Hey there! This week I want to share with you how I updated a plain metal stool into this Chíc Piece for your home. I got this sad looking stool at a garage sale for just $2. A moment to say, Thank You to the lovely ladies selling this gem!
Alright, lets get into the remodel. First, I started off by taking off 
the top. When I flipped over the stool there where just 4 screws holding the seat portion to the metal bottom. The screws were in great condition so I saved them for later. This stool had two of the leg tips missing. I took those off and tossed them into the garbage. Next, I completely de-assembled the metal frame, this is optional. You could keep it assembled and continue, but I wanted to verify I covered every inch when I spray painted it. De-assembling it was very easy. Each leg had a screw near the bottom, to unscrew and after taking those out, the frame simply came apart. There was nothing else attaching them together.
After that, it was time to prep and paint the frame. Because the frame is metal I had to ensure the paint would adhere properly. So, I sanded each piece thoroughly, and spray painted each one with a self etching primer. Let me tell you, it is vital to prep with the primer. Imagine taking the time to tediously sand each and every single piece thoroughly, purchasing your paint and going through all the steps to finish your product. You take it into your home and as you are bringing it in, the door barely bumps it. You look down and the paint is scratched. You realize that the paint is fragile and the only thing to do is to re-move all the paint and start again. Aughhhhhhhh, so fustrating! Yes, this exact thing has happened to me, so PLEASE use the self etching primer. Once I had let the primer properly dry, I spray painted the frame with a dark bronze metallic spray paint. I put two coats on the frame, ensuring the first coat dried efficiently before applying the second.
Now on to fixing the top of the stool. The top was made of a sort of cork/particle board material. It had water damage and mold. It was also covered by a piece of plastic or laminate, that did not cover the board completely. It had looked as if the laminate had shrunk. Needless to say, the top was beyond repair. A trip to Menards (one of my fav stores) was necessary! There I found this wooden circle. Perfect fit for my stool. A quick sanding and cleaning with a microfiber cloth and it was ready for stain. And what stain may you ask!?!? Why one of my favorite stains, Red Mahogany. Definitely one of my go to stains. After staining all areas of the wooden circle and allowing it to dry properly, I put a couple of coats of poly-urethane on. I wanted it to have a nice gloss and to have maximum durability.
Once the frame and the new top had dried efficiently I reassembled the whole thing. The frame simply needed to fit back together in the proper position and to re-screw in the 4 screws on the legs. For the top I did a dry fit to find exactly where I wanted my top to attach to the frame and to figure out which side of the wood I wanted to be facing upright. Then I attached it to the frame using the old screws. Last but not least, while I was at Menards I picked up a pack of black leg tips. I finished off the piece by putting these on. They just made the piece look polished and professional. I love the way this piece came out. And the $16 price tag is fantastic! Let me give you a run down of the prices.
- Stool $2
- Wooden Circle $3
- Self Etching Primer $4.50
- Metallic Spray Paint $5
- Black Leg Tips $1.50
I already had stain, poly-urethane and sand paper in my arsenal of supplies.
Here are some ways this Chíc Industrial stool can be used in your home.
Hope this inspires to keep a look out for a plain old stool!
And if you want to see how I made that Super Chíc Faux Fur Chair you can go to my gallery or click here!
With Love,
Melissa
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P.S.S. Don’t forget to pin this for later!
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