I’m always doing new bar or counter stools for my kitchen remodel clients. When you remodel your kitchen, that last beautiful element to coordinate with your fab new kitchen just has to be done right.
I wanted to share some of the reasoning behind stool selections for my projects so that you can determine what would be the best fit for your kitchen.
I’m sharing lots of pics from my projects’ kitchen counters today and I’ve picked some good stools that are available online, so your next stool purchase can be just a click away!
My blog contains affiliate links. Any purchases, at no additional charge to you, render me a small percentage, are most appreciated and make this blog possible. :-)
5 top tips / considerations for picking the best bar and counter stools for your kitchen!
Verify counter height!
Back or backless stool?
Style choice
Material and finish choice
To swivel or not to swivel!
Oh, and here’s an extra one….budget! We can’t forget that!
Let’s dive into these further, below, and see some examples.
1) Verify counter height!
Obviously, height is a major consideration. It is so obvious, but I have had situations where verification of the height was needed. :-)
A seat height of a typical counter height stool is 24” and needed for a 36”H typical kitchen counter.
A seat height of 30” is needed for a 42” high bar, which is the typical height of a raised bar.
These vinyl covered counter stools are perfect at the long bar counter in this young family’s kitchen. They tuck under nicely when not in use, out of the footpath, and can be used as extra seating for the living room that is just adjacent, by just turning around. carlaaston.com
I will note that it is a good idea to check your counter heights, as I’ve had odd heights before.
I worked on one job where there was a 42” high bar, but the bar was elevated on one side by about 7” on a step up into the kitchen. The previous owner had done custom stools and we just refinished and reupholstered them, since making new stools at this custom height was costly. (Those were towering bar stools, let me tell you!)
On another job, the kitchen island was installed before the new thick tile floor went in and there was slight difference in height (lower) than what was expected. The stools I had were custom made and perfect if the island had allowed for the height of the floor. As a fix, I had the stools legs cut down 1” and refinished.
BTW, don’t just do this yourself by getting out your saw. :-)
To get all four legs exactly right so the stool is wobble-free takes some expertise.
2) back or backless stool is a major consideration
There are many different reasons to go with a back or backless stool. Here’s how I determine which one is right for my jobs.
A backless counter stool was perfect for this kitchen. They can be pushed under the counter when not in use and out of the way. We had a big visual statement with the backsplash and didn’t want to interrupt the look with a competing element in the backs of the stools. carlaaston.com
Do I want to make a visual statement with the back of the stool?
Usually with a back, you can use the style of the stool, the pattern created by the back or the fabric pattern or color on the back to make a visual statement of style. It can really become an important part of the design as you are looking into the kitchen.
You have to consider function and who will be using these stools.
Children often use these in family homes for everything from eating meals to doing homework. I have found backless stools to be easy for them to climb up onto and definitely counter stools that are lower overall, are best. (That’s a good reason to design a lower bar counter in a kitchen too, BTW.)
Space and layout on the seating side of the counter should be considered.
Backless stools are great for tucking in under counters when not in use and disappearing from the footpath or walkway. Stools with backs need a touch more space there and create more of a visual barrier too.
There wasn’t lots of extra room for stools with backs here so a backless counter stool worked perfectly. Navy vinyl covers the seat for easy care and cleaning. carlaaston.com
3) Style Choice Makes a Big impact
Especially with stools that have backs, the style of the stool can really affect the look of the kitchen or overall space.
The very traditional, cottage type look of this kitchen below, is accentuated with the Windsor style of the counter stool.
The Windsor style of these swivel counter stools telegraph the farmhouse cottage style of this kitchen. carlaaston.com
I’ve always loved these modern rustic stools from Woodbridge Furniture in iron and leather. These would be great in any type of home that needed some warmth and a rustic look added in with a stool choice.
An industrial vibe is introduced into this kitchen with the use of these adjustable round stools. These were pretty cost effective too. They worked well with young children in the house as they were easy to wipe clean.
Industrial stools contribute to the vibe of this kitchen and will be easy to clean for this young family. carlaaston.com
4) Material and finish choice
Do you want wood stools, metal stools, acrylic stools, stools with upholstered seats and backs? There are so many different considerations for materials and finishes to consider. Here’s a way I start to narrow my choices.
Materials for stools are often considered by looking at the finishes surrounding the stool.
I often like for the stool to contrast with the bar area, so I might put a light, painted stool on top of a dark wood floor or up against a wood bar face, depending on if it is backless or not. If the bar face is white or light colored, I might do a dark finish.
I loved how these painted stools with a light gray Crypton upholstered seat looked in one of my projects, with the dark wood floor and brick bar face surrounding it. It brought the white cabinetry of the kitchen over to this side of the bar.
