Herringbone paint treatment.

A few years ago, this herringbone paint treatment technique caught my eye in the Martha Stewart Living magazine. There was an entire article devoted to unique decorative paint treatments. I loved the detail in the pattern and the overall look it gave the piece.

Since I didn't have an old Eames lounge that I'd be willing to experiment on (knock-off or otherwise) I decided to transform an inexpensive, functional piece from IKEA. I chose the BEKVAM step stool. I needed one anyway and figured if it came out terrible I could always paint over it!

I decided to go with a green and white color scheme. Since the piece was so small, I only had to buy paint samples! I went with Martha Stewart White and Bay Leaf. They were about $3 each at Home Depot. I had to buy a larger container of glaze than I really needed, but figured I could use it for other projects later on. I bought the rubber comb at Michaels. I assembled the step stool, gave it a quick sand with find sand paper to even out the rough spots, painted the flat surfaces with the base color, and taped off the stripes.

Once I mixed up the green paint and the glaze, I applied it in sections with a foam brush. I ran the rubber comb over the top diagonally, trying to keep it as steady as possible, wiping it off on a paper towel in between passes. If it came out too wiggly, I quickly reapplied the glaze and did it again. You have to work quickly because the paint will dry fast! Once it was completely dry, I pulled up the tape, applied new tape on the just painted parts, and did the process again. I painted the edges with the green paint, and painted the rest of the piece white for contrast.

Thinking back it probably would have been easier to do the paint treatment on the individual pieces before it was assembled. There were a couple of tight spots in the corners on the first step that could have come out a little cleaner. If I wanted it perfect I could always sand it down and do it again, but I actually don't mind the variation.

I think it came out really nicely! It's a very functional piece around the house and looks pretty stylish at the same time. If you'd like to read more about the supplies and steps for this paint treatment, click the link at the top of this post. There's even a video you can watch!

While I'm at it, here's a little pic of my office/studio that I've been promising for the past 6 months! There's the light gray I painted on the walls, I'm so pleased with the color. The bookshelf was a vintage find that my sister picked up at a yard sale for $10. My boyfriend refinished it for me for Christmas. You can see a corner of the painted rug that I haven't finished yet. The room is still a work in progress, but it's coming together!