The Hunt for the Perfect Barstool

We have lived in this house for nearly seven years now, and have made lots of changes over that time period.  I’ve painted the kitchen cabinets, we installed hardwood floors, gave our fireplace an overhaul, removed our pond and had a paver patio installed, and painted almost every wall in the house at least once, including the exterior.  But one thing that has remained unchanged in our home since the start – the barstools in our kitchen.  And I really don’t like them.  They’re a mix of wood, metal and have an upholstered seat – not my style.  They have a curved piece of metal along the sides of the backrest that seem to be a magnet for me to whack my arm on when I’m walking by – bruising myself in the process.  They just stick out too much and aren’t very pleasing to the eye.  However, they are pretty comfortable, so I’ll give them snaps for that at least.  But, in the hunt for the perfect barstool, I have yet to find anything that I couldn’t live without to replace them.  This post contains some affiliate links.

There are so many options when it comes to barstools – upholstered, wood, metal.  With a back or without?  Swivel or no swivel?  Arms or armless?  I guess part of my indecision is that what I want, and what is practical, are two different things.  I have kids, so we need to live in that reality, since I plan on actually allowing them to sit on the barstools.  In a perfect world, I find myself drawn to barstools like these from my favorite Homearama house this year (although I somehow neglected to include this photo in the tour):

I like that they have a back on them, but it’s not overpowering.  I love the upholstered look, with the great graphic print, and the nailhead detail.  Most importantly, they look comfortable (although I don’t think they swivel).  They’re gorgeous, but probably not the most kid-friendly.  However, my kids are getting older, so is it possible to consider such a style?  One other item to note is that this is a counter-height island, whereas mine is a bar height breakfast bar.  I wish I had just a single flat surface like this instead of a two-tiered breakfast bar, as I think the options for counter-height stools are more stylish.  But, it is what it is.

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Leather Swivel

I mentioned that our current barstools swivel, which is one thing that I do like about them.  These sharp looking leather swivel barstools with nailhead trim look sleek, stylish and comfortable.  A winning trifecta.  AND, the leather makes for super easy cleanup.  They also come in brown and black.

Woven Texture

These woven barstools from Ballard Designs caught my eye for their pretty texture, and they also look pretty comfortable, with the padded seat.  I also like that they will tuck nicely under the bar when you’re not sitting in them.  Nothing for me to whack my arm on when I’m walking by – bonus.

Another elegant looking woven barstool here, with a pretty graphic print on the seat to go along with it.  Lower arms, room to sit and be comfortable too.  

Tufted Comfort

A comfortable, tufted barstool always catches my attention, and this pretty charcoal gray tufted barstool has a high class look to it.  I would just have to make sure that I Scotchguard it before I allow my kids to sit there.

 

Speaking of tufted barstools, this is another beautiful upholstered barstool, but the tufting is actually on the back of the barstool.  Again, some pretty nailhead trim takes this one up a notch in my book.  I like the curved profile on this one too – since it will tuck in underneath the counter nicely.

Classic Lines

This pretty gray and white barstool with wood trim appeals to me from a symmetrical perspective (I love the striped lohttps://rstyle.me/n/crutmicb3sfok), as well as the mix of the gray with the lighter wood tones.  That is a color combination I just can’t get enough of right now.  Again, I’m starting to notice a common theme with the nailhead trim.

Backless Beauty

I love the idea of tucking my barstool underneath the breakfast bar, so there’s nothing sticking out or up in your line of sight.  However, given the amount of time that we all spend sitting in these barstools, function needs to take precedence over form in this scenario.  But these backless barstools with a fun are really sharp, don’t you think?

Do you have any favorites out of this group?  Am I the only one who struggles with choosing barstools?  I swear, it’s been on my list since we moved here, and yet, I can’t make up my mind. I guess it’s because barstools are something that I won’t replace again anytime soon.  

What makes a good barstool in your experience?

Jenny

 

 

 

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