Cheap to Chic Bar Stools

Before

After

How to Upgrade Cheap Bar Stools

The light wood color of these cheap bar stools from Walmart weren't exactly the style I wanted for my kitchen island, so I painted and stained them to change their look into more of a rustic farmhouse feel. Here's how I achieved the look.

Sanded top, and sanding sponge used for legs and rungs. 

Sand

Sand the seats using an orbital sander, sanding down to the raw wood. The better these are sanded, the better your stain will take to the stools. Next, sand the legs and rungs with a sanding sponge. The sanding sponge can also be used to hit any spots you may have missed when sanding the top. 

Vanilla Frosting Country Chic Paint

Paint

After sanding, you're ready to paint the legs and rungs. I used Country Chic Paint in Vanilla Frosting. I love the antique-like color of Vanilla Frosting. And, because it's a chalk paint, it's specifically made to use on furniture DIYs.  

Paint legs and rungs with two coats. 

Pre-stain tops with wood conditioner.

Condition

Pre-stain the tops of the stools using a wood conditioner. I brushed on one coat of Minwax Pre-Stain to each stool with a foam paint brush, letting dry for at least 15 minutes before staining. 

Stain tops with wood finish stain.

Stain

Use several coats of stain, letting dry between each, to stain the tops. I used an old t-shirt to stain with Minwax Wood Finish in Jacobean color. 

Enjoy!

I love how easy this DIY was, and how these bar stools turned out! Their look fits into our farmhouse style kitchen way better than how they were purchased as is.