The white painted frame of this chair stood out on the dark wood floor and in front of the brick faced bar, tying in to the look of the white kitchen cabinetry. carlaaston.com
Upholstered seats often get a nice vinyl covering.
Since vinyl is easy to clean and these days looks soooo much like leather, I choose vinyl a lot. It also makes it easy to slide on and off of the stool.
Vinyl covered bar stools disappear under the countertop when tucked away. Since this is right in a main walkway, these stools were the perfect choice here. With young children in the house, this non-swivel stool makes for a good option for this kitchen’s bar counter. carlaaston.com
Repeating finishes and colors from the kitchen.
Repeating finishes on the stools that you have in the kitchen, like a wood finish or color is a great way to relate the stools to the room. Accenting the kitchen with a contrasting color also works. The visual impact a stool makes on the kitchen design can be really significant.
Stools are a great way to add color to an otherwise neutral kitchen!
These counter stools made a nice color statement in the all white envelope of this kitchen. Having upholstered backs makes for a nice size balance with the large scaled pendants above. carlaaston.com
Color was added in to this white kitchen backdrop with the teal, mid-century style bar stools. carlaaston.com
5) To swivel or not to swivel?
While a backless stool is awesome for flexibility, allowing people to sit facing the bar or facing the opposite direction without moving the stool, a swivel can be great in a situation where rotation is done often. It can also be nice with heavier stools, as it can prevent having to pull the stool out to sit down, if they are spaced far enough apart.
Swivel stools are looking really good these days, with some styles you can hardly tell they swivel.
Children can go a little crazy with them though, I’ve always found a vinyl covered backless stool is best for kids.
These stools swivel that I used on this job and they help my client be able to turn and talk to people in the breakfast room and family room or watch tv.
These swivel stools allow the family to easily turn and watch tv or chat with people in the adjacent family room and breakfast room. I love the wood finish introduced here and the pattern fabric repeats the look of the tile herringbone backsplash. carlaaston.com
We can’t forget the Budget!
Sometimes, after spending loads on your kitchen redo, splurging on some fab new stools just seems a bit out of reach. There are some decent inexpensive options, however they likely won’t last as long or be as comfortable in the long run.
One way to get better quality but with less dollars is to go backless, with a wood or rush seat. Anything upholstered in a performance fabric, leather or vinyl will likely cost more, as would swivels.
This wood stool by Zuo Modern is a nice look for less.
Walnut wood simple bar stool by Zuo Modern. Available in counter stool too. Seen at Highpoint Market, click through for more info. carlaaston.com
A simple, basic backless stool is often the least expensive choice.
You can put in “placeholders”, just a simple basic stool, something like these metal stools that I had in storage that we used on this photo shoot of a project. The homeowner was about to rent out their house for a few years while they lived overseas and didn’t want to invest in a lot of new furniture to leave behind.
A stool with some upholstery would have really softened the look and I love the idea of white painted frames. I’d have probably have gone for backs here too with a design of some kind, to add some detail to this kitchen.
These were decent placeholders though, and at least don’t get in the way or take the overall look down too much.
These metal stools were temporary placeholders and didn’t take away too much in the overall design of the kitchen, although not my preference for sure. carlaaston.com
A fully upholstered stool is typically a more expensive option.
A fully upholstered stool like these ones below with a vinyl seat and a performance fabric on the back are a more pricey investment. These were put together with our own fabric combination to get a really complete look for this kitchen.
With this kitchen really being a tone on tone white look, it needed the contrast of the dark legs and some pattern with the fabric. The softness of the upholstered look makes this space feel more approachable and comfortable.
These fully upholstered stools coordinate nicely with the overall kitchen design and add softness and a level of comfort in this kitchen. carlaaston.com
Not all stools that are simple and un-upholstered are less pricey though. These backless stools from Artistica have a woven leather seat and retail for over $500 each. Such a nice look though! And I love the brass footrail.
I also love the woven seat and back look of this black framed stool from Artistica. Also, not exactly budget-priced, but definitely well-made.
Woven leather bar stool by Artistica with a subtle two-tone look. Available in counter stool too. Seen at Highpoint Market, click through for more info. carlaaston.com
A woven seat and back add texture to this painted black wood stool. Seen at Highpoint Market, click through for more info. carlaaston.com
Shop For Stools!
I have some really great stools here to shop below.
This first batch is the over-$500 each group.
This group is all under-$500 per stool. See if any will work for you!
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5 Tips For Picking The Perfect Bar Or Counter Stool For Your Kitchen! carlaaston.com