Are you planning on furnishing your kitchen or home bar? A stylish, comfortable set of bar stools could be the exact thing you need.

A bar stool can cost you anywhere between £60 to upwards of £1,200 each, depending on the quality of construction, the style, and the fabric. The mid-range price for a bar stool is between £150 and £300. So, considering you’re making quite an investment, it’s worth doing some research and thinking about what you actually need to fit into your kitchen or home bar, before purchasing. We’ve outlined some things to think about below.

How high should your bar stools be?

The height of the bar stools is very important, since you will need to comfortably sit on the bar stool seat at the benchtop. Ideally you would allow 25cm from the bar stool seat to the underside of the benchtop. Or opt for a fully adjustable stool so you can adjust it to fit perfectly.

What style do you like?

There are so many different design styles to choose from: Traditional, Designer, Modern, Ultra modern, Minimalist, Cottage or Scandi etc.

You have a choice of seat styles, including: Backless, With a back, With armrests, Swivel, or Upholstered.

Plus there are different shapes of the stool seat to consider, including: Square, Round, Saddle, Ergonomic.

There are also different stool leg styles to choose from: Four-legged, Pedestal, Sleigh and Tripod.

Bear in mind that the budget you have may determine the styles you can choose from.

What level of comfort do you want?

Bar stool seats range from bare wood to deep foam-padded cushioning. Decide how much comfort the stools need to provide, i.e. how long you and your family will be sitting in them. Bear in mind, they’re not intended to be as comfortable and relaxing as a sofa or armchair.

Other features you might like

There are some bar stools with swivel seats and ergonomic backrest supports, which may increase the level of comfort. Also, don’t forget to look for a well-positioned footrest that feels comfortable under your feet.

Other features you may look for include: Wipeable surfaces, Washable fabric, Durability of the seat material, Durability of the legs material and Maintenance requirements. Check the details with the supplier before you buy to ensure you’re buying a product that will last a long time.

How much space do you have?

Last but not least, it’s vital to ensure the bar stools you like will fit when you get them home, so you’ll need to take some measurements first.

Measure the gap between the floor and the underside of the kitchen benchtop, or the home bar. Allow a minimum of 25cm gap from the seat to the underside of the benchtop.

And in terms of how many bar stools you should fit at the benchtop, allow 1.5 x the width of the bar stool legs per person. So if the width of the stool at the base of the legs is 100cm, allow 150cm space for each stool, for optimal use.

Top picks from Studio 15 Interiors

We’ve selected our 8 top picks for stylish and comfortable home bar stools to suit all budgets.

If you need help visualising these new bar stools in your kitchen or home bar, get in touch, we can help you with a Room Design project.

Our top 8 choices of bar stools are as follows:

*Top 8 bar stool picks from Studio 15 Interiors*

1. High quality & customisable

Make a statement with this high quality, customisable bar stool. Choose the stool height, whether it swivels or not, fabric colour & fabric texture and the wood used for the stool legs.
££££ (£1,155 each)
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2. Ultra modern designer style

The silhouette of each chair is clearly defined with an interweaving hybrid of shapes supported on a slender four leg base with footrest. This Masters Stool is both generous and comfortable and is available in various colours. Made in Italy.
£££ (£362 each)
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3. Easily stored

These cost-effective, simple bar stools are stackable, meaning you can put them away out of sight when you’re not using them. Made from strong tubular steel frame and ash veneer seats. Available in 4 bright colours, as well as a classic black leg version with wooden veneer seat and white legs with a wooden veneer seat.
£ (£59 each)
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4. High back leather

This traditional styled real leather bar stool upholstery is made from aniline leather, which means it’s the highest quality available. The seat swivels 360 degrees too.
£££ (£399.99 each)
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5. Scandi style

Retro Scandinavian bar stool upholstered in vegan leather, available in 3 different upholstery colours. The ergonomically designed seat and sturdy walnut frame will suit minimalistic homes.
££ (£120 each)
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6. Backless leather

Great value for real leather! This traditional style simple design is available in custom sizes, custom leather seat cover colours and a wide variety of steel framed legs. Something for every kitchen or home bar area. Hand built in Wales.
££ (£139 each)
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7. Sustainable

The most sustainable bar stools you can buy will be found in second-hand shops, your local vintage shops and charity furniture shops. Or if you’re shopping online try Vinterior, or Reyooz, eBay or Facebook Marketplace. You might be lucky!

Or look for bar stools that have recycled fabric upholstery. Equally sustainable are bar stools that have legs made from FSC certified wood.
£ varies
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8. Upholstered

This comfortably padded bar stool is available in two heights to suit the height of your benchtop. Choose from 8 different colours of fabric. We like that the fabric is sustainable velvet, containing recycled plastic bottles, which is soft to the touch.
££ (£159)
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If you are planning a big party at home, download our checklist to help you with the planning.

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Choosing bar stools for your home