A Vintage Stool Makeover

This year, I’m determined to wrap up some of the projects sitting in my garage.  Have you got a stash of things like I do?  I can’t bear to get rid of most of them but they’re not fit for the house in their current state.  This week I completed a vintage stool makeover and it’s taken up residence in my kitchen, providing a bright and cheery extra seat.

My old neighbor {she moved away last summer} was an awesome dumpster diving partner in crime.  She’d call me frequently to let me know that she’d seen a treasure in someone’s trash pile and I’d hop in my car to retrieve it or walk down the block to carry it home.  Kelli found this treasured old stool and just deposited it on my doorstep then called to let us know it was there.  And it was love at first sight!

This old stool instantly reminded me of one we had growing up.  I love the retractable steps, I love the paint splatters, and I even loved the old ripped up seat.

My husband, however, might overlook the paint splatters but I knew he wouldn’t appreciate the torn faux leather so the stool had to get a little makeover.

I scrubbed the chair down then added new foam to the seat cushion and covered the seat and the back pad with a bright, patterned laminated cotton.  {This laminated cotton was storebought but if you’d like to laminate your own cotton, I have a simple tutorial for you.}  I considered using oilcloth but knew it wouldn’t fit as smoothly over the edges as I’d like.  Since laminated cotton still has a bit of a drape, it was perfect.

The bright colors look great in my kitchen and this vintage stool will provide a quaint extra seat or a helpful step up as needed.