Show me the Barstools!

[PintoBean]

PSers are the best shoppers!
I need barstools for an eat in kitchen counter. Champagne taste, beer budget (what's new? )

I want to be inspired so go wild uploading pics and links of things you've seen that are cute. Sale and bargains are bonus.

Kitchen colors are neutral so anything goes!

 

[bludiva]

Hey PB! I got a set of these for ~$40 a few years ago but I can't find that deal again...Nothing fancy but can't beat the price. I found them and some other good buys via Brads Deals when I furnished my place. Happy shopping!

 

[Austina]

I like purple

These are similar https://www.allmodern.com/furniture...-swivel-bar-stool-wadl6578.html?piid=17896462

 

[Taylorbug!]

I just ordered these today to use at my kitchen island. They also came in several different colors.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IJA34M8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DAF]

This is what we settled on after countless chairs were shipped to us and returned to store because they just weren't right. We were going for transitional timeless.

 

[monarch64]

Ha! I’ve been shopping for barstools (30”, not countertop height) as well!

So, Pier 1 is a great place to start—filter your search with price low to high and you’ll pull up all the sale and clearance right away. If you go in an actual store, each one does its own markdowns of floor model stuff and they mark things down considerably more than online so keep that in mind as well.

Joss & Main—10% off first order and free shipping, they have tons of cute stuff. I just ordered the Ashana pouf in hot pink and I’m so excited for it to get here!

If you don’t mind buying used, scour Craigslist or local thrift stores. Living in a college town it is really easy to find very gently used furniture and everything under the sun here. We have a Habitat Restore that has new items daily and can be a treasure trove. I know people who have replaced every basic builder door in their house with nearly new 6 panel doors for $10/piece, or scored brand new appliances or beautiful antiques for a fraction of retail prices. Bar stools are abundant—kids move into places without a bar or don’t want to deal with moving stuff and they just leave things behind. That reminds me: every spring there are a boatload of expensive, brand new foreign/exotic cars abandoned in the airport parking lot by international students. It’s insane!

I would avoid cheaper metal framed stools. Based on a friend’s experience with a set of 4 purchases on super sale from Kohl’s they do NOT hold up well. It seems like a pretty reasonable price is around $100/stool from everything I’ve looked at online, plus or minus 50-20 bucks. I’m budgeting $300 for 2 with shipping, tops, and I’m looking for bold colors or unusual, not basic neutrals.

 

[Queenie60]

Be sure that you have the counter height measurement - there's difference between counter stools and bar stools. And I would suggest a back to the chair rather than a stool without a back. The next decision would be style.

 

[sledge]

Ugh. Finding bar stools is the worst.

First off, what is the height of your bar? Styles and preferences may vary based on the actual height.

Below are a few shots of a home I owned a few years back. As you can probably see, the prep/service side of the bar was normal cabinet height. But it stepped up to the higher variant on the sitting side.

While I initially liked these when I got them, living with them for awhile proved to be annoying. Good qualities is the chairs was stupid light as they were made from high strength aluminum. They had a nice brushed finish to them that complimented the stainless appliances nicely. Also, on a higher bar I appreciated them having a back. And they had zero wobble to them and were very sturdy. Really amazing at how strong they were considering how light they were -- seriously like maybe 2-3 lbs each.

Now the downside. Look carefully at the back of the chairs. The chair on the far right side shows it best, although I do think this picture exaggerates it a bit. Notice how it has that curve to the back legs? What happens is that curve kicks the feet of the chair back further than the back of the chair where you sit, and where you eyes focus on. Consequently, myself and guests use to (accidentally) kick these chairs all the time.

I remember at one party, I had a buddy that did it at least half a dozen times throughout the night. We had been drinking and when him and his wife were leaving, he kicked one again and fell over. We all laughed. He didn't find it as funny and proceeded to giving my chair the ass whipping it deserved, lol. No worries, he did not damage the chair.

Cost was about $200/each.

Not identical to these (as these are the shorter version) but they are very similar:

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...-Aluminum-Counter-Stool/11148498/product.html

Prior to deciding on the above chairs, I looked at many local stores and couldn't stand the styles of the tall chairs available. So I bought a few different ones online. Think that was the 4th set of chairs I had bought. It was silly at the difficulty trying to find something that was good.

