Here are mine:

These are from Costco, less than $100 each (maybe $70-something?) in October 2011. Unlike many, we didn't agonize over the choice. When the time came, Costco had these and they looked good, so we bought them. Nearly a year later, I still like them and they're comfortable to sit in. Actually, visitors gravitate to them over other seating choices. My 4-year old grandson climbs up and down with no problem. They do swivel, so we put acrylic bumpers on the chairs at the point where the chair back hits the counter. You can see the bumpers in the first pic.

weissman, you kindred spirit you.

linelle, you cracked me up, too! You reminded me of the funniest thing I just read in a magazine that I've been wanting to share: "The shower and toilet should each have a dedicated task light, such as a recessed canister light...Place the fixtures on dimmer switches so that light levels can be adjusted depending on the mood and task at hand."

You're welcome, breezygirl - those stools look so great in your kitchen. I've been meaning to ask what you put on the bottom to protect your wood floors, and I'm too polite to ask now because I don't want to hijack the thread. :)

pektel - I love, love, love your stools.

I am in total sympathy with this question, because we are supposed to move in in four weeks (less, even!) and I do spend a fair amount of time sitting at the counter stools on the peninsula. Prepping, making lists, using the laptop, etc. Our last counter stools came with the house and are very wobbly and sort of ugly, but since consigning them to oblivion (or in other words, leaving them there saying "trash" and having the workmen using them to put their stuff on), I realize they are really pretty comfortable compared to the VERY FEW stools I have been able to find to sit in in real life.

They had backs but not arms. They looked like the attached photo. They did not swivel. They required gluing the legs on, on a fairly regular basis.

I think I'd like something similar but I haven't see much IN REAL LIFE. I think I'd also like the swivel feature as long as the seat part was still square, rather than circular. I imagine that the swivel feature would mean easier getting in/getting out without moving the floor legs too much.

As with so many of these house purchases, I want to SEE the item before I buy it. I know that is really weird or something. What did the rest of you do? Buy "blind" and just returned and returned until you got what you wanted? Can you show me your upholstered counter (not BAR!) stools and where you got them?

THANKS!

Drbeanie

We have the same ones as Suzannes - they belong to our landlord, though. I didn't know they came from Costco! They are relatively comfortable and quite sturdy.

Ours are a little banged up where they hit the counter, though. I should have thought of the bumpers.

Suzanne -- I had no idea these stools were available at Costco! I have been eyeing them for a really long time! Had I known.... I wonder if they're still there; I just never thought to look?

DH doesn't want swivel but I do -- I think they'd save the floor a bit. Plus, I know i like to swivel :) dd's do sit in these things for long stretches of time doing HW, so more-comfortable would be better than less. Though I agree that cushioning does not at all necessarily mean comfortable - I think that's more in the realm of the actual shape of the seat.

So OK, I'm not too polite to hijack the thread and as it's "mine", I think I can't anyway:
Breezy -- how do you protect your floors please? ;)

Dr Beannie -- is there some difference between bar and counter stools other than height? Bar are pretty tall, right? And counter are higher than regular chair, but not by much....

mpag - at least I'm not the only one who should have thought more carefully before typing....

Here they are ... only they're a lot closer to $200+ than $100- nowadays. :(

These are 26" barstools. We have a 36" island and the lower barstool heights didn't seem right. Incredibly comfortable, they are a hit with all. We supplied our own fabric, the microsuede, which is more or less impermeable to stains. Original goal was to blend in with the grey island (I was thinking about repainting for a while); hence the color. Purchased from NC (my home state), they were slightly less since COM.

Today's project, grouting my cutting board cabinet. The fruit is not staged, just kept here in easy reach:)

PS - linelle, ha!

Here is a link that might be useful: Source of stools (hee hee)

I picked out our kitchen finishes relatively quickly, but it took me forever to find stools.

