• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Categories
    • Furniture
    • All Natural
    • Decor
    • Biz & Blog-Sense
      • Recommended Resources & Tools for Blogging
      • Stock Shop
      • Tips for choosing the right web hosting for your site
      • Link Parties
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop My Style
  • Collaborate
  • Contact

Chalking Up Success! logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Categories
  • Shop
  • Collab
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Categories
    • Shop
    • Collab
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Furniture

    June 12, 2018

    Wooden Stool For The Bathroom | Affordable & Unique

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

     

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

     

    This wooden stool is the smallest piece of furniture I've painted so far. That said, it's also the piece that has caused me the most trouble! How can that be? I hear you ask, well, let me tell you all about it.

    I've been looking for a chair for our bathroom for a while now. The thing is though, I didn't want something too big because I don't like rooms to look too cluttered. When I came across this little wooden stool in our local builder's merchants I thought it might be the ideal solution. Something like this can be used for sitting or as a little side table – the perfect spot to stow your glass of wine when you're having a soak!

    The stool was untreated bare wood when I bought it. I knew if I wanted this to be used as a bathroom stool I'd have to apply some kind of finish to it. I already had in mind exactly what I wanted to do and I couldn't wait to get started on it.

    For your convenience, this website contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to yourself however, it helps towards the costs of running this blog. Thanks so much for your support of Chalking Up Success! Please read my full disclosure here.

    Wooden Stool | Transformation Stages

    Stage One | Sanding & Staining

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    The first thing I did was to give the seat a gentle sanding with 120-grade sandpaper just to smooth it a bit. Then I wiped the stool down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust.  I know you don't need to see a photo of that but I'm including it anyway so you can see my little helper!

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

     

    Then, using a brush, I painted two coats of wood stain in 'walnut' leaving time in between for the first coat to dry.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    I can't tell you how long to wait in between coats because it depends on which product you use. Make sure to follow the instructions supplied and you should be fine.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Stage Two - Painting the legs

    As soon as the wood stain was dry I painted the legs of the wooden stool with some chalk paint in white.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Originally I intended to leave the legs white and have the seat stained darker but when it was done, I wasn't happy with the look. It definitely wasn't how I imaged my bathroom stool should look. You know, that's the blessing of chalk paint, it can so easily be distressed or painted over to change the look. So then, I decided to use the chalk paint to 'dry brush' over the wood stain.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    It looked OK but it was still too dark for my liking.

    Stage Three | Painting it all

    Then I decided to just paint the whole thing white and see if that looked better - It didn't! I can tell you that by this time I was ready to give up, I was so fed up! Of all the things I've painted, how could something as small as this wooden stool, cause me so much trouble? I decided to leave it overnight and 'sleep on it'.

    The next day, I was determined that this wooden stool was going to be finished and had an idea of how to create the look I was after. I think I was afraid that if I left it, I'd never go back to it and it would sit in our cellar half done for goodness knows how long!

    Stage Four | More sanding

    Here's where my handy little sander comes in. I use it for small projects because I find it so easy to manoeuvre. It's also light-weight so your hand doesn't drop off when you're having to hold it in lots of different positions. First I sanded the seat to see how that would look. I loved the look I was getting. Even though I was taking off a layer of the white paint, there was still enough paint left in the grain to give that 'aged' effect.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    After I'd finished sanding the seat, I realised that I'd taken off a little too much paint in one area and it looked a bit bare. To cover this, I used a lint-free rag to rub a little bit of white wax over that area.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    White Wax | How to improvise

    By the way, did you know you can make your own white wax? All you need to do is add a little white paint to some clear wax – easy! I used that method for my coffee table makeover too because I didn't have any white wax at the time.

    Wooden Stool | Legs get a makeover

    I loved the look of the seat so much that I wanted to create the same effect on the legs. Remember though, I hadn't stained the legs at all so how was I going to achieve the same colour on the finish for those? Well, I had a little trick up my sleeve for that 😉

    Stage one | Sanding

    Firstly, I used the sander to gently sand the legs so that some of the original grain showed through the paint. Once I was happy with the look overall, I gave the whole piece a wipe down with a damp rag to remove the sanding dust.

    Stage two | Leg Wax!

    The next step was to brush on a layer of clear wax. It's important to use clear wax first even if you're going to use dark wax later. If you are not used to using wax, I really recommend you read my post 'Riviera Maison Inspired Coffee Table Makeover' which details how to use it. (Read the end of this post for details of a lovely free resource you may also love).

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Stage three | Dark Wax

    After wiping off the excess wax, it was time to correct the colour so it fitted better with the colour of the seat. This is where the dark wax comes in. I don't always use dark wax for ageing my furniture but I think it was the perfect solution for this little wooden stool. I mostly use chalk paint wax brushes to apply wax. I keep separate brushes for using dark or clear wax so that the colours remain pure.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Using my 'dark wax' brush, I dipped it very lightly straight into the tin of wax. Then I gently flicked the brush over the stool so that I wasn't adding too much and could gradually build up the colour until I was satisfied with the look.

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    If you do this and you think you've added too much dark wax in places (which happened to me), you can easily take some off again. To do this, just take up some clear wax on a lint-free cloth and rub over the area in question. That's also why I said it's important to use a layer of clear wax first. If you don't the dark wax will stain the wood making it hard to remove. Like I said though, read the post 'Riviera Maison style coffee table makeover' for a better description of how to use wax.

