Old stools should not be discarded. You can always re-painted and refurbished to make it more interesting and matching with your current interior decor. In fact I enjoy painting the stools even though I know in the end people are going to sit on it. It just make you feel honored to be sitting on a very nice chair. The only thing about re-painting an old chair is the sandpapering to get rid of the old varnish and paint.
