I Made The Decision On My Kitchen Barstools!

   

With a breakfast bar you need barstools, but what style and silhouette will you need?

With the recent reno of my kitchen I decided I did not want anything to detract from my new marble counter tops, and it needed to blend, or coordinate with the fabrics used in my family room which can be seen from the kitchen.....

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I knew it would need to be a solid, check or stripe in blues, white, or black to mix well with all of my existing fabrics.

The very first thing I do in this process is to start saving images of barstools that I am attracted to.

At this point I am merely looking at the style of the barstool. 

When you do this and go with your instincts of what you really like, You will start to see one or maybe two designs that keep emerging.

Once I have several options I get down to the nitty gritty and get practical.

This is where you need to ask yourself a few questions………

Who will be using the barstools most frequently?

Do they need to be easy to clean?

How high and how wide can they be? (take measurements at this point)

Do you want them to stand out and make a statement, or do you want them to blend in with the area?

Do you want them to swivel?

Do you want a back on them or just a stool to sit on?

How comfortable do they need to be?

The first thing I knew for sure is, I did not want the back of the barstool to be too high….

The height of this barstool's back rest seemed to be perfect to me.

I am kind of in love with this entire room.

In looking at these barstools closely I could tell they had slipcovers! That would be the answer to making them easy to keep clean.

I already have lived with my dining room chairs slipcovered, and they have survived years of family dinners, and spills so I knew I could handle a slip cover!

I just spot clean these and throw them in the washing machine.

I gathered up images of the barstools that I seemed to gravitate towards…….

Love the horizontal stripes in this image. So far I am loving stripes and checks for fabric choices.

I already  have checks in my family room……

The designer in me also likes to challenge myself with trying something a bit new and unexpected…….

Could I use one bench?

 

Unfortunately, not very practical for three people to sit that close together while eating. 

Two people would be fine, but not three, and I have the need for three people to be able to sit at my breakfast bar.

I love how different this look is, but sometimes different will not fulfill the needs.

The other style of barstool that seemed to fit most if not all of my requirements was the French Bistro Stool…

 Now I have narrowed it down to two styles that meet all of my criteria.  

The next step is to think of living with both styles from the stand point of…..

Price point

Longevity of style, (will I tire of it after awhile?)

After thinking long and hard, and sourcing different barstools I decided I could live with one particular style long term. 

As much as I love the French Bistro style barstools I  found that I tired of the look after awhile. 

I know they are quite trendy right now, but for me it just felt like it was just not quite right.

That left me with the simple silhouette of this barstool……

Simple silhouette, a touch of black in the legs and it can be slipcovered in any fabric I choose, if I have a slipcover made.

I found these at Ikea, but they did not have any in stock at the time. 

Of course I began sourcing other barstools with the same silhouette while still checking back on the barstools at Ikea.

I was finding the same look, but not with a slip cover, and at a price point 3 times higher. 

I was just about to give up when I checked back with Ikea for the 3rd time, and they had them back in stock. This is where patience plays a key roll in decision making.

Since I needed 3 barstools that could be slipcovered I preferred the Ikea barstools over the others I found that were similar in style.

I ordered the stools and they now reside in my home.

This is not where the story ends.

 

Since I like a touch of whimsy and something a bit different I am going to add something to my barstools…..

I am going to have numbers embroidered on the backs. I love letters and numbers and have used them both throughout my home.

This is the perfect touch of whimsy for me.

I am also thinking of giving some fabric to my upholsterer and have him make some slip covers in a black and white stripe……

and also in the same blue and white check that is in my family room…..

I am getting affordability, practicality and versatility all in one barstool!