    Stage four | Leave to 'set'

    I left the wooden stool overnight as it was and the next day I brushed on another layer of clear wax. This was going to be a bathroom stool remember and although it doesn't have to be waterproof, I definitely wanted it to be water resistant. After brushing on the clear wax, I wiped away any excess with a rag and left the stool overnight again so that the wax could harden a little.

    Stage five | Buff

    In the morning, I used a clean rag to buff up the wax until it had a lovely lustre - finished!

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Well, what do you think? Do you like my little wooden stool? I'm seeing these all over Pinterest these days but my, they're so expensive. Now you may be thinking, “Yes, but what about all the products you used?”. The thing is, I didn't buy anything new for this project. I used products that I already had left over from other projects. When you think that just one tin of wax can be used on so many furniture pieces, that spreads the cost and also means you use up every last drop!

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Find the recipe for Lavender bath bombs under 'All Natural' in the menu

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    Free E-Book for Newsletter subscribers

    I know some of you may be nervous about starting a project like this for your home and I can understand that. That's why I have a lovely free resource for you which walks you through how to transform your home with second-hand furniture. All you need to do is sign up for the Chalking Up Success weekly newsletter and you'll receive a free e-book directly to your inbox. That's not all though, over the course of a few days, you'll receive even more helpful tutorials like 'How to find your Style' and 'ways to create the weathered look for furniture'.

    If you'd like to know more about the free e-book, just click the image below which will take you to the information page and sign-up form. Alternatively, you can just use the newsletter sign-up form at the bottom of this page to get started straight away. I hope you like it and that it brings you a step closer to creating a haven for your heart!

    Here's to a gorgeous home for all of us - happy painting!

    Subscribe to the Chalking Up Success Newsletter and you'll receive our free e-book as a gesture of our thanks. It's full of tutorials & tips for transforming your home with second-hand furniture. Sign-up today and start creating a unique to you home, brimming with personality!

    How To Transform Furniture With Chalk Paint

    French Style Chair Makeover Series

    Easy bookcase makeover using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

    Riviera Maison Inspired Coffee Table Makeover

    How to make soothing Bath Bombs | Photo Tutorial

     

    More Furniture

    • 14 of the best decorative rain barrels for your garden
      Decorative Rain Barrels: 14 ways to harvest water with style
    • A person waxing a table top with dark wax as part of a driftwood finish.
      How to create a faux driftwood finish with paint & wax
    • A person painting brown furniture white
      How to Paint Brown Furniture White
    • A walk-in closet upgraded with double barn doors
      Barn Doors Closet Upgrade: Guide to Installation and Hardware

    Sharing is caring!

    • Share
    • Tweet

    Click the image to sign up to our Newsletter!

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    1. Carolyn | The Organic Gypsy says

      June 21, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      looks stunning. Great pics and instructions. Makes me want to pull out those forgotten DIY's asap. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 22, 2018 at 10:21 pm

        Thanks Carolyn, it's amazing how easy these are to make too - finished in minutes!

        Reply
    2. Allison says

      June 21, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      Your stool turned out great! Well worth the time it took- it’s perfect!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 22, 2018 at 10:07 pm

        I'm glad you like it Allison, it's perfect for me that's for sure!

        Reply
    3. Candice says

      June 21, 2018 at 11:32 pm

      I love the finish you put on the stool! More of a country farm house feel. Love it!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 22, 2018 at 10:05 pm

        thanks Candice, the country farmhouse feel is exactly the look I was trying to achieve!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy
    Jayne Westerholt profile image.

    Welcome friend! I'm Jayne, a home, DIY, Lifestyle blogger with a passion for chalk painting furniture, beautiful home decor and creating an organic home.

    More about me →


    The 'Furniture Flip Checklist' is a free mini e-Book in PDF form - 10 things you need to know before buying used furniture for your home - Room planning guide included #freeebook #chalkpainting #furnitureflip #recycle #homedecor #furniturepainting
    FREE with our Newsletter!

    Recent Posts

    • A bowl filled with pinecones and citrus slices with a candle in the middle.
      Cozy Christmas Decor Ideas for the Kitchen
    • A cardboard gingerbread Christmas village standing on a windowsill with sparkling lights behind.
      How to make a Cardboard Christmas Village
    • Essential fall home decor essentials including pillows and throws, wall wall art, fall wreaths and candles
      Fall home decor essentials
    • A bouquet of Fall flowers in a white jug
      Simple Fall room decorating ideas

    Image says 'Shop my style'. This button takes you to a dedicated page with my shopping links.

    CLICK THE IMAGE TO VISIT OUR SHOP


    Sign up for our free course

    Declutter Success - Free five day email course from Chalking up success. Includes worksheets and room planners.

    Click to sign-up


    Sign up to our newsletter

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

    Click to Subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Footer

    Have you seen those lovely bathroom stools popping up all over Pinterest? Now you don't need to wait until you find one you like. Save money and create something unique that fits your style by transforming an untreated wooden stool with stain, paint & wax. Click for the tutorial or Pin for later – Here's to a beautiful home for us all! :) #stool #bathroom #bathroomstool #driftwoodfinish #distressedwooddiy

    ↑ back to top

    About Us

    • Privacy Notice
    • Disclosure
    • Terms & Conditions
    • About
    • Imprint

    Resources

    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Stock Photography Shop
    • Blogging Resources
    • Furniture Flip e-Book
    • Shop My Style
    • Subscriber Library

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaborate
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2023 ChalkingUpSuccess