How to Update a Plain Stool with Farmhouse Style

How to update a stool with fun farmhouse style using chalk paint and stencils

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This little stool has been in our family for many years and holds a tender place in my heart. Our kids used to stand on it to brush their teeth when they were tiny...those were the old days; now that they're taller than me, they don't require a stool any more!

Guess who uses it now...me, mostly in the kitchen to reach those items on the top shelves (when my boys aren't handy to help!)

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the stool, except that I'd gotten tired of the faded pink and I wanted to give it a little more farmhouse charm.

I was recently introduced to a new player to the chalk paint game. An all-natural chalky paint.

L'Essentiel Botanics Furniture Paint is a vegan, all-natural chalk paint that is brand new to the US. It's made in small batches in Australia, but can be purchased at Serendipity House online. The paint is full of clays, chalk, minerals and pigments for a silky smooth finish that doesn't require waxing, although of course you can wax if you choose to.

I really enjoyed using this paint. I love that it's good for the environment and non-toxic to me! The packaging is beautiful and the containers are biodegradable. The paint is highly pigmented, which means a little goes a long way. It provided great coverage, but maybe my favorite aspect is that there is no odor!

I used farmhouse-friendly shades of gray and creamy white for this stool makeover.

The paint took a little bit longer to dry than other chalk paint brands I've tried, but once dry, it distressed incredibly easy. In fact, it hardly took any effort and I had to be careful not to press too hard with my sanding sponge so I didn't remove too much paint.

I applied a graphic (found at The Graphics Fairy) using a super-easy method...black Sharpie! If you want to read the full tutorial for how to paint a graphic using a Sharpie, just head here.

Here's a peek at the process.

The L'Essentiel Botanics Glaze was easy to apply with a damp rag. It can also be used as a stain/bleed-through blocker for those pesky reddish tannin stains that tend to show up when we're least expecting them.

The farmhouse stool update is just right for a farmhouse kitchen!