Prior to the aluminum chairs, I had bought some of these industrial style chairs.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...-Christopher-Knight-Home/6087759/product.html

These were quite a bit heavier than the aluminum style chairs. Also, I liked the fact the big screw was actually functional and you could adjust the height of the chair up/down.

Sadly, these screw function is one of the reasons I also disliked them. When friends/family would come over that had little kids, these chairs was like magnets to them. Literally, it became their mission to play with the chairs all night long. Used to drive me bonkers as they would eventually end up getting on the chairs and using the counter to spin themselves around and then go flying off the chair. I don't even know how many little kids I caught in mid air before they smacked the ground.

Maybe you don't have kids, or maybe your friends/family kids are better behaved. In that case, if you like the style they were good. Sometimes I did wish for a cushioned bottom. And I also preferred a back. In the open floor plan layout I had, it felt odd not seeing a chair back but that is personal preference obviously. A final note, when home I normally kick off my shoes. The bar you place your foot on wasn't comfortable to socked/bare feet.


These next few pictures are of my last place I lived in. Excuse the mess. As they were taken I was a bachelor, had just moved in and not everything was setup yet. It does have my super awesome chocolate lab, Stella, in the picture though.

Here, the kitchen bar is normal counter height. I prefer this myself. Also, I liked the simplicity of these bar stools. Cushioned seats were nice and not having a back worked well here. I sit quite a bit at the bar eating and also mixing drinks and socializing when I had company over.

The previous owner actually left these bar stools so they were free to me. I imagine somewhere like Pier 1 or Restoration Hardware would have something similar. Not sure who put them together as they were all wobbly when I moved in. But a change to a hex bit and me and my power drill had them all tightened up and sturdy in zero time flat.

 

[sledge]

If I were buying bar stools today, I find these interesting. Also, I think they are a pretty good price at about $100/each. With the metal & wood combo I anticipate they would be very sturdy and have some heft to them without being too heavy.

I would have two major concerns. The depth of the seats. Being 6' tall, I find many bar stools to hit about the middle of the back portion of my leg. Sometimes not even the middle and more close to the butt. It's very annoying for prolonged sitting periods. Especially if the edges of the seat are sharp/hard. If you've ever sat in the bar of a Buffalo Wild Wings, their chairs stink IMO. Even their short chairs are the same style and annoying to me.

Anyhow, my second concern is I don't see a bar on the side where I could place my foot. I rarely sit perfectly straight ahead on a bar stool. I tend to sit diagonal or rotated, and would appreciate a foot rest in the front and side, especially if a higher chair like these appear to be.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...-Gunmetal-Counter-Stool/16764387/product.html

 

[missy]

PSers are the best shoppers!
I need barstools for an eat in kitchen counter. Champagne taste, beer budget (what's new? )

I want to be inspired so go wild uploading pics and links of things you've seen that are cute. Sale and bargains are bonus.

Kitchen colors are neutral so anything goes!

These are the stools I got for our newly renovated kitchen last year. They were a freaking bargain. Got them on overstock. They are super comfy and I picked them because of their curved seat for the comfort issue. Flat seats hurt my skinny butt but the curved seats are very comfy.





Here's the link. We got them on sale for $68 for 2. Overstock is always having a sale. The holes are filled in with plugs but I took the photos before Greg did that.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...3005324832-20180221-1-d2df3d&utm_medium=email

 

[DAF]

Height is very important. Most counter height stools are 26 inches. I felt like the countertop was at boob height with those and it was awkward eating. Since my cooktop is on the other side, I felt that the person sitting should be closer to my height standing at the cooktop, so we went with the 30 inch barstool. A person with skinny legs slides right under, meaty thighs it's an easy squeeze. My chairs are from Tov furniture, but I found them for an awesome price on Houzz.

 

[Karl_K]

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...-Christopher-Knight-Home/6087759/product.html

Adjust them to the right height then use thread locker to stop them from moving.

 

[Gussie]

I have a very traditional, English country style and I got my stools at Ballard Designs. I put a chair tie on them to spruce it up! They are affordable and well made.

 

[PintoBean]

Wow guys! So many different styles that I didnt even consider! @sledge brought up a good point about legs that stick out... I'm super accident prone bc I lack stereo vision so a stool that curved out would definitely send me flying lolol. Now I know to look for straight or gently angled legs. Nothing dramatically flared.

Keep them coming!

