Before/After...Barstools

I've mentioned that all my furniture pieces are hand-me-downs, right? And I've mentioned that it all tends to be that honey-oak color, right? And I've mentioned how much I hate that color, right? If you need a reminder, just read this, or even this, to see only a few things that I've had to rescue from that horrible 90's trend. I really should start a file for these pieces alone as they have a personal hated place in my heart (all things honey oak colored). Forever more they shall be called...The HOFF (Honey-Oak Furniture Flip).

So, in this week's chronicles of The HOFF I took bar stools I've had for 5+ years to a whole.'notha.level (as my pastor likes to say). Before:

These babies were given to me by my in-laws when we first moved in 6 years ago. And you know my motto: Never pass up free....well, anything. So, sure, they weren't pretty but they were free and I've seen no need to upgrade since they do their job just fine and, did I mention that they were FREE? I planned on painting them long ago but, you know, I'm lazy life got in the way. Plus, they really needed it because, besides being ugly, they had damage done from the in-law's pups:

Some teeth marks from gnawing on the stool legs. And full on damage when they chewed out-right:

I just sanded them down to smooth them out a little. It wasn't perfect but it was better and no one hardly looks at the stools bottom rungs.

My inspiration came from all the numbered chairs I've seen popping up all over blogland. From the Lettered Cottage:

To Life in the Fun Lane:

And even Sweet Something Designs:

Seems I'm way behind on the numbered stools/chairs bandwagon. And I liked the numbers but wasn't sure which numbers to do (something with significance to me?) 1, 2, 3 seemed logical but a little blah and boring.

Then the idea hit me when I kept saying 1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3....1, 2, 3...

Indians. Know this song? 4 little, 5 little, 6 little Indians... It was a favorite of mine in childhood. My husband says it's not PC and offensive and was pretty skeptical when I was painting them. *Gasp* what would the  neighbors think if they saw them?

I figured it wouldn't hurt to paint them and if I didn't like it I could always paint over it. But I do like them. I think it adds a little bit of whimsy to the stools and I smile when I walk by them and start singing. Of course, my husband is probably right. It's probably considered an offensive song now-a-days. When I tested my daughter she'd never even heard of it. Maybe it's an Oklahoma thing? Everyone from Oklahoma is either part Indian (ahem, Native American) or knows someone who is. My family is. But somehow I've never shared with my daughter this cute little song.
Anyhow -I like my whimsical stools now.

I slightly distressed them and still need to add a coat of poly (spray painted them with a flat black) but I am so pleased with them. No more ugly honey colored stools! (If only I could perform the HOFF on that pergo flooring!)