Recently I did an interview for the Daily Herald newspaper and provided some expert design advice on barstools for their Home and Garden section.
Confession time. I remodeled the kitchen in my first house, and then never bought stools for the counter that opened to the dining room. I was never sure how tall they should be.
Of course, these days it is probably easy to find formulas for this question online. However, we decided it would be more fun to check in with a few area designers to give us solid information about using stools.
Adele Lampert, owner of a firm in Barrington, lays out the numbers for us.
• Traditional bar height is 42 inches high, and the seat should be 30 inches from the floor.
• Kitchen counters are 36 inches tall, and the trend of extending them for more work surface, an eating area and options for buffet serving requires a 24-inch high seat.
• And desk or table height is 30 or 31 inches, so you will want seats 18 inches high.
Here's another nagging question. Why do we have tall bars and bar-height tables, anyway? Lampert designed a great kitchen with a table at the end of an island for casual, quick dining with easy clean up and "normal" height chairs.
But Edyta Czajkowska, whose Des Plaines company carries her name (EDYTA & CO. INTERIOR DESIGN), offers an explanation:
"It's a more casual way of sitting. It brings the whole bar arena into the kitchen. The cook can prepare food, and guests can eat appetizers or drink wine and provide an audience. People like to be elevated and overlook everything."
So even though your guests might be risking ankle injuries when they hop up on their stools, it gives them a feeling of relaxation and partying, right?
Ah ha, members of the American Society of Interior Designers, like Lampert and Czajkowska, do not just combine pretty colors. They also take safety into consideration.
That's why a tall stool should have a foot rail on it, and there could be one on the bar in front of the stool, too, Czajkowska says.
That makes the whole scenario safer and more comfortable.
And the rail should go all the way around the stool for stability's sake, Lampert adds.
Here are other points to consider from our designers.
• Stools with backs are more comfortable, but the backless ones tuck under the counter better, a consideration when space is tight.
• Arms take up a lot of room, another factor to consider is space is at a premium.
•And Lampert warns that it's really annoying for your guests if the arms don't fit under the bar when they are trying to move closer or swivel.
• Swiveling stools make it easy to turn to talk with your neighbors or to get up or down.
Your designer can recommend commercial fabrics that are gorgeous, stain resistant and comfortable to cover that padding that will convince your guests to stay longer, says Czajkowska.
And you will notice your favorite stores make chairs available in different heights. Repeating the style from table to bar can unify a room, she says.
And the last words come from Lampert.
• Wood frames give a furniture look and can be enhanced with hand painting, distressing, glazing or metallic highlights.
• Leather is great for keeping clean when food and drink are involved, and faux leather can be comfortable as well as economical.
• A fabric you love can cover the back of the chair while avoiding worries about anyone spilling on it.
