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Well-used bar stools were freshened up with varnish and paint.
The project
We had been on the hunt for new bar stools for a while and decided to look on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace for unwanted ones we could refurbish. We found four bar stools from a restaurant that was turning into an ice cream shop and got them at $10 each. It was a pretty simple facelift for these stools.
We took off the wooden seats, lightly sanded the metal base and then sprayed the base with Dy-Mark White High Gloss MetalPro Quick Dry.
Then we sanded the seats using an Ozito detail sander with a course and then fine sandpaper.
Original versus sanded seats.
Finished off the project by applying Bondall Satin Monocel Clear Timber Varnish to the seats. We decided to keep the light colour of the timber as is and give it a hint of shine.
Don't use old clear gloss for this kind of project. We thought we would finish up an old tin of clear gloss for the seats. Bad idea. It left white dots on the seats and it was sticky to the touch after drying. We ended up having to re-sand the seats – luckily we only applied the gloss to two seats.
We refurbished the stools in the morning and by evening they were ready to be used. We waited until the next morning to sit on them and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Before and after
More project inspiration
For more great ideas for your home, check out our Top 10 most popular indoor furniture projects.
