is a small white chest peeking out in your pics, I can’t find it on your source list? Care to share!?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s from Joss & Main about three months ago. I mentioned it in the previous post to this one about the new rug. Better go update the source list! Thanks!
xo,
s
dawn says
Clara’s reference that stools looked pretty like princess probably relates to Cinderella’s blue dress. :). My daughter seems to use her dress for color reference as well.
dawn says
Btw we had those stools in art school! Fun to see them so vibrant. Now why didn’t we ever think of that?
Kelly says
Yay! These look so great!
I just used the exact same paint on an vintage metal typing table – I used your technique of the thin coats and it came out perfectly! It’s now serving as a side table for a hammock I have hung in my living room (you gotta keep your magazines and drink close when you’re relaxing, you know) and it makes me happy every time I see it from across the room – such a fun color!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! That sounds awesome Kelly!
xo,
s
Heather says
Adding my support for white slipcovers in the dining room! I could see you doing some really cool nailhead trim details to purty it up a bit, but of course, I’m not the person who would be doing nailhead details on all those chairs. :)
Jessica M says
WOW!!! LOVE the transformation and the color just pulls out every bright, beautiful color from your home at any angle. Great choice. Love the bright colors and the open, airy feel of your home.
jessica@fourgenerationsoneroof says
Everytime I come over here to leave a comment it blows my mind how many comments you guys get!!!! HOLY COW! These little chairs make me want to run out tomorrow and buy turq spray paint! They really look awesome in your kitchen. PS. I don’t know how long you guys have been on the BM site with your paint line but I was on their website the other day looking at the paint collections and saw yours…..I did a double take and said, “oh my word, I know them” well, you know what I mean, the blog kinda know people :) hehe. Congrats on the paint!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Jessica! We still pretty much have the same reaction – it’s so crazy!
xo,
s
Ern_Mtl says
Hey! Your blog is awesome and the work you do is great! I’m a big fan of both your DIY and entrepreneurial adventures. I’m a casual -once or twice a month- reader of your blog so I might have missed something, but I’m wondering if you’ve held some debates about the environmental impact of DIY and the choices we make.
I couldn’t help but notice that beautiful stools required the sacrifice of 6 cans of spray paint. Spray painting is huge in the DIY world, but maybe sometimes we overlook a good old careful paintbrush/roller technique. I’m sure you’ve thought of and discussed this- you think of everything!
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully here in Richmond they recycle spray cans, which is apparently a newer technique! It’s great to drop them off at the recycling center. We generally just consider what will last and hold up for the long haul, because we love using leftover VOC-free paint, but with the everyday wear our metal stools get it most likely would have cracked and peeled very soon after painting them since the recommended way to paint metal is to use primer and spray paint for that automotive-like effect (that can last for decades!). So I guess what I’m trying to say is that we think it’s sometimes the most eco choice to do things well (the right way) once and have them last for years and even decades instead of using something that won’t last as long and has to be redone over and over again.
xo,
s
Amanda says
Love them! I’m on the hunt for perfect, albeit shallow. stools for my island. Torn between apple green and vivid yellow. But your blue are lovely too! And as the mommy of a princess-crazy 5-year-old, I can tell tell you with confidence that they are Cinderella blue – the same color as her gown.
Julie M. says
Wow, they are super cute. It is so amazing what a few thoughtful coats of paint can do. Have any of the other 686 comments mentioned that sometimes…Cinderella wears a blue gown? Perhaps she was the inspiration for your little one’s remark. : )
Happy weekend!
Julie M.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes a few others said that and I think you guys are right!
xo,
s
Al Hunt says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOUR BLOG YOU GUYS! It’s my first time to comment. I’m Canadian living in Vietnam! Am I your first FAN in Vietnam? Just had to say…your stools look awesome. You guys get it right every time! Cheers! I live with my partner in a sweet (new) French style house built last year. French influence here is huge as the French colonized Vietnam for a hundred years. They didn’t always endear themselves politically, but they sure left some cool architecture! We’ve worked hard to make our home look cool…and it never ends. You know all about that! You guys inspire us! Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much! We’re sending a huge hi from sunny Virginia! Happy decorating!
xo,
s
Cheryl Balmas says
Absolutely.Perfect.Color.