I knew I wanted swivel. I knew I wanted fabric to give the room some additional texture. I knew I wanted something a little different, and was so tired of seeing the same thing over and over at the chain stores and online.

I ended up getting these sight unseen, but I did see some dining chairs by the manufacturer in person so I could at least see the quality. I liked the fact that they are made in the U.S., and that I could choose my own fabric and wood finish. They're from Saloom, really comfortable and extremely well-made. I chose the particular fabric/finish to tie in with the floor and the backsplash. Not a great picture, but you get the idea.

I guess I've been dealing with so many stool issues lately that I didn't even blink at the title. :)

Dead calm?!? Calming is what I was going for with the kitchen. I feel enough chaos from my life. But...when in use my space looks like...

Having the background fixtures and materials serene helps me function in this mess! I try to return the kitchen to the dead calmness at the end of every day as it's the only room put together enough since the reno that I can do that.

As to the stools, they are sturdy enough to not tip when my 2yo monkey gets crazy with a tantrum during a meal/snack. I've seen her stand on them briefly knowing she's going to get in big trouble so sits down quickly. The cats jump around on them also with no issue. The base is wide and weighted appropriately. On the other hand, they are light weight enough to slide easily. Just for an FYI (not that anyone asked ;) ), DH put those little felt pads like from HD or Lowes on the bottom of the feet for floor protection. I've noticed that they help the stools slide easier. We have them on everything that touches the wood floor. I wish they didn't collect the cat fur so much because I'd like to avoid the extra step of pulling it off when vacuuming.

It took me so long to type my last reply that Aliris asked the same question about the floor as Mpag while I was composing. There ya go!

My apologies in advance, alaris19, I think asking to see tall chairs (I can't even think the word without cracking up) along with where they're used is an excellent topic.

(Stop reading, serious people).

I know I really shouldn't post this, but now I can't stop thinking of other thread titles... What color are your stools? How soft are your stools? And of course, the old standby: whose stools are these?

Well, far be it from me to overlook a thread about stools! :)
I am embarrassed to say that pretty much no thought went into our stools. We bought them because they matched the PB Napoleon chairs we use at our breakfast table (which were also purchased with no thought as to function.,,ds was an infant when we bought them, and we weren't experienced enough parents to know that toddlers + woven rush seats = a not so clean combination!) I at one time liked the look of them (now bored with them) but dang it...they just might be the only indestructible PB around! I keep waiting for a leg to fall off or something! I am hesitant to replace them now as ds and dd, while older (12 and 9) are still plenty rough on things...plus all of the friends! So...I guess I"ll keep them a bit longer...
Here is same tired pic I always post....:)

I wanted swivel stools as I thought that might allow four to be used at our counter instead of three. They are very tight but it works for us for now as it keeps our 3 LOs from getting up and down several times during meals. I also knew I wanted leather as our old counter height table stools looked so gross after, again, three LOs ate every meal at them. I can wipe these down quickly and easily.

We bought these at an overstock rotating furniture warehouse for about $129 each. I think the brand is Berkline, model is Donovan.

For my barstools I wanted comfortable - meaning a decent back and actually sit -in-and-try-it-out comfy, no swivel, no arms, relatively simple and unfussy, and easy to clean - ie no fabric

These fit the bill. Had I seen some clear acrylic ones that I liked sooner I might have tried to see how those looked in the space (to avoid blocking out the fun of my red island!), but I'm really happy with these. Here's a photo:

posting threads or googling info about stools is always good for a laugh!

I don't have a good picture of my stools in context, but I do have one of them "in action" ...

These are made by Acme 07258 and were not terribly expensive. I think about $50 each ??? They are padded and swivel and don't have a back on them that renters can swivel and bang into the countertop.

{{!gwi}}

Hmm... Since we are talking about stools, maybe all of you have an idea for me.

I am looking for something like the stools in the below picture (from crate and barrel) on that swivel. Any ideas?

