The soft spot we have for stencil projects has only grown since our office project, and this one by Amy at The Casablanca Transformation might convince even the most skeptical. Her painted leather barstools are stylish, practical, and surprisingly achievable in a short time. Here’s her story:
No matter how many decorating projects I do in my lifetime, this one will surely go down in history as one of my all-time best! I am so happy I had the idea and even happier that I dared to try! Here is the plain white leather bar stool before:
And the after!
I used a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and Angelus Paint from Turtle Feathers — a paint formulated for leather, so it has some flexibility and resists cracking. Since the chairs arrived unassembled, I left them that way to make stenciling easier. I was amazed at how simple the process was; the total time for each stool was only about four hours.
I loved being able to choose the exact pattern and colors I wanted — a custom look at a very reasonable price. I bought two chairs for $152 from Overstock, added about $80 in materials, and my total for four bar stools came to $384 ($96 each). Having them custom upholstered in fabric I liked would have cost much more and likely shown wear faster. I’m hopeful that painting the leather will hold up to family life — especially with three boys! – Amy
Pretty awesome, right? Amy’s approach shows how straightforward it can be to transform basic barstools into personalized, durable pieces. If you’re considering a similar project, think about stencil design, paint type, and assembly status to make the process easier and get a cleaner result. The painted leather alternative can deliver a high-end look without the high-end cost.
Update: Amy later posted follow-ups detailing a few issues she encountered — mainly disappointment with the structural quality of the bargain chairs and with an acrylic finisher she tried. She shared more about those experiences on her blog and confirmed that the stenciling technique itself worked well. Other, higher-quality chairs that were stenciled have held up nicely without an acrylic finisher. These follow-up posts provide useful tips if you plan to replicate the project.