Kate says
Love it! I especially like how it kinda matches the teal walls in the other room, without actually matching and looking too “square”!
Kerri says
I recently painted some metal stools myself, but didn’t sand them before priming them. I have had a few chips show up in certain spots, like where you rest your feet. I was thinking of doing a touch up layer of paint and then a coat of poly. Are you going to spray your’s with a coat of poly for protection, or is it not recommended on metal stools?
Love the way the bright blue looks by the way! I feel like my stainless steel paint job is lame-o now!
YoungHouseLove says
You can definitely add a layer of poly for extra protection. I was afraid of gumming mine up or making it so thick that it chipped (thinner coats seem less apt to crack or peel) so we skipped it since they felt like they were really grabbing the paint, but for a high traffic spot like the rung whee you put you feet that’s a great idea!
xo,
s
Kristin says
I’m late to this, but I love these chairs. It’s the second post I showed to my not-usually-interested-in-decorating husband. (The first was your finished living room. We drooled together over the couch.) Even HE, the color-phobe, approved!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw shucks, that’s sweet!
xo,
s
Dani says
I have the same stools (without the high backs) also from [probably the same] school supply website. They cost around $35 each and the brown/metal original color combo matches our current kitchen perfectly, but I always envisioned us taking them to our next abode and painting them to fit in. Spray painting them right off the bat was a GREAT idea and you know why? The brown veneer seats STAIN the second any crumb or morsel of food touches them. Mine have been stained since day one, esp since they are our kitchen table seats right now. It is impossible to wash off since it sort of “seeps” into the material. I’ll def be spray painting in the future. Thanks for the tips!!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad! Good luck!
xo,
s
Meggan says
I was watching this dumb show “Retired at 35” on Netflix last night. The “gang” is seen hanging out in a bar in a lot of scenes. The bar stools looked so familiar to me, but I couldn’t place why. Then I realized they look exactly like yours! Similar color and everything! (Although, the seats do still have that cork-look to them.)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Ryland says
So sorry if this has already been asked but how are the stools doing on the floors in terms of scratching? We’re getting hardwoods and I’m really trying not to obsess over scratches but I do want to get stools that won’t be a disaster. Do you have anything on the bottoms of them? Thanks!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully they’re great! We have little felt pads on the bottom of them, so that helps them slide in and out easily and the floors look mint under them!
xo,
s
Candace says
I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a similar paint color for regular latex paint? I am wanting to paint a piano in the same shade that you used for your stools, but hoping to make my own chalk paint, and I am having trouble finding the perfect paint color!
YoungHouseLove says
Since color reads differently in different light, I would bring home a bunch of swatches and just see what looks similar when you hold it up to your piano in your lighting conditions. Good luck!
xo,
s
Joan says
Hi John and Sherry,
Thanks for this informative post! I have an old metal filing cabinet that’s crying out to be spray painted in a fun color.
Is sand, degloss, prime and paint the best method to use for a slightly rusty metal cabinet? Or do you think I’ll need an extra step somewhere?
Thanks in advance for your help. Love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I think that’ll do it! Just take your time and do thin and even coats. Good luck!
xo,
s
Dee says
Sherry, My stools are here and they really look sturdy … have to figure out the paint color and am planning to rent a sprayer and be extra cautious and not do a botched paint job! Love em :) Thanks to you , I am able to embrace a bit of color other than brown furniture !
Dee says
err.. sherry and John..forgot to mention the deck dude… cant wait to so the reveal pictures !!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Dee!
xo,
s
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Good luck!
xo,
s
Nina says
I’ve been stalking your site for months…SOOOOOO love it. I am furious I missed the original post about these stools. This is just what I was looking for but had to settle on something much more mainstream (yuck) and more expensive (yuck, yuck). Shoot!! Well…you live and ya learn.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so sorry Nina! There’s always next time!
xo,
s
Patsy says
LOVE how the stools turned out. You didn’t use metal spray paint? I want to paint the top of a metal deck table. Would what you did work just fine for my project, or should I use paint used for metal objects? thanks,,,,,,,,,,
YoungHouseLove says
The spray paint we used is pretty for all surfaces, so it works great on metal.
