The soft spot we have for stencil projects has certainly grown since our office undertaking, but this one by Amy at The Casablanca Transformation would probably win over even the most skeptical stencil fans. And it actually sounds doable in well under fourteen hours! Score. Here’s her letter:
No matter how many decorating projects I do in my lifetime this one will surely go down in history as one of my all time best! I am so happy I had the idea and even happier that I dared to try! Here is the plain white leather bar stool before:
And the after!
I used a stencil from cuttingedgestencils.com and the paint is from turtlefeathers.net and is called Angelus Paint. It is made especially for painting leather (it has a bit of give to it and won’t crack). Since the chairs came unassembled I decided to leave them that way to make it a little easier to stencil. I was amazed at how easy the process was – total time was only about 4 hours.
I loved that I could pick out the exact style and colors I wanted for these chairs – a custom chair at a very cheap price! I bought the chairs 2 for $152 from overstock then add in the $80 in materials and my total cost is $384 for four bar stools ($96 each)! To have these stools custom upholstered in a fabric of my choice would have cost a lot more than that and they would have been ruined so quickly. I am hoping this painted leather alternative means they will stand the test of time and three boys! – Amy
Awesometown, right? You can check out more details over on Amy’s blog. Is anyone else’s head filling with ideas of what else they could stencil? And look at that pretty kitchen in the background. Me-ow.
Update: We just learned that there are some follow up posts about a few pitfalls with these chairs (specifically she wasn’t happy with the quality of the chairs themselves or the acrylic finisher that she used), so more details can be found here and here. Although Amy did drop in to say the actual stenciling process really works and some other chairs that have been stenciled (of better quality) are holding up great (without any acrylic finisher). Hope it helps!
What a flippin great idea! Well done :)
Those look amazing! Off to check out her blog. :)
nice range hood too ;-)
The yellow detail was genius. Amazing and inspiring indeed!
Wow, they are beautiful and so unique!
This looks amazing! Grey + Yellow is one of my favorite color combos right now. So elegant and fun all at the same time! Nice work!
Love Reader Redesigns! This is a great project.
Just wanted to let you know that you mention early in the post that the project took 14 hours, but the reader said it took 4.
Love this blog! :)
Oh no, I said it DIDN’T take 14 hours (because that’s how long our stencil process took). Haha. So yes, four is much better!
xo,
s
My bad! Sometimes I read too quickly – I got it now! :)
So glad!
xo,
s
Amazing! I absolutely am in love with these!
Love this! I’m thinking of stenciling some lamp shades in our living room. Well, first I thought of spray painting, but I’m afraid it would block too much light. Stenciling a small design might be better.
Oh.My! My wheels are turning already and I’m trying to figure out where I could put chairs like that. Love it!
Great stalls! Even better ending from John. Me-ow! Tapping into your feminin side!? ;)
Haha, that man loves him a good-lookin’ kitchen.
xo,
s
Great idea! And I have to say, I laughed out loud when I read the ‘Me-ow’ line. I literally scrolled up to double check that it was John writing since that sounded like something Sherry would write!
I now own a stencil. And I have a wall. And now I have the courage. So pretty :)
Wow! LOVE it!
Those are GREAT! Love it!
If you read her blog, she doesn’t recommend the chairs she used. The ones from Overstock had issues so she’s now trying this out with some from Target. Just FYI in case anyone wants to try this themselves.
Thanks for the tip Heather S! Just added an update about that.
xo,
s
I was aghast – why would anyone ruin those perfectly beautiful stools?!
Then I scrolled down.
My jaw is still on the floor! Beautiful!!
Those are so pretty! And when I saw the final photo my first thought was… That wooden hood cover makes me so excited to see yours when it is all finished!
I think I read your blog too much. :)
The chairs are beautiful! I didn’t even know you could paint leather… such a great idea. I love reader redesign.
These look incredible! Such an inspiring DIY project! I’ve been thinking more and more about adding stencil projects to our home. Now I am definitely going to!
this is very inspiring!
did john seriously just end his post with ‘me-ow?!” haha.
Haha, the man’s letting it all hang out today.
xo,
s
Sorry for being a spoil sport. Really loved the idea but……I was reading through the Casablanca project blog. In a later post, http://casablancatransformation.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-bad-and-ugly.html
she mentioned that the chairs or the paint are not holding up well. I think you should have put in a disclaimer of some sort.
