It's Themed Furniture Makeover time again and I was giddy this month's theme was FRENCH.  I adore all things French and my home decor style revolves around French inspired pieces.  In case you missed last month's theme, you might want to check out my mock-crock chest of drawers! It was crocodile rockin'! 

Right about the time I was starting to think about a piece to restyle for this month's challenge, low and behold my neighbor set out this bar stool.  And the creative wheel started turning.

Other than a sticker and a few splatters of paint, the bar stool was sturdy and in good shape.  Outdated, yes, but that was going to be an easy fix.

One leg did need a minor repair, so I made use of Triple Threat's mighty clamp collection.

DecoArt had sent me this French postage stamp stencil and it was meant to be used on this stool.

Before getting started on the stenciling, I sanded down the top using my orbital sander.

After arranging the stencil in position and securing with tape, I dry brushed General Finishes Lamp Black through the stencil.

Once the paint was fully dry, I used a sanding block to give the design a worn and aged appearance.  

I believe everything is better in pairs so I found an almost perfect match for my alley find stool at Walmart.

Not wanting to make the set too matchy-matchy, I went with the French Elements stencil for the second stool.  It was a little small for the circumference of the top, so I got a little creative.  I used parts of the stamp stencil so the stools would coordinate but not completely match.

I used the same steps as the first stool, letting the paint dry and sanding to distress.

Both stools were stained with one of my favorite products: General Finishes Java gel. The black lettering against the java stain reminds me of a wooden vintage box.

To finish, the legs were painted in Lamp Black.

I'd say these stools make a mighty fine pair!  Can you spot the subtle differences between them?

Like a lot of my projects, I wish I could keep them but they are officially for sale.  If you know of someone needing French elements in their home, please let me know.   

If you're like me and can't get enough of all things French, peruse through the rest of my talented friend's projects to get your fix.