-John
Audrey says
I know this is an old post and you sold the chairs…but do you remember if you could remove the wooden seat part? I love the look of these stools and was thinking they may look cute if the seat was upholstered (which you cant really do without removing the center part of the seat…although I suppose I could come up with a creative way to attach a bum cushion)….
YoungHouseLove says
We still have the chairs for our sunroom actually! It looked as though if we worked at it the seat might be removable but it was sort of like fiberboard so I do worry it could chip – might not pop right off with unscrewing or anything (they were sort of tacked on with what looked like nails).
xo
s
Kristen Faiola says
I was just wondering how the paint lasted? I have these chairs and I’m thinking about using some orb on them. Also, do you think the chairs would look okay completely orbed?
YoungHouseLove says
They still look great! I think ORB would be awesome!
xo
s
Rob J says
Hi – I found your blog because we purchased the exact same stools for my daughter’s apartment and wanted to paint them. Yours look awesome. It’s unlikely anything changed since Kristen asked on 12/22 but my only reservation was the long term durability. Still good? Thanks for the tutorial.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes they held up really well!
xo,
s
Rachel says
So I read back through all these comments to see if you had already answered this question but I don’t think I saw it anywhere. I am planning to spray paint a metal daybed frame this weekend and I saw further up where you said you might skip the sanding if it was something that wouldn’t be taking such a beating. What would you think about a daybed frame? Also is there a particular reason you did the paint and primer separately or if I used a paint and primer in one do you think that would work just as well? Thanks so much and I love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
We love Rustileum Universal (it has a built in primer) so I’d do that if you can find a color you like.
xo,
s
Sera says
Hello! I’ve been looking for these same stools on school supply sites, when I came across yours through a Google image search. I’m hesitant to buy online because the photos on those sites aren’t detailed enough – so thank you for posting these! Would you be able to tell us where you bought the stools? I want to make sure I get the same back-rest – yours look like they are adjustable/removable – and that’s what I’m looking for! I have a 1930’s-era kitchen with black and yellow tiles – I was going to buy black, but I may just decide to paint them a pop color now, Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
We got them from schooloutfitters.com. Here’s a post with more info for ya! https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/12/stool-boom/
xo
s
Hollie @ I'm Busy Procrastinating says
I have metal stools that were powder coated by the manufacturer. They are blue but a muddy blue (almost reminds me of a country blue, yuck) and I want a bright, happy blue, maybe royal or cobalt. I’m an over-analyzer and tend to hesitate on projects if I don’t know they’ll turn out perfectly. I’ve been afraid of the new paint getting scratched off by jeans rivets on the seat or shoes on the rungs. Maybe I’ll just give it a go. I was thinking about using a spray paint that is made for metal farm implements. Surely that would be sturdy!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that sounds perfect! Good luck Hollie!
xo
s
Kara says
My mom knows I follow your blog religiously so when my husband and I asked for teal bar stools for Christmas she came to find this post and bought me these stools with the matching paint and primer! Hilarious. Can’t wait to paint them this weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Good luck!
xo
s
Hilah says
Yay! We ordered the same stools and I’m in the process of painting them according to your directions. Can’t wait for them to be all done!
Thanks.
Sara Jane says
Hiya there, I’m thinking of purchasing these but can’t tell from the picture if I am able to unscrew the seat in case I would like to put a cushion on it.
Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve seen people do that on other blogs but aren’t sure how they’d come up and be reattached (they looked sort of “studded” into the seat if that makes sense – so they don’t have a screw head to undo).
xo
s
Cate says
Hi,
Love the paint job. We have the same stools, and I’ve often thought of painting them, but rowwied about chips and scrapes. How have they held up? Are you still happy with the paint job two years later?