I re-read the post again. It is the acrylic finisher that is chipping off not the paint. My bad…
So sorry, we just got this submission and shared it! Didn’t know about that! Will add an update to the bottom right now!
xo,
s
Very cool & Impressive.
Awesome! Btw… This is definitely do-able on regular fabric too. I haven’t used a stencil for it before, but I have taped out a striped design and spray painted it. After taping, I sprayed with some of Rustoleum’s Crystal Clear Enamel, to give me clean lines and keep things from bleeding. Turned out awesome and hasn’t given me any problems with coming off or cracking or anything.
I bet your wheels are spinning with your dining room chair covers! I know that color of brown you’ve got going on right now can’t be doing it for ya!
Wow- so much fun!
xo,
s
Just an FYI to everyone who read this post and is running out to buy stools and paint:
Look at ALL of the author’s blog post entries on painting stools. She ended up having to send those particular stools back, was unhappy with the finisher she used, and had some trouble with later similar projects that she tried. Just be sure to read everything so you can get ALL of her advice! :)
Great tip! We just got this submission so we don’t have a way to link to all of that but I’ll post an update at the bottom for everyone!
xo,
s
What a fun surprise to visit your blog today and see my barstools! Thanks for the feature and kind comments – especially the Me-ow! By the way at the top of the post you called my blog “The Casablanca Project” and I am kicking myself that I didn’t think of that title – I like it a lot better than the one I thought up!
Aw man, sorry about that. Haha. All fixed!
xo,
s
Those are awesome!
Just so people thinking about this project know, she posts two follow ups regarding how poorly the chairs held up and their eventual return to Overstock:
http://casablancatransformation.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-bad-and-ugly.html
http://casablancatransformation.blogspot.com/2011/11/barstool-saga-continues.html
Thanks so much for those links! We just learned about that and have added an update to the bottom of the post with those links for folks to check out!
xo,
s
These are absolutely amazingly awesome!! Oh, earlier I saw these stools and thought immediately of the ones you guys got, http://makr.com/#product=swivel-studio-work-stool-pale-gray, but that price tag! wowzers!!
Ooh I love those!
xo,
s
Oh my gosh those chairs look amazing! And she is right, I am so glad that she was daring enough to try it!
Awesome! Those look so great!
I just gasped out loud. So beautiful.
I LOVE the idea but probably would have chosen a pattern that had a horizontal element to incorporate those seams. Still, a great redo!!
We are just getting ready to stencil a wall thanks to you guys. Can’t wait to get it done and crossed off the list.
These look beautiful! I’m so sad to hear they aren’t lasting. Darn Overstock. :(
We are currently house-sitting so my desire to go crazy with decor and get my DIY on has been muted. Keep these posts coming! Great inspiration for the day we get our own home!
Although it is true the barstool itself didn’t hold up well, please be assured the paint did hold up great!!! I still recommend this project. My brother and Sister’s chairs have been just fine. So just make sure you have a good quality chair before you go to the work of stenciling it, and I wouldn’t worry about using the acrylic finisher at all. My brother’s chairs have no acrylic finish on them and the paint is holding up just fine on its own. Thanks for all the kind comments!
Amy at Casablanca
So good to know Amy! Thanks!!
xo,
s
It’s a bummer Amy has some problems with the chairs & the paint but the idea is awesome! I have an extra cloth slip cover and it could be a lot of fun to try this.
Love it! I love cutting edge stencils, I have bought three from them!!
totally GORGEOUS! Definitely one of my absolute favorite bar stool makeovers ever! :)
Never mind the chairs (.. although they are DIVINE) I want to get a better look at that fierce kitchen!
Love this. Trying to think of what we can stencil around here. =)
WOW! These are aaaaaaamazing. Takes cajones to paint on a pretty white chair like that!
oh. my. goodness! These are incredible! The makeover looks like a million bucks! Save!
Beautiful job!
What?! Shut the front door. Those are AWE-SOME!
What a great update! Such a simple idea with lots of wow factor in the result. Love the colors, too.
wow. yes – great work! I was seriously looking at the first photo wondering if it was the before or after (because seriously, the white stools were great as is), but the stenciling is just phenomenal! Love it!
Those look SO AMAZING! What a great idea. I think stenciling wood chairs would look fabulous too. Anyone try this already?
Love that idea! Anyone have pics for Laura?
xo,
s
Wow! I love these, and the pattern she chose as well! Clicking over to her blog now, I am in love with her kitchen!! ;)