How to choose the best counter stools with backs for island and peninsula kitchens from ikea
Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the kitchen of your dreams… What would your kitchen look like? Marble countertops and all white? Navy cabinets with subway tile running down the walls? I think we can all come up with something absolutely beautiful that we would love to have in our homes.
Beyond aesthetics, what functional features do you want? If you had to vote for a live audience right now, a lot of hands went up in favor of a large island or peninsula with room for a few bar stools. Eat-in kitchens are big these days. (for a good reason!). We believe that one of the top requests for new kitchen designs is an island or peninsula with seating.
I agree with you on this but look for a good stool for your bar. Please think about it. How often have you sat at a bar and found your stools too high, too short, difficult to move, or just plain uncomfortable? It’s just a chair, right?); if you’ve ever had an uncomfortable experience with a bar stool, you’ll quickly realize there’s a lot more to choosing the right one. More than you think.
A quick search reveals that there are a million options. I think a lot of people just want to close their eyes, pick one at random, and cross their fingers that it works because it can get overwhelming very quickly.
Please no! I’m here to help!
We have created a small guide on how to find bar stools. This makes finding the right one faster and easier. Let us begin!
When choosing a bar stool for your kitchen, you should take into account four main points: height and size, with or without backrest, material, and Style.
Height and size:
We should start by pointing out that when we talk about height, we mean how high the seat is off the ground. The size refers to the width, depth, and total height of the stool.
Let me tell you the first part of how to easily choose the height of the stool. Actually, you can’t choose the height of the stool. Your counter too. As a general rule, if your island or peninsula countertop has the same height as the rest of the countertops, we recommend using stools at the height of the countertop. If you have a higher counter than any other, we recommend using stools at bar height. These terms are in your quest to display stools in a suitable height range.
This is one of the rules I don’t break. I don’t think anyone likes to sit on high stools with normal-height countertops. I can’t cross my legs and have to bend over to rest my elbows or eat. The same goes for stools that are too short for the height of the counter: feel like little children at an adult table!
By the way, “bar height” and “counter height” stools have different heights, so let’s pay attention to that too. For example, if you have children in your family who often sit on the counter-height kitchen island, you might opt for a stool on the higher side of the counter-height stool range.
In general, counter height stools are 23 to 28 inches tall (floor to seat), and bar height stools are 29 to 32 inches tall. There should be about 10 inches between the seat and the top of the table.
For the size of bar stools, consider how many you need and how much seating space you have. Leave a space of 6 to 10 inches between each stool so everyone is comfortable and they don’t bump elbows. If you need more stools at the counter, consider choosing smaller stools.
Back or backless:
Consider how you plan to use the area of the bar and its surroundings to determine if you have a back (or option C: low back!).
Stools with backs tend to be more comfortable, so if you know you’ll be sitting or sitting for long periods of time, this might be for you. For example, if you live in a small apartment, that bar area may be the only space to eat, so you may need seating such as dining room chairs. Choose a stool with a back.
If you live in an open-plan home where the kitchen overlooks the dining room, you may want to consider a low profile (no back). Vision! This is how our house is set up, so we chose some simple stools that fit neatly under the counter and don’t conflict with the chairs in the dining room.
There are no hard and fast rules for back/backless considerations. It’s about how you live, how your house is set up, and how much time your butt spends there!
Material:
This is another one where lifestyle is a big factor in determining which way to go.
Do you want something that is easy to clean and low maintenance? An all-wood or all-metal chair may be suitable. If you want a little more cushion but still want an easy-to-clean part, a seat cushion upholstered in stain-resistant leather or fabric might do the trick. Or maybe comfort is your biggest motivation, in which case you can choose a stool with an upholstered seat and back.
The important thing is to be honest with yourself about what material works best for your current life, not for life in the world of your dreams. 😉
style:
Bar stools come in every shape, color, and Style imaginable. We intentionally put Style at the bottom of our list of things to consider when choosing a stool. Because you want to make sure you pick something that works well in your kitchen before you fall in love with something that doesn’t. In real life!
Whether your style is modern, minimalist, or traditional, there is something for everyone. You can quickly review all the options that appear in Style to create a list of suggestions.
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