Ugly Bar Stools & The Italian Plate Murderer

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Years ago I went to Italy for the first time. I fell in love with Florence in particular and it's now my favorite place in the whole wide world. Along with memories that will last a liftetime, I also brought home these amazing ceramic plates:



Bringing them home was a labor of love. See I was travelling alone...have you ever tried to board a train in rush hour, commuting traffic departing Florence for Siena all by yourself? Italians, especially Florentines, are lovely people, but they tend to have no patience with the American who clearly has bought up every souvenir in the city. One older gentleman in an impeccably tailored suit, couldn't abide my struggle to maneuver myself and my heavy bags (with my plates inside them) into the train. Without warning, he gingerly moved me aside and took my bags and tossed them, like they were nothing, into the train. I watched in helpless horror as they tumbled down the aisle. Then he proceeded to grab my hand and swoop me in too. Funny thing was he was really trying to be helpful, proven by the large smile on his proud face as he patted me on the back and said, "prego" (or in English: "you're welcome"). As he plopped down in the seat across from me he clearly thought he'd made a new friend. I had less amiable thoughts racing through my mind for Mr. Fancy Pants Plate Murderer. But as it turned out, the plans of revenge I pondered were a wee bit premature. The plates were just fine. But you better believe I bought some insanely overpriced bubble wrap in Siena and wrapped those babies up like the little kid in A Christmas Story. They made it on many trains and planes and safely arrived in my home where they have given me decorating angst ever since. I never can quite figure out how to decorate around them. I love them and yet they aren't my favorite color scheme. But fast forward to about a year ago when I looked around my home and wondered why the heck everything seemed to be brown. See, I have a fear of color commitment. The decision of a throw pillow can break me into a sweat. Or at least it used to. For about a year now I've been exploring my more colorful side and expanding my decorating repertoire. I updated the family room using a rusted orange, inspired by those plates...and Pottery Barn :-).





But the kitchen, which is part of the family room, I haven't touched. Aside from the rage-inducing builder grade cabinets, there really isn't much to touch in the kitchen except our bar stools at our island.


Let's get a close-up of these Bed Bath & Beyond, smokin'deal plain Janes:


Now compare them to say these two drool-worthy stools from Ballard



Ahhh...love....sold. But then I remembered: Hey, I can't afford Ballard!! These bad boys average $500 A PIECE. Holy cow! THREE grand for a set of six. I can just hear the conversation, me: "honey, I'd like some new bar stools. It'll only be three grand." hubby: "ok dear, which one of us will be selling their kidney?" I mean if someone is selling a kidney, there had better be a big ol' sparkly diamond involved. Not bar stools. Kidneys aren't for bar stools.

Uh, yeah. It became apparent that I'd have to settle for revamping my existing bar stools. About a month ago I snapped. After 4 years of looking at them with a growing hatred, it was time to show them some love. I mean, life's too short for ugly bars tools. Pretty things make me happy at it was about time those things got a makeover. So, I kept my eye out for a great fabric. I wanted something blue. I needed something blue. A fabulous blue fabric. And I found it strolling through Jo-Ann's one day.


This is my first re-upholstery. I've read lots about re-upohlstering and I've almost done it but I always chickened out. I figured this would be an easy peasy way to start. And it is! So easy. The supplies are minimal. Staple gun, staples, fabric.


I didn't even rip up the old fabric. I'd seen some other bloggers do this and thought boy, are they smart. Because while I've never actually added upholstery to an item, I have ripped fabric off and that is a pain! After cutting my square I ironed the fabric. I took off the flimsy backing off the bottom of the seat and found a happy surprise. I could tuft this seat, there's already a hole drilled in the center!


Though I don't plan on tufting now, maybe next time I recover these, I will. It'll give a great decorating option. After overcoming the joy of tufting possibilities (my husband laughed at me...I was way too happy at that!), I centered my seat on the fabric, loaded my staple gun and plugged it in.

What may have occurred at that point was me trying to figure out how to get the safety off the trigger. And what might have resulted was a rogue staple shooting out of the gun across the room. Maybe. Possibly. And hypothetically, I would have been really happy that nobody else was in the room. I say this fiction just to warn you that maybe you should figure out how to take the safety off the trigger BEFORE plugging it in. It's all fun and games, people, until someone gets a staple in their arm. :-)


After my staple gun went all Dirty Harry and I stopped shaking, I started by stapling 1 to 2 staples on each of the four "sides" of the seat. Be sure to pull the fabric nice and taut. Securing the fabric nice and tight on each of the sides gives you a solid anchor to work from as you staple the rest of the fabric. Start at side 1 then staple on the opposite side. Then go to side 3 and then staple the opposite side, 4. Alternate between sides, always countering on the opposite side..i.e. a few pulls & staples in side 1, then a few pulls and staples in side 2.


Work your way around. The corners are a bit more difficult and you'll have to play with the fabric a little to avoid pleating as much as possible. You may not be able to avoid it all together, but that's ok.


Some of the staples didn't go in all the way so I just hammered them down. And prayed all the while that I'll never have to rip them out!

After just a couple hours of work, I have gorgeous, custom-looking bar stools that make me smile, because they aren't just run of the mill, anyone-can-have-them bar stools now. They are our bar stools and they are connected by inspiration to a greater story - my first trip to Italy & Mr. Fancy Pants Plate Murderer. Or maybe I should just call him Mr. Fancy Pants. After all he was proven innocent ;-). This is what making a house a home means to me. Let's be real, sometimes what we have in our home is functional, sometimes it is pretty, and sometimes it is something that is a story or connects your stories.

One day I plan to paint the frames but for now, I'm quite pleased with their quickie transformation. For 100 bucks in fabric (I got enough to make throw pillows too), bye bye Bed, Bath & Beyond snooze fest and ciao bella!