Bar stool transformation

I'm excited to share with you a project that's been on my mind for quite awhile. Back in February, I wrote a decorating dilemma I was experiencing. I had three excellent barstools--very sturdy, very comfortable--but very boring. After receiving lots of good advice, I decided that I should take the plunge and paint those babies. . . and I finally got it done.

Let's pause for a moment to reflect upon the incredible transformative powers of paint. Makes your heart swell just to think about it, doesn't it?

Here's one of the stools before:

And after:

I'm sorry for the poor lighting.  It's been rainy all week, but I just had to share my finished project!  Here's another look at the whole stool:

I spray-painted the stools with Rustoleum's Specialty Lacquer. This stuff has strong fumes, so you must use it outside, but it provides a beautiful finish. Then I distressed the edges by sanding with coarse sandpaper. The seats I reupholstered with fabric I found at my local discount fabric store--$7.99/yard.

A couple of close-ups of some of the distressing:

I am a happy girl. Here are all three of them:

In context in my kitchen (again, sorry for the bad lighting):

Now I have three excellent barstools--very sturdy, very comfortable--and not at all boring!  What do you think??

I'm linking to these wonderful parties:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Woo Hoo! Wednesday at Always Nesting

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Best DIY Projects of April at Beneath My Heart

Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick

The Paint Challenge at The CSI Project.