Megan’s Mystery Makeover: This Upcycled Stool Goes from “Meh” to “Ridiculously Charming” with a Simple Pop of Color
With the right prompting, we can see something we’ve looked at a million times in a brand new way. That’s the spirit behind Megan’s Mystery Makeover: Megan Baker Detloff, Apartment Therapy’s Home Projects Director, mails a surprise to one of her favorite DIYers and challenges them to create a project with it. This time, Megan is encouraging makers to dial up their style using a makeover essential — Stops Rust with Custom Spray 5-in-1 by Rust-Oleum — in a color of her choosing.
Nicole Carlson keeps her New York City apartment looking energetic and colorful by focusing on the details. From a chic toilet paper holder upgrade to a quick photo frame makeover, she knows that the little things add up to big style points.
When Nicole saw Satin Peaceful Blue, the color of Stops Rust with Custom Spray 5-in-1 that Megan chose for her, she knew she could use it to build out a color story in a corner of her living room. Playing off similarly serene blues in her patterned wallpaper and several sculptural planters, Nicole decided to turn an old wooden stool into a low-profile plant stand.
“I needed one last plant stand to fill the space in this corner, and I was really glad I was able to use something I already had and upcycle it,” Nicole says.
“Peaceful Blue was the perfect color choice for this project because this corner already had a lot of oranges and pinks going on, and this blue created a great contrast. I love using color in my space because I want it to match the energy of New York City!”
Nicole Carlson
Spray paint is the start of so many DIYs, and Stops Rust with Custom Spray 5-in-1 helps you make them all a success. The adjustable dial features five spray settings, so you can adapt to coat every nook and cranny of your project with the same even, drip-free coverage. Nicole started with the standard setting for the top of the stool. But legs can be tricky: she adjusted the dial to the horizontal fan setting, which covers tall, flat surfaces with ease. Then it was just time to style and admire.
“I loved the options of different dial settings,” Nicole says. “It was great to get extra good coverage when using the horizontal setting on the outsides of the legs. I could easily see where I was spraying as I was moving along. When I needed a little coverage in a small spot, I loved being able to switch over to the low output setting, which caused less chance of drips.”
“Before the makeover, the wooden stool didn’t match the vibe of my apartment. Adding the Peaceful Blue was the perfect pop of color it needed to look fabulous in my plant corner!”