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    Home » Furniture Makeover » Bar Stool Makeover Easy Thrift Store Project

    Bar Stool Makeover Easy Thrift Store Project

    Published by Gail | Published October 13, 2021 | Updated December 9, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    A thrift store bar stool makeover project you can do in an afternoon. Specific steps to follow for the very best outcome quickly. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #thriftstore #barstool #makeover #diy #easy via @repurposedlife

    For this month's Thrift Store Decor Team project, I'm doing a bar stool makeover--well actually a set of 'em.

    I got a great deal on these bar stools at my local White Elephant Vendors Market. I have a booth there, and it makes it easy to pick up bargains when I check on things.

    thrift store decor team

    This is our Thrift Store Day, be sure to check out all the projects below.

    Clean Your Bar Stools

    When I say clean your bar stools, I really mean clean and degloss them. Any thrift store furniture is of unknown origin, meaning you don't know its history. That was definitely the case with this bar stool makeover.

    chippy bar stool makeover

    Of course there is some chipping paint where people have rested their feet, but that's not all.

    This is a paintbrush I used to apply the deglosser. You can see the left side full of grease and grime. I've used the Heirloom Traditions deglosser on the right side, applying it with the brush, then scrubbing it with the yellow pad. Just know, you can NOT paint over this kind of grime.

    Don't forget to clean and paint the underside of your furniture pieces, especially if it's a flip project and you're rehoming it. It's the little things like this that will set you apart from your competitors.

    Easy Grain Sack Blue Bar Stool

    How to Clean Old Furniture

    A deglosser saves you time and effort. No need to clean AND sand. This takes care of everything and makes your bar stool or any other thrift store furniture "ready to paint".

    Materials needed for cleaning old furniture

    • Deglosser
    • Chip Brush (for applying)
    • Scrubbing Pad
    • Soft Rag

    Can you see the deglosser working? Simply give it about 30 seconds, scrub with pad, then wipe with a rag.

    Paint Bar Stool With Random Base Coat

    Leaving the original colors, black paint was randomly painted all over the bar stool.

    Use Wax Candle for Paint Resist Technique

    I grabbed an old candle to use for a paint resist technique. This isn't difficult at all, just rub the wax wherever you would like the black paint to show through.

    I was a little heavier with the wax in some places.

    Bar Stool Makeover with Paint

    Irish Garden All in One Paint

    This Irish Garden Paint from All in One Paint is sort of a bluish green, perfect for a topcoat.

    Tools for Painting

    Painting With True Applicator Sponge

    To load the true applicator sponge from the sample jar is simple. You can see I just put the sponge on the jar and tip it to load the paint. I do wear gloves when using the sponge for painting. This just makes cleanup that much easier.

    Instead of "rubbing" the paint, I sort of pat or "stipple" it on. No brush strokes and a really nice finish, with great coverage. I did one coat, with just a little extra coverage where needed.

    Tools For The Perfect Paint Finish

    • Sponge Applicator
    • Paint

    Yes, that's all you need to get the perfect finish. No paint brush needed!

    You could stop here, but why would you if you added that black paint?

    Did you know? You can make a Side Table Out of a Stool?

    I allowed the paint to dry only about an hour, then worked on removing some of the topcoat. A little of this was done with a damp rag, while other parts were actually sanded a little. THIS paint really adheres well. Do NOT wait overnight to do this step.

    The stools show some of the white paint, original wood, and the black paint.

    Bar Stool Makeover

    bar stool makeover

    I really, really love how the bar stool makeover turned out.

    Tip:

    You may want to dilute your topcoat color and do a very light coat over the entire bar stool in order for it to have a lesser distressed look.

    What do you think? Of course I won't be keeping these stools, I will be taking them right back to the White Elephant where I bought them. If they don't sell, perhaps I'll bring them home to give that light coat of paint. Or, maybe I'll use a polka dot transfer for the seat of the bar stools. If I do that, I'll update this post.

    bar stool makeover

    An additional little tidbit about how well this paint cures. After I took this photograph, on the day I painted the stools--I stacked them in my garage, one on top of the other. With most paints (that aren't waxed) your furniture will stick to other things. These two bar stools, were fully cured. It's the same paint I used on my Camper Cabinets and my Kitchen Countertops. You can find HTP on Facebook.

    Be sure to check out all the fabulous projects from my friends on the Thrift Store Decor Team!

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    Bar Stool Makeover My Repurposed Life

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    1. Cindy Rust

      October 13, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      I love that you point out the importance of cleaning pieces before painting! It grosses me out to think people paint over top of all that grime they didn't want to clean off! Agh!! Great makeover! Pinning!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 18, 2021 at 9:59 am

        Cindy,

        Not cleaning, and not painting the underneath side always bothers me.

        gail

    2. Maryann

      October 13, 2021 at 2:02 pm

      So many great painting tips & that blue color is just gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 18, 2021 at 10:00 am

        Maryann,

        Sometimes the color looks blue, and other times it looks green. It's a beautiful hue either way!

        gail

    3. Kristin salazar

      October 13, 2021 at 11:40 am

      These stools look great with their new beautiful color. I forgot about the random paint/wax application. I think this is the first time seeing your car with your logo, I love it!!!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 18, 2021 at 10:01 am

        Kristin,

        Funny the first time you seeing my logo on the truck. I just paid it off last month!!! what a great feeling that is. Silly me, just thought it was a good way to get my branding in the picture. hahaha

        gail

    4. Sue at Blu

      October 13, 2021 at 8:41 am

      Gail I love a clean distressing without sanding where dust is everywhere! What a great alternative! I think polka dots would be great!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 18, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Sue,
        I have put the stools in the booth. We don't have much of a customer base for shabby or farmhouse. Not sure how polka-dots would go over. But I will do something if nobody snags them up.

        gail

    5. Carlene Blair

      October 13, 2021 at 8:02 am

      I like the random black paint idea and paint sponge applicator too! The stools are perfect!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 18, 2021 at 10:04 am

        Carlene,

        That sponge is a game changer for me. No brush strokes. The finish is a lot like I get with my Finish Max sprayer.

        gail

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