I have these little stools that I purchased for my boys when they were just little guys. We used them for seats when they did homeschool at this little table. They are definitely sentimental to me when I think back on all the memories of homeschooling the boys. But not only are they adorable little stools, they are super sturdy and easy to move around with a cute little handle on the seat. I keep one in the kitchen for items above the refrigerator which also makes it handy for use in the laundry room for the cabinets above the washer and dryer as well as the top shelf of the pantry. I keep another one in the bedroom closet for items on the top shelf which is mostly storage or one of the two bedrooms in the back.
They are about 15 years old and have seen a lot of use. They were starting to get pretty shabby looking and they had a medium oak stain on them which didn't match anything in the new house. I still kept them nearby, but tried to keep them out of sight which isn't easy to do with an open concept. I didn't want to store them in a closet because that just made them hard to access, so I usually just tried to hide them under the island. It was less than ideal because you would always kick them or push a chair into them and I knew I needed to just refinish them and let them shine wherever they ended up. That is what I love to do afterall!!
So here they are getting ready for their makeover.
As you can see they have gotten pretty worn through the years. Obviously, one had a little more use then the other from the looks of it.
The seats of the little stools were splattered with paint and scuffed badly with the stain almost completely gone on the one.
I started by sanding them down with an orbital sander and finishing the parts I couldn't reach with just a sheet of sandpaper. I didn't worry about getting everything off, but did strip it down pretty good. I wiped them down and let them dry for a bit. Here they are ready for the stain.
With a sponge brush, I applied the White Wash stain I had purchased from Home Depot for my dining room table remodel. I used very little in that project as I just barely applied it over the original stain on the chairs. This product already has varnish in the stain, so I planned on just one or two coats and calling it good. I wasn't sure if that would work as I have very little experience with the product, but I was pleased with the result and thought it was pretty close to what I had imagined.
Here it is in it's forever home right next to the fridge. It is very easy to get to when you need it and it is out of the way if you don't. I really like how it turned out. The other is in the master bedroom closet, so it won't be seen as much but it looks just as good with it's new look. When I asked the hubby what he thought of it, he said he didn't even see it sitting there. I'll assume that means it blends in well, but it could just be poor eyesight. I'm kidding!
I did get a before and after so you could see the difference a little loving made on these sentimental favorites of mine.
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