Wednesday 29 September 2010

Old stool, new bathroom!

If something is offered to Steve for free, he'll be there so quick, he'll nearly have your hand off! He also likes rummaging in skips and is always on the look-out for other peoples' cast-offs. Sometimes, he'll come home with a real find, other times, he'll turn up with something and he can just tell by my face that it's not even getting through the front door!

The stool above fell into the latter category: I don't think I ever even asked where it came from. I just thought it was vile (apologies to anyone reading who possesses one the same!)
'I thought you could paint it and re-cover it', he said (he's not one to give in easily!)
And eventually I did: we needed a step stool for Herbie to reach the sink - so I rose to the challenge!
First I removed the hideous olive-coloured velvet and the piece of thick foam underneath...
then painted the frame using our bathroom floor paint...

then using a remnant of cheerful oilcloth...

...pulled it taut and fixed it underneath using a staplegun...

Ta-da! What do you think? Definite improvement, I reckon!
I never showed you our bathroom before - I wish I had some 'before' photos, then you could see how bad it was! The walls were yellow, floor and huge cupboards with louvre doors stained black!!! And tiles that had been painted white, so that the horrid pattern underneath showed through!
Now it's much brighter!! See the light pull above?

It's a little pebble with natural hole we found on a holiday in Wales!

No frilly toilet-roll holders in our house!

And the wall-mounted taps stop any arguments about who has the tap-end!

The shower-pull!
Bathroom cabinet, made by Steve himself and decorated with one of my lavender fish!

And here is the stool in situ! Note it is already functioning as a table for his lordship's chosen reading material!!
Hope you're all having a good week!

21 comments:

  1. Justgoes to show you can transform the most grotty finds into treasures! The bathroom looks amazing, very restful and just right for a soak with a good book and a glass of wine.

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  2. Love it! I thought the stool in its original states was alright, then I saw your transformation and now I love it! Your bathroom is stunning... thank you for sharing. Can we have more peeks of your lovely home soon? Lou x

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  3. Oh I really Love that stool now you've done it up, so good!!
    I saw a pair of chairs the other day in the same colour wood and that had that same olive colour but in leather on the seat pads, I was tempted to get them, but the work involved was too much effort for my liking, they were all tacked around the sides rather than underneath... I gave it a miss... lol i'm too lazy ;)

    Micki x

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  4. It's gorgeous. We have a matching light pull except our pebble is from Brighton many many years ago...
    See you soon, Ax

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  5. That is a transformation - if you had shown an after picture of the stool and then a before one I would never of guessed they were one of the same.

    Nina xxx

    ps. love your bathroom by the way.

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  6. wonderful job there! what a transformation! love the stone light pull ;0) and fish x

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  7. Now Kirsty, that was a pun-filled blog title if ever I read one !!! Ha Ha!
    Hey, your new foot stool / step looks fabulous with a bit of paint and very nice oilcloth - just goes to prove all things are possible with a bit of imagination, eh?
    The bathroom looks lovely - the whiteness pleases me greatly :-)
    Wishing you a happy day in this soggy land of ours,
    Denise x

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  8. Oh dear, trust me!! It comes from spending too much time with Mr Bun and his school boy sense of humour, that's for sure!
    Thank you for your lovely comment - hey, can you send some sunrays up to the West Country??
    D x

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  9. You made a silk purse from a sow's ear, Kirsty! Your bathroom looks really lovely. Lots of love, Amanda xxx

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  10. have to admit I thought the same thing as Denise, and was anxious as to what the photo would be! ;O)

    Have been gathering paintbrush fish for you- they make me smile everytime I look at the picture.
    When I get a bundle I'll ask your address and send them on
    xx

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  11. What a fab makeover! And as for the bathroom…BEAUTIFUL!

    Lou x

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  12. that's a great makeover, your husband obviously has a good eye . Oh, and you can never go wrong with polka dots

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  13. I love a good makeover - with a little imagination and a bit of hard work you can produce something so useful and beautiful too. Well done! I also have a footstool which has been in makeover mode for the past 18 months - it will get finished soon...

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  14. Nice bathroom and awesome makeover. I am inspired.

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  15. I love the new stool. BIG, BIG improvement. Miss G. loves the toadstool pattern (as she calls it), of the oilskin on top.

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  16. Ohh wow Kirst well done - i cant wait to see the new bathroom have heard it looks fab! Love the new stool! xx

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  17. Hello Kirsty, that's wonderful! We enjoy also making that kind of finds and fix them, only here it's difficult to find something...
    Your bathroom looks lovely with lots of white and few spots of colour! I think the stool is just perfect there!
    Have a nice weekend! Teje

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  18. Love it Kirsty - Im so glad you managed to see past the horrid velvety top and nasty dark wood - you are clever, and your bathroom is so nice too (love your light/shower pulls).

    Much love, going away inspired...again...!

    Julia x x x

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  19. Now that is a lovely job...who would have guessed that stool could ever look like that !!!
    I love the cabbages and roses too..your bath room is just the place to dream in.
    Hugs Lynn

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  20. Excellent - it looks just right.
    Love the melange of blue, white and red.

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  21. I really liked the tranformation you created in your bathroom. It has inspired me to be creative on a budget with our new home. Have to admit that I liked the stool in retro olive.

    Keep up the reusing/recycling Steve!!!

    Mr Rockson

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