 

[marcy]

Hi PB. We have these in our man cave. We bought different colors.

https://www.pier1.com/stratmoor-ivo...l/PS33174.html#q=bar+stools&origin=gridswatch

 

[sledge]

Hi PB. We have these in our man cave. We bought different colors.

https://www.pier1.com/stratmoor-ivory-swivel-counter-&-bar-stool/PS33174.html#q=bar+stools&origin=gridswatch

Those are very similar to the ones I posted above where my pictures are dark. Difference would be the wood part was painted a grey and the seats were a cloth instead of leather/pleather. Also, mine had 4 buttons on the seat. I'm not sure what happened, but a few of the buttons had worked loose. Overall I liked them quite a bit, and they were great especially for the price.

But for a man cave, I'm thinking something a little more unique...

A friend of a friend started a bar and this was some of the stuff he had in his. I keep trying to buy his pool table from him, as I love to shoot.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I love these. You can get them in a lot of colors. I think they are usually 149.
I don’t like anything with a back, but that’s just me. I like how some look but I want them to slide completely under my counter. They are from grandinroad.com

 

[PintoBean]

I think I have it narrowed to 6 styles! What do you feel is more pintobeanie-ish?

Also, can anyone help me rig them so that whenever someone sits on a stool, THIS plays? (It'll go along with my mom telling everyone I bought a condoM!)

In no particular order:
1. Grey set in link

2. Grey set as well in link

3. Grey padded saddle stool link

4. In grey in the link

5. Taupe padded stool in the link

6. In antique white this link

 

[bludiva]

i really like the first 2 w/ the backs, they look comfy

 

[PintoBean]

FYI I was planning on putting chair socks on my stools, as I do with all my furnishings with legs, but I just found THESE chair socks which are next level! They're going on the stools!

 

[TooPatient]

FYI I was planning on putting chair socks on my stools, as I do with all my furnishings with legs, but I just found THESE chair socks which are next level! They're going on the stools!

The first two stools look super comfortable. Two would be my favorite followed by number one. My next choices would be three then five. Numbers 4 and 6 look less comfortable so I would want to sit in them before judging.

The chair socks.... OMG I LOVE them!!! (DH likes them too and suggested we could find something like that for our chairs... Yay!)

 

[missy]

Love the chair socks. As for which stools are best which would look best in the space? Can you fit the stools with backs comfortably in the space or is it better left open? I love the ones with the curved seats as they should be more comfy to sit on. My fave (depending on the space they will be in) are the last ones for a clean open look.

 

[lambskin]

IMHO, stools need backs.I like the low backs. I try to avoid fabric for chairs in the kitchen-people spill wine, grease stains, flour spillage when making pie crusts/cookies. and spills on counter etc. Plus, it limits selection for other fabrics such as curtains/shades, towels and oven mitts. If you have stainless appliances and/or metal light fixtures, you may take that into consideration as to the metals for your chairs. For example shiny chrome vs. brushed stainless steel. Good luck and enjoy the process!

 

[PintoBean]

My Airbnb has a similar stool to the first 2. Now that you see this what do you think?

 

[Tekate]

just go to Wayfair and peruse.

https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/cat/bar-stools-c46134.html?rtype=9&redir=bar+stools

 

[PintoBean]

Another contender


I'm nixing the ones with backs lololol.

 

[monarch64]

I love the ones with chrome bases but that shiny metal is a bitch to keep clean and I have known this since I was 7 and used to shine the stools along the counter of one of the family businesses once a week that summer. ("To learn the value of a dollar!")

Honestly, if a back is not upholstered/cushioned, or angled just the right amount, it's uncomfortable at any height after about 10 minutes. Backless is fine. I like the nailhead details on some of the examples in this thread.

Have you considered hanging swings from the ceiling? Could come in handy in SO many ways...

 

[PintoBean]

I love the ones with chrome bases but that shiny metal is a bitch to keep clean and I have known this since I was 7 and used to shine the stools along the counter of one of the family businesses once a week that summer. ("To learn the value of a dollar!")

Honestly, if a back is not upholstered/cushioned, or angled just the right amount, it's uncomfortable at any height after about 10 minutes. Backless is fine. I like the nailhead details on some of the examples in this thread.

Have you considered hanging swings from the ceiling? Could come in handy in SO many ways...

I like the swings but I'd need to have them close to the counter and then the swings hitting the counter and chipping would drive me nuts! Also, me in a swing =roof leak.