Q. Hi Jordan!
I’m furnishing my own apartment for the first time, [and] I’ve had friends offer me stuff they’re not using anymore. I am (obviously) super appreciative of this, but now I’m at the point where…I’m concerned about the impending clash. The item that I just can’t come up with a solution for is a pair of Ikea barstools that will probably be used very regularly in my new home. Unfortunately, they don’t seem particularly comfy or pretty (two of my favorite adjectives for places to sit).
Do you have any tips to help me make these stools a little more homey and inviting?
I’d love any suggestions you have – you always seem to make things beautiful!
Thanks,
Kelsey
A. Such a fun project! Here’s what I’d do: ignore the comfort factor – they’re never going to be seats that you’ll want to lounge around on for hours – and make them colorful, whimsical accent pieces (click here for some design inspiration).
I loveworking with hand-me-down (or found) furniture, because there’s no pressure – you can go way over-the-top with design, and the worst thing that can happen is that you have to get rid of something that didn’t exactly break the bank in the first place. We don’t want to be trashing anything, though…so when it comes to the rehabbing, proceed as carefully as you would if you’d paid a fortune for the piece: when you’re working with gently-worn furniture, a slapdash approach is even more apparent.
So. Were these barstools in my hands, I’d paint the legs gold or a brighter silver (whichever fits better with your decor), and then use contact paper to add graphic patterns to the wood areas (like I did with this cabinet). If that’s not your aesthetic, maybe an all-white look? (Click here for a ton of painting tips, and remember that different types of paints work better on different finishes.)
Now, if you’d really like to make them more comfortable my suggestion would be to either DIY little pillows for the seats (be sure to add ties to affix them to the stools) or purchase flat, square pillows in mismatched fabrics and sew on the ties so they don’t move around (I like that better than the look of pre-fab bar stool cushions).
Congrats on your move!
J
