Fashion Facts and Tips

The most important part of your home bar is the bar stools. The bar stools will help create your bar’s theme, and they’ll definitely be the place where you and your guests will naturally gravitate to during parties and other social gatherings.

Even before considering the bar’s theme, when shopping for bar stools, there are a few things to consider first. Before you even begin to think about what your bar stools should look like, you need to consider the functionality of your bar stools.

The most important feature of the bar stools is the height of the stools. The most typical (and comfortable) height for the bar stool’s seat is between 11 and 12 inches below the bar top. The first consideration when selecting a bar stool is the height of the stool compared to the bar top. Measure the height of the bar top from the floor and select a stool of the appropriate height.

Another feature of the bar stool to consider is the foot rail. Foot rails will not be necessary for your bar stools in the event that your bar has a traditional foot rail attached to the base of the bar. You will definitely want your barstools to have foot rails in the absence of a foot rail attached to your bar. If there’s no place to put your feet while sitting at the bar stool, you will get uncomfortable very quickly.

Another feature of a comfortable bar stool is its back. If you plan on spending much time at your bar, you’re probably going to want backs on your stools, whereas backless bar stools work fine for a 50’s Diner style bar. This is always the case if there is a television in your bar. If there’s no back to the bar stool, you will more than likely get up before long.

Another facet of the bar stool’s functionality is whether or not it swivels. Swivel bar stools usually offer more comfort than stools that don’t swivel. And if you have bar stools that don’t swivel, then the floor under the bar stools will definitely be spoiled as a result of scratching and get worn out earlier. As an extra precaution, you should put floor protectors on your bar stools’ feet to keep your floor free of scratches.

Once you’ve made decisions about the functionality of your bar stools, you can now look for those features in bar stools that fit your bar’s theme.

Keep in mind that finding 33″ stools with foot rails, if you’re trying for the art deco look of the 1920’s and 30’s, may be difficult. Also, 24″ bamboo stools that swivel may be just as hard to find.

It’s often a good idea to design your bar around your bar stools because there are many styles and sizes, both new and antique, that you can choose from.

Tags: designs