Architects Hélène Pinaud and Julien Schwartzmann, the young couple behind up-and-coming Paris firm Heju, design apartments, shops, and cafes notable for their clean lines and playful pastels. After-hours, the two apply that same aesthetic to DIY projects: newly out of design school, they published the 2017 book, Design It Yourself: 35 Objets Design à Petits Prix et à Faire Soi-Même.
They continue to invent—and to present their latest designs on the Heju blog. And they’ve allowed us to share some of our favorites. Today, we present their tiled tabouret, which they describe as “a small piece of furniture that will find its place on your balcony, in your garden, or your living room to give it a swimming-pool atmosphere.” (Scroll to the end for links to more Heju DIYs.)
Photography by and courtesy of Heju.
![the side table has a simple plywood frame with a \2\20;transom,\2 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-1-733x489.jpg)
![the designers set off basic white tiles with colored grout. 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-2-733x489.jpg)
Tools and Materials
![all supplies are from leroy merlin, france\2\17;s home depot equivalent. 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-3-733x489.jpg)
Instructions
![the mdf transom gets two or three coats of paint. hélène and julien s 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-4-733x489.jpg)
![the wood is three ply plywood that\2\17;s \19 millimeters thick. the leg 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-5-733x489.jpg)
![for a glue free installation—\2\2\1;very fast and practical so th 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-6-733x489.jpg)
![standard 4 inch square ceramic wall tiles are \$8.36 per square foot at home de 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-8-733x489.jpg)
![the colored grout is spread with a squeegee and then sponged off. hélè 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-9-733x489.jpg)
For advice, see Remodeling 101: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Grout and Caulk (but Were Afraid to Ask).
The Finished Look
![paint and colored grout give the tables what the designers call \2\20;a 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-10-733x1100.jpg)
![hélène and julien use colored pigments to create pale pink, curry yel 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diy-tiled-stool-side-table-heju-11-733x1100.jpg)
Explore our DIY Archive for many more projects, including these two by Heju:
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