Not done yet, but these were on sale at cb2 for $50 each. Bought 3, then they sent 4. So...cheap. Not sure if they still carry them though.

breezy, you really ought to take something for your stool issues. See, once you're primed for this stuff, it's hard to stop. I was trying to tell my friends about my red stools and nobody wants to even talk to me anymore.

Also, breezy, can I just say how refreshing it is to see your lovely zen pristine kitchen in the throes of stuff happening.

I am actually taking something, or more doing something, for my stool issue. I had a colonoscopy almost two weeks ago! LOL! Warning: don't drink any red liquid before a colonoscopy or they will think you *do* have red stools! ;)

And yes, my kitchen is sometimes a disaster area in a fit of cooking and baking. Like people like to say, "it's a working kitchen."

Sorry to go so OT, Aliris!

Breezy, thanks for bringing up colonoscopys! If you're over 50, this needs to become part of your healthcare routine. For those like me who have a family history of colon cancer, you need to start at age 40. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

We have two different stool styles and heights in our kitchen. At the island which is counter height I wanted to mimic our dining room chairs. These swivel and are very comfortable.

At our raised peninsula I was looking for something less intrusive so decided on these without backs. They swivel too and are extremely comfortable.

I'm LOL'ing. Greatly relieved (!) that people with such tastefully done kitchens can still laugh at allusions to poop.

It's dark and even with the lights on can't seem to get a good picture but here they are. There are 3 at the counter height kitchen bar that opens to Great Room. They look a lot better in person, the color is all off (cell phone pix).

I meant to say bar height instead of counter height...sorry!

Ours are "Way" stools made by Calligaris (Italy). Our primary criteria was comfort, so we had to sit in them. We got them in Seattle (we live in E. WA) and they were not inexpensive; I don't remember what they cost and I'm not home so I can't look it up. But they are REALLY comfortable. The picture doesn't show it but we have our iPad set up on the bar and I sit there for longs periods of time with no problems (and I'm old). The other important factor for us was we did not want wood as we have a lot of that going on with cherry cabs, maple floor and a pecan dining room table and chairs.

Just changed the covers on mine since they were a little too boring- these are Ikea and I have to say I love them:)

Ours are the Baba leather counter stools. We ordered them from Design Centro Italian in CA, without actually seeing them in person. They were the ONLY place that carried them in leather. We did check out the wood version at an outlet store (an hour away), figuring, if they were even somewhat comfortable in wood, they'd likely be even more so in padded leather.

Luckily they were comfortable, as they fit our requirements. We wanted black leather, low-profile (small space, so needed a small footprint, not overpowering in looks stool), four metal legs (not powder coated), not a post type base, no swivel, with a back. Style wise they fit our taste and decor perfectly.

just had it brought to my attention that all this talk of poo had me forgetting the details of my stool. Since enquiring minds want to know. It is a lovely and simple stool that can be found in a wide array of colours. I loved the orange stool but it would stand out a bit too much in my kitchen, so I decided on the black stool instead. OK, enough poo humour for one night.

Sorry my American friends, mine defaults to the Canadian website, but you can still find where to buy them in the US from there.

It is the Chair Tech Venice.

Cheers!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chair Tech

Our kitchen is small so I didn't want to add more visual objects to an already small space.
Because of that I insisted on backless stools that I could hide until the peninsula overhang.

Pottery Barn Seagrass stools.

Jodi-

oldbat - you're so speedy! That tiled towel nook looks tremendous.

Let me just note that (1) you're any and all more than welcome to hijack any thread as far as I'm concerned and (2) I'm ever so happy so many find such relief here.... :)

I also wanted to note the array of photos has great impact.

etc.

gr8day where are yours from?

@beagles I got them at the Atlanta Merchandise Mart some years ago. They are so comfortable and swivel which I really like.

some really nice stools. We wanted something cheaper and low profile, so these are working great for us, getting a little play doh action:

Here's ours: Holland Stool Co. Nickel finish with charcoal PVC free vinyl. Super easy to clean with two messy kids. Memory swivel design. Semi-comfortable-very cushy. I always prefer to sit at the dining table though.

