My First Ikea Hack!!

At least I think it's an Ikea hack!?

Does decorating it and using it for its intended purpose constitute a hack?

 Anyway I think I made it look nice and match the kitchen-dining-sitting room decor.  

At 5ft 2ins I NEED a step in the house for when my 6 ft 4ins husband is not around. I have long since wanted a good looking one.

Taking this baby out in company to retrieve something from a kitchen cupboard is a little embarrassing! So this was the original step stool purchased from Ikea for €12.

I had a tester pot of dining room paint in, you guessed it Eau de Nil by Laura Ashley, which I used to paint the legs.

I know you're thinking.. emulsion on wood? ..but don't freak out, I Googled it first and nobody said anything terrible happened. Anyway, I haven't finished yet.

 It gave the legs two coats.

Then I stained the steps in Bondex Matt Mahogany to match the kitchen counters and the sitting room furniture.

The Bondex I already had as we have always intended to stain our stairs, at some point!

I thought the stain would take better to the bare wood than it did. It got three coats, four probably would have looked better but it took like 12 hours to dry and it was mineral based and I got fed up.

So I put all the pieces together, got some back to front, took it apart, read the instructions and put it together again!

Then I gave it two coats of Annie Sloan Soft Wax in clear to protect the emulsion. I also waxed the stained parts and then gave in to the fourth stain coat (because of the annoying little spots of resistance you might have noticed) and wouldn't you know, the stain took like a dream and dried in double quick time. Thanks Annie!

 So there you have it, my super handy handsome step stool which cost just €12 as everything else I had squirrelled away!!