Atticmag | Kitchens, Bathrooms, Interior Design

More than any other choice, seating IMs attitudes about taste, sociabilty and comfort.

Some people take a strictly business approach to kitchens while others want a place to cook that doubles as party- or family-central. And, of course, there’s everything in between. But over the years I’ve been involved in designing kitchens and curating our look-books here at AM, I’ve seen kitchen counter seating – often on one side of an island – become a default requirement, even with a dining table just a few feet away. And those of us who take our cooking seriously know that our kitchens must do double duty as multi-purpose, public rooms where culinary theater productions take place while the audience sits, sips and chews or maybe even lends a hand.

Enter kitchen stools. Basically, we have two types: counter height – about 26 inches, and bar height—about 31 inches. (Chair seats are usually 18-inches).  So, sitting on a kitchen stool requires a stretch or a climb.  This is important to know in the planning stage since bar-height seating tends to be less comfortable for many people than counter height. Yet these spaces often are designed without any specific seating in mind. That can make selection an afterthought, a treasure hunt, a budget nightmare, a style blunder, or perhaps a design asset — as these kitchens illustrate.

High Modern Designer – Harry Bertoia’s stools for Knoll  [top] are immediately recognizable by their wire-cage design. Created in the 1950s, this iconic looker is a frequent pick in high-end kitchens. With originals in the $1000 range (there are less costly copies) this is investment seating with a serious commitment to high style. And with flaring backs and seat cushions, they are comfortable.

Swedish Neo – Sweden’s 18th-century chairs have come to define informal elegance. One Neoclassical form with slatted back and straight tapered legs has been stretched into a bar stool as well — notably by Crate & Barrel where it is renamed “Village” and is a best-seller. As simple wood stools with backs go, this is as classic and classy as it gets. A tie-on seat-cushion easily boosts the comfort quotient and I have never seen one of these painted any color that didn’t work, even pink and silver.

Custom Upholstered – Stools with odd pie-shape upholstered seats, decorative nail heads, barley twist legs and glazed antique white finish broadcast “interior decorator was here.”  These are certainly handsome, well cushioned and stretchers on each side make good foot rests. But these aren’t geared to kids or hunky relatives – the message is feminine and inviting enough for a single glass of wine.

English Saddle – Turn them sideways and these might easily be English saddles (sans stirrups) hanging on spindly forms. While the natural luggage color provides a dash of warmth in a gray kitchen that borders on sterile,  they give off a storage vibe that is barely more cheerful and inviting than the penitentiary-style window. Here’s where a touch of country, mad color or an eccentric base could go far.

Armchair – As singular examples of bar-height stools with arms and seat cushions, these bentwood babies were obviously chosen with eating meals and hanging out in mind. And because the color stays within the same tone as the floor, cabinets and knobs, they are well integrated into the monochromatic idea of this kitchen. But here’s what I don’t get: they completely block access and setting down space for someone cooking at the $8600 CornueFe range.  So these are super stools on a barrier island in a kitchen with an odd plan.

Pop Art – Cut-out dots on fin-shape metal bases of these white stools are nothing short of statement-makers. Mid-20th century leads the way with seating for a half dozen. While the cooks up Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon, guests can gaze at starburst chandys from  upholstered seats. Still, these stools are as much sculpture as seating. Think dinner at the modern museum.

Reclaimed – Handsome and hefty right? Sure, the bases are dynamically coiled, hint at one-off salvage origins, and seem well matched to the cargo pendants. They are also are nice departure from the chippy rusticity of barn wood cabinets. Yet I can’t escape the image of rogue upholstery springs poking up through an old sofa, or a kid’s toy used to bounce around the yard.

Country – Rush seats are standard on country-style furnishings. Combining natural fiber and the ability to give when you sit, they are perennial favorites for good reason. There are no backs and not much leg room under the counter of the New Hampshire Farmhouse kitchen we toured a few months back. So if these are pulled out, they do just fine for perching.

Skirted – Skirting is making a comeback in country and suburban kitchens, laundries and bathrooms as we celebrate our DIY sewing skills and seek inexpensive solutions to concealing our stuff.  And to-the-floor slipcovers have long been used for dining room chairs. While I have a passing worry about getting tangled up in this much yardage, here is s a super look that softens up a simple kitchen. While the skirts may be as manageable as ballgowns, these stools are among the few that they make me want to run right over and sit for a while.

Industrial – This 1940s, French-style stool is gaining steam for it sturdy no nonsense design and adjustable seat. There are many versions, from vintage in the Black and White Smallbone kitchen, to handsome contemporary variations at Design within Reach and Crate and Barrel. The seats are hard but ease of turning makes them well designed for the basic task. Plus they have the lines to pull a traditional kitchen in a slightly more modern direction.

Low Rider – Cut down so the backs don’t interfere with sight lines, this stool is often the choice for super-cool minimalist hipster kitchens. Adjustable and nicely upholstered as well, they possess critical assets when a looks-are-everything choice is paramount.

Elemental – Plain wooden stools come in many forms. I’m partial to this hand-rubbed-look blocky style that reminds me of Asian woodworking. Note the gently curved seats with contrasting joinery details. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether these are fabulously handcrafted and expensive or great knock offs from Pier 1. In either case, they never intrude or assert themselves, which is part of their just-basic appeal.

Deco Chic – Lightweight and chic, galvanized steel stools are a popular choice for kitchens this year, plus they have a great backstory. Officially called Tolix Marais Counter stools, they come in chair-, counter- and bar-heights (18-30”) and were originally designed by French metal worker Xavier Pauchard in the 1930s. Still made in Burgundy for Design within Reach, they stack, have rubber feet and their utility and clean lines are uncontested. Best of all, they are afforedable  – the original reason industrial products came into use at home.

(Sources: Bonesteel Trout and Hall, House Beautiful,  Hutker Architects, Nate Berkus, Ivette/Pinterest, Lucy Interior Design, Smith and Vansant,  pinterest, pinkwallpaper, Jeff Andrews, Kitchen Lab, Gardenweb)