I purchased one of those IKEA Bekvam step stools at a garage sale a few weeks back. Normally I’m not a fan of IKEA furniture, but in this case the price was right (at $3). I knew it would be cute painted up.
I have to admit though, I wasn’t expecting to blog about this one. I just thought I’d paint it quick and take it to Reclaiming Beautiful to sell. Nothing fancy, it would be an easy project. So I didn’t really take a ‘before’ picture of it, but then it turned out so fantastic that I had to share it with you guys.
So now I’m borrowing a ‘before’ photo from the web. Try imagining this stool, but dirtier and marred with some spots of paint (it must have been used in a workshop) …
I wanted to paint the entire thing using Fusion’s Buttermilk Cream. This is my favorite shade of pale yellow.
But when I pulled out my jar of this color it had only the smallest amount of paint left at the bottom. So sad.
Therefore I just used the Buttermilk Cream on the tops of the stool, and I used Fusion’s Limestone on the legs. These two colors make a lovely combo, I’ve used them before on a couple of pieces.
Once the paint was dried I pulled out Prima Marketing’s new Re.Design transfer called Delicious Menu.
I used parts of this transfer last week to dress up an old metal picnic basket and a couple of other things like this old enamelware coffee pot.
I simply pieced together different words that would fit on the stool and make some kind of sense.
Once I got started I couldn’t seem to stop.
What can I say, I just love adding words to things.
Super cute, am I right?
One last bit of info. I often see people asking what is used to ‘seal’ the transfers. I use different things depending on what paint I’ve used. In this case, since Fusion is so durable and has its own built in top coat, I just add a little bit of Fusion clear wax over the transfer itself and over the raw edges where I sanded the paint away to distress the piece.
So how about you, are you a fan of things with words on them? What do you think of this Bekvam stool update?
q is for quandie 
Very cute! I’m not a fan of Ikea furniture either, except for their white slip covered sofa and chair called Ektorp. I’m still waiting to own both! The stool is so cute! I really like the buttermilk cream color, nice soft yellow! I am loving the words and numbers too.
LikeLike
I just love that Buttermilk Cream. It’s a nice subtle yellow.
LikeLike
Great colors and the transfers are perfect! Love this stool…great job. Bet there will be a rush on these stools and those transfers now!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the ikea stool. It’s very durable and sturdy and doesn’t tip. It also paints very well with MMS Milkpaint. The transfers really dress it up.
LikeLike
I see people using these stools for painting workshops quite frequently, it’s a great little item for that. I can see where milk paint would be perfect on them.
LikeLike
Gorgeous! 👍
LikeLike
Thanks Luffy!
LikeLike
Since you posted a picture of the enamal slop bucket, I’m anxious to know what words you would transfer on it? I’ve got my grandmother’s and she was mighty surprised that I wanted it. I also scored her laundry scrub board to hang in my laundry room. You never in your life saw any woman who loved her washing machine the way she did.
LikeLike
I ended up putting one of the older Prima Marketing French Pot transfers on it. Those transfers are designed to go on a curved surface and they look great on those buckets. Although they are discontinued, you can still find them online.
LikeLike
Very cute!
LikeLike
Thanks sis!
LikeLike
When my youngest daughter was little she would use our stool like this as her chair and table by sitting on the bottom step and placing her food on the top. It would have been so perfect with these words on it because she used it for snack and sometimes breakfast!
LikeLike
Adorable! How sweet.
LikeLike
I just love that little stool! I need something like that in my kitchen….I would love to get
Two of Them and copy your idea. I will post and acknowledge your post when I get it done.
LikeLike
Definitely go for it! I didn’t pay attention to how much the stools cost new, but I bet they are affordable (being IKEA and all). Have fun with your project 🙂
LikeLike
Cute transformation. I sell stools really well and pick them up when I can find them cheap. IKEA is one of those places that other people rave about and I go in and get overwhelmed. But the clean lines work well on this stool and the word are perfect.
LikeLike
I really can’t handle IKEA either. And our’s is right next to the Mall of America (another overwhelming place) and is always crowded during the times I can get there. I pretty much avoid it like the plague.
LikeLike
I really like this and sure could use it. I am going to look at IKEA when I am near one and copy it. Say hello to Mom and Sis. Happy 4th of July. Canada celebration are the first of July. Have a good one. Betty from Ontario.
LikeLike
Happy 1st of July to you Betty! Do you call it that?
LikeLike
So cute & practical!
I have 3 plastic stools from the $ store and use them all time. I keep one on each floor. I’m short and live in an old farmhouse with tall ceilings.😯 I think I need to go to Ikea and upgrade. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Definitely! It’s always more fun to have something that is pretty AND functional 🙂
LikeLike
You’re right. Super cute.
LikeLike
Thanks Maureen!
LikeLike
Turned out really cute – I’m always amazed at how great everything looks with graphics! Very creative!
LikeLike
Me too! I absolutely love graphics on pretty much anything.
LikeLike
How will these transfers wear being stepped on so much?
And what are transfers like to remove if you added to say a dresser and changed your mind a year or two down the road?
As the queen of transfers I know you will have my answers 😉
LikeLike
Well, I can’t say for sure about the wear from being stepped on specifically however I can say that I have removed transfers from pieces twice and both times it took a fair amount of serious sanding to get them off. I have seen people say that you can use mineral spirits to remove them, but that did not work for me. I had to resort to an orbital sander. Based on that, I believe they can hold up to a pretty good amount of wear, but if you do want to re-do a piece with a transfer on it down the road it can be done (check out this post and this one about removing them).
LikeLike
thanks for the info Linda, I assumed they might be allot of work to remove after the fact 😉
LikeLike
What a great idea! I love this little kitchen stool. Thanks for sharing 😊
LikeLike
Is the stool for sale? If so, how much?
LikeLike