One of the best bargains at IKEA is the solidly built Bekvam step stool. It's particularly practical for households with young children and it's most definitely a workhorse in our kitchen for washing hands (aka water play), watching mommy cook, and putting on our shoes. We love the solid wood construction and butcher block look but we've thinking about punching it up a bit. Jump below for some photos and ideas...
The obvious idea is to paint the Bekvam. We adore the way this one turned out. We found this photo at Bloesem Kids and really like the glossy enamel bright yellow finish on the Bekvam.
We also like the effect of basic black paint (from Mini-nursery tour: Otis in the House).
Other ideas we're considering:
A friend suggested using batting to cushion the seat and covering in fabric but we want to keep the surface hard and stable for the little one. Anyone else have a good idea for the Bekvam?
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I use mine as a bedside table, with the top surface for my lamp, phone, keys, and the bottom rung for my books. I love how sturdy it is!
We have this stool and my 22 month old daughter says it's hers. She uses it to wash her hands at the sink, then slides it back under the bar/island where it goes. I love the painted glossy yellow one! Great idea.
We have two of these and they are in use all day long. They are the only thing I feel comfortable standing on to reach top cabinets since our chairs are a little wobbly. Also, they are great for my 2 and 4 year old to see what is going on the kitchen and help with their independence.
We've had this stoll for over 5 years and use it daily. As a chair, a side table, a ladder... Wonderful item
We love these stools! The price was right about 5 years ago (about $10 each I think?) and my wife and I painted them as a fun Saturday project. Little did I know it would become our daughter's favorite walking "toy".
They don't tip, fall over, and are very sturdy, and with minimal effort became very personalized items.
Here are our two: "Pouting Pansies and The Taxi Stand"
We have two. One in the kitchen and one in the hallway.
We have painted the "step" and the "seat" in a shiny dark grey colour and left the rest of it unpainted. I like that you can still see the wood while the most exposed surfaces are sealed with the paint.
We have a hand-me-down one that gets a little wobbly and has to be rescrewed - I saw one painted in dove grey, it looked great. Our toddler climbed way too much on it, it's so high we have a Kitchen Helper now and hid it (for the time being)!
My husband bought this for me and painted it the most perfect fire engine red. It works perfectly in our kitchen, especially since I cannot reach anything!
I bought one 4 years ago as a step stool for my daughter's bathroom sink. I painted it with watered-down green paint (so it looks like green stain/milk paint), sealed it, and added dark gray traction tape on the treads.
Now that my daughter is tall enough to reach the sink (she's 5), we've moved it to the side of her bed. It doubles as a bedside table at the perfect height for her and a step to help her get into her bed.
I can't wait until my son moves into a big boy bed so I can buy one for him, too!
Random point worth noting - the instructions say that it only supports a maximum load of 100kg, but a friend and I, both weighing about 125kg each (19ish stone), stood quite happily on top of one in the store, and it was still solid and stable during and after. These things, if put together correctly, are a LOT sturdier than IKEA give them credit for!