Bar stools have been a part of our lives for a much longer duration, than we care to acknowledge. Sure, you go into your favorite bar to have a sip of your favorite drink with your mates, and have a good time. But, what you might not have realized is that, a big part of the good time you had at the place, was directly related to the bar stool you were sitting on. If you were sitting on a counter that didn’t have a stool, that wasn’t comfortable, it is presumable that wouldn’t have spent much time sitting there. Isn’t it?
You might not have thought about it, but your bar owner had put in a lot of thought in choosing the correct type of stool with the correct height, correct width, and correct positioning of it around the counter, so that would make you comfortable enough to have a good time there. Yes, bizarre as it may seem, and even though it is ‘ just a stool’, you need to be informed about it. Yes, there’s science in this too, and yes, there is logic behind it too!
Do you know what the correct height and width of your bar stool should be? Do you know what the types of stools you could choose from are? Do you know what type of material you should be using for your upholstery? These are questions you should know the answer to, before you decide to invest in one, unless you wish to keep having that uncomfortable seating arrangement or keep investing in stools, till you finally get one right by luck!
Selecting the correct type of furniture is crucial, whether it is for your commercial space or for your home. Not only does it help form the entire look and feel of your home, shop or office, but also influences social repercussions. For example, a well furnished pub is likely to attract more customers and drive customer loyalty in your direction; similarly, friends and acquaintances are more likely to spend time in a well furnished home, than a one that’s not. This is even more important for bar and restaurant businesses, as furniture plays an integral role in creating the perfect ambience for your customers, that directly helps in shaping the impression of your business, and is liable to make or break your entrepreneurship experience.
For homeowners in the process of redesigning their homes or pub owners contemplating the décor of bars or restaurants, one of the most adaptable pieces of furniture you can come across is a bar stool. They can be the cornerstone of your commercial establishment or your homely dining space, crucial to the complete wining and dining experience, or they can just come in handy when you need to make room for an extra few personnel. If you’re working on a budget, it is important for you to note that shopping for inexpensive bar stools doesn’t necessarily have to mean shopping for below-par stools. You could easily make your bar stools an essential as well as eye-catching decorative accessory that you can design around. Bar stools can be a great accessory to compliment your home kitchen or commercial bar and restaurant, by adding some fresh look to the décor and transforming the space to be fun and welcoming.
Bar Stools for Commercial and Household Purposes
Bar stools are spontaneous, it is a social and interactive spot where you can spot and engage in a conversation with the bartender or the chef in a restaurant, or with your friends and family over a breakfast nibble in the comfort of your own home. The informal nature of the bar stool, allows it to lend its services for vicarious activities.
Experimentation thus, comes easy when dealing with bar stools. If deployed properly you could use the bar stool to connect your floors, ceilings, and walls of home or commercial venture. Weathered wood and metal stools are ideal for recreating a vintage look for a modern space. Plastic stools, on the other hand work great for ice-cream parlors or kids shops or family diners, as they allow the interiors to emanate a more youthful and vibrant vibe. Unique pieces like wicker bar stools or rattan bar stools work wonders if you’re trying to recreate tropical theme for your space.
So, what are some of the things you should know when you are looking to buy a bar stool?
You should be on the lookout for some great lines and some striking visual interest. Bar stools are traditionally a tall affair in any room, and you can spot the legs easily, so whatever the size of bar stool you choose to incorporate with your décor, you should make sure it has great proportions. Selecting the right height of a bar stool can be complicated, as if it’s too short, you can’t reach the counter and similarly, if it’s too high, you’ll have to slouch on the top; neither of which makes for a comfortable seating arrangement and neither looks good. Counter table heights for commercial enclosures usually range between 40 to 45 inches, and you should be opting for a 30 inch bar stool, to accompany the same. If you’re looking for a bar stool that fits into your home dining table or kitchen counter, whose height is usually between 28 to 30 inches, you could also go in for table-height stools that stand at 18-19 inches.
Deciding on elements like whether it needs to swivel or sport a backrest and armrest are best left to personal choice. Although you should know bar stools with no backs are almost always lighter in weight and comparatively consumes lesser space. Thus, backless bar stools would be the ideal choice if you plan to move your stool around to different areas as time progresses, or if you plan to use the stool for multiple purposes, as it allows you the freedom to do so. Bar stools that do have a backrest, are more comfortable to sit in, especially if you plan to occupy the seat for a long time, because it allows you to lean back as you please. Backed bar stools tend to be heavier, and are best suited for areas that you don’t plan to chop and change for a while. Also, it is important to know that a backless bar stool, is better equipped for a swivel mechanism than a stool with back support, although both variants are available in the market.
Bar stools should be well-built and carry some mass or else they might feel insecure or flimsy. Footrests are an essential, especially if you opt for a backless bar stool as otherwise maintaining balance whilst resting on it might be tricky. While deciding on the type of upholstery to use (if you decide to have padding), you should always remember that in the context of having food or snacking or lounging for a drink, it’s always better to sit on a warm surface. Also, the materials you use in the upholstery need to be ones that can be easily cleaned or washed. Leather, microfiber, polyester, plastic and vinyl are examples of materials used for bar stool upholstery that are easy to clean.
A Case for Adjustable Bar Stools
Most bar stools in production today are made to diverse shapes and sizes to suit the needs of various bars, counter tables or tops. The need for adjustable bar stools is not as deeply felt for commercial bars and restaurants; as such establishments are more likely to sport generic or contemporary bar stools that blend in with the specific decor of your business. Thus, boasting adjustable bar stools for bars isn't considered as fundamental, although it might come in handy, if you as an owner decide to refurbish its purpose at a later date.
When you have friends, family or acquaintances over within the confines of your own home though, that is where adjustable bar stools really shines through with its flexibility. This is because, for household purposes, the same bar stool has a greater potency to be used for various functionalities. For example, a bar stool placed at your home might need to seat a child or an elderly relative or an adult, unlike a one that is placed in a bar, as they are more likely to entertain a set demographic. In that case, owning an adjustable bar stool that can be altered to different heights and sizes would be significantly helpful. Adjustable bar stools do not require changes when you procure new counters or tables, and such make for better long-term investments as they should survive in your home for multiple years, even if you change tables, build new counters or move houses altogether.
Adjustable bar stools can not only move up and down, but there are variants that can also move forwards and backwards. This adds a much greater value to the stool, and leaves you with a plethora of options for its usage. It can deliver maximum comfort, especially for individuals who have a larger-than-average frame build. If your idea is to maximize your bar stools usefulness in manifold situations and various crowds, there is little doubt that an adjustable bar stool makes the most sense.