Barstools

  Barstools are a type of stool often with a foot rest which, because of their height and narrowness, are designed for seating in a public house or bar. However, barstools are becoming more popular in homes, usually placed at the kitchen counter or at a home bar.

Barstools are becoming more popular because their varied styles not only are more appealing than the common wooden bar stool but actually accentuate the theme of a home. Bar stools allow for a higher view when eating, drinking, or socializing and can add to the atmosphere, given the right bar stool.

There are many different constructions. Barstools are often made of wood or metal. There are bar stools with and without armrests, back, and padding on the seat surface. Barstools can range from basic wooden designs to extremely detailed ones with a custom height for the perfect fit. Extra tall and extra short are common features, as well as indoor bar stools and outdoor bar stools. Some bar stools have backs, while most do not.

In commercial settings, swivel and floor mounted bar stools are common, floor mounting renders the stool less likely to be moved, stolen or even used as a weapon! Floor mounted stools generally are mounted on a column but stools with legs can also be secured to the floor using metal angles.

The normal seat height for a bar stool is 30″ with a twenty six inch stool being used against kitchen counters. Extra tall 36″ stools are increasingly used in contemporary styles with high pub tables to create a striking visual effect in modern interiors. By comparison a conventional dining chair seat height is 18 inches.

The seating industry is a major consumer of polyurethane foam as padding for comfort.

Bar stools can be made from rattan or bamboo and these stools are useful in creating a tiki bar effect. The retro styling of the fifties and sixties is extremely popular in commercial premises and chrome and vinyl stools combined with matching benches or diner chairs are great for creating a retro look.

Similarly in commercial premises stacking stools are often favoured for their space saving qualities and it is common for bar stools and matching chairs to be used.

Aluminum is a good choice of material for stools that will be used outdoors and stacking aluminum stools and patio chairs are extensively used by commercial premises. Indoors wood and upholstery are very popular choices in traditional settings.

Bar stools are commonly used in pool or billiard halls and the style of chair customised for such use is often called a “spectator chair”.

Footstools for function

  This type of footstool, also known simply as a stool, is used as a short stepladder or to support a person’s (usually a child’s) feet that do not reach the floor when seated. In the former case, the footstool is used by placing it on a flat surface and standing on it to extend one’s reach. In the latter case, the footstool is placed under the feet of a sitting person so that the person’s feet may rest comfortably on it. An example of the latter is the type of piano footstool used in conjunction with a piano bench.

Footstools for comfort

  This type of footstool is used to provide comfort to a person seated, for example, in a chair or sofa. It is typically a short, wide, four-legged stool with a padded top, upholstered in a fabric or animal hide such as leather. This type of footstool is also a type of Ottoman and it often referred to simply as an Ottoman. It allows the seated person to rest their feet upon it, supporting their legs at a mostly horizontal level, thus giving rise to use of the term footrest, for this item.

Footstool

  A footstool is a piece of furniture, the purpose of which is to support one’s feet. There are two main types of footstool, which can be loosely categorized into two categories, those designed for comfort and those designed for function.