The Colorful IKEA KYRRE Stool Hack That Beats Out The Expensive Competition

If you love to decorate with stools in your home, but those coveted upscale furniture brands aren't in your price range, look no further than Ikea. More specifically, the Ikea KYRRE stools. As shared by TikTok user @artteacherinquarantine, the KYRRE stools are perfect dupes for the gorgeous Artek Aalto Stacking Stools — all you need is some spray paint and wood conditioner, and your KYRRE stools will look like they came straight from a designer boutique. 

For this hack, your primary resource is the KYRRE stool from Ikea. The KYRRE stool comes in three colors, but for the sake of this project, you'll want to avoid the two painted options and get the stools in "Birch," which has a natural wood finish. Since you'll be painting the stools yourself, you want a fuss-free base — sanding down stained wood is much easier than removing a layer of industrial-quality paint. The KYRRE stools are available for around $20 each, so it won't be a major blow to the budget if you want to buy several for your stacked stools vision. And compared to the price of the Alvar Aalto Stacking Stool, which is usually at least $400, the KYRRE stools are a fantastic deal. In terms of the rest of the materials needed for this project, the KYRRE stool will come with all the tools required for assembly, so the only other items you'll need are sanding pads, spray paint in the colors of your choice, and a wood stain treatment.

Your first step for this IKEA DIY project is to sand the furniture before painting it — this shouldn't be too arduous, you only need to sand the disassembled legs and seat enough to remove the lacquer so the wood is ready for paint. The color scheme for your stools is entirely up to you. If you want to match Artek Aalto stools, do a mix of bright colors. Or, customize the stools to match the colors in the space where they will be used. Use a spray paint meant for wood, like Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint. To make your paint job last longer and give your stools a more polished look, follow up with a clear coat of paint, such as the matte or gloss version from Rust-Oleum. Apply the spray paint outdoors, with a piece of cardboard or rags underneath the furniture to prevent mess.

For the wooden legs, you can use any basic wood stain product. @artteacherinquarantine uses Minwax Clear Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner just to give the wooden legs a shinier and more even finish, but if you prefer, you can also stain the legs a different tone, using a product like the Furniture Clinic Wood Stain from Amazon. You can also choose to paint the stool legs in addition to the seats, if you want an extra colorful look. Once all the pieces dry, use the Ikea instructions to assemble your freshly upgraded KYRRE stacking stools.