Hello,

Here's mine. I chose them because I wanted something modern, and I wanted something clear so that the back side of my island was visible!

We use two kinds- the brown stools along the side and the backless black on the ends (the brown would stick out too far).

"Please show me your stools in context"

maybe I have just been at too many doctor's appointments lately for a family member, but this title struck me as really funny....

Since our kitchen is kind of vintage with white, soapstone, etc. we wanted a more modern feel for the stools to give it contrast. We only had room for 3 because of the length of the peninsula so they also couldn't be too bulky. They are leather and were very reasonable Here's ours:

One add'l comment- some manufacturers will let you specify the stain or paint color for the frame, as well as select or provide material for the stool. It takes a little longer but price is often the same.

I can't resist.

I discovered my cat liked beet juice once when I was making a salad with fresh beets.

Imagine my HORROR when I cleaned the litter box and all that red poop was in there!!! It took me a few to calm down once I recalled him happily slurping up beet juice.

I don't have .. um .. stools in my kitchen because my peninsula is too shallow. Oh well!

Really cool stools in this thread thanks for posting. Cat mom love your leather stools. Awesome! Beautiful kitchens everyone.

Ratrem - what a pretty kitchen! At first I thought you had a giant humongous baguette on your table though. I was so jealous, ha!

The old beet trick. Who hasn't nearly had a heart attack because they forgot they ate beets earlier in the day?

OT comments

ratrem - beautiful kitchen. Where did you get your stools? When I was looking I could only find that shape is light wood and I wanted dark wood.

breezygirl - yes, the old fur balls from the cats wrapped around the floor protector dilemma. It seems every couple of days I'm walking around the house lifting chairs to pull those furballs off.

My stools are like mpagmom's and breezy's except where the wood is I have woven dark leather. But the metal base is the same. It appeals to my sense of clean, unadorned, simple lines.

linelle - I announce a "beet alert" at the dinner table when I serve beets. Saves a lot of hysteria! :) The beet alert is in affect for 48 hours...

Ratrem & cottonpenny -- me too! I couldn't make that thing out ... thought you were taking the pun of this thread-title a little too seriously. It looks like you have a pretty hand-pegged table too.

I have another, related question: is there any consensus regarding comfort? square v rounded edges? molded wood v flat? padded v wood v leather? I had thought the swivel issue could permit more stools stuffed into less space but on other threads this has been discounted; swivels may mostly be related to banging up counters and keeping kids safe, not to mention floors.

And here's the last question: why are stools so expensive? Don't answer that....

I wanted modern(ish), comfortable, with a back and a foot rest and a great colour. I really wanted these:

But they were too expensive, so settled on these:

We've been very happy with them.

Oh, I looked and looked and looked and sat and sat and sat ... eventually ended up with these from Ballard Designs:

Context: wanted some warmth (the rush seats) to bring in some of the pine we have in the room (breakfast table, and a couple of armoires and a hutch), the gold in the marble, and the brass hardware. Also, the spindles on the legs added a bit of curve to a room with lots of straight lines. I have another French country-ish armchair, with rush seat and spindle legs, elsewhere in the room. The black finish echoes the soapstone counters.

The stools have been great. Kids are older, so the rush hasn't gotten dirty. It does leave marks on the back of your legs when you wear shorts, so I bought some cheap cushions at World Market for summer use. The black finish is starting to get a little worn, where we put our feet, but I figure black is easy enough to paint over.

seg.... I absolutely ADORE your island

Thanks, remodelfla! Apparently fruit flies love it just as much as you (and I) do. :-(

Here's ours.

We wanted comfort for full-sized adults, we wanted sturdy, we wanted swivel and footrest. No kids involved. Our designer selected the fabric. We've had them for a year and they are working great.