Bar stools have quickly become a household essential, making their way from the restaurant and bar environment to our homes, complimenting bar tables and counters alike. Whether they're used at breakfast time, for a few drinks in the evening or during a party in full swing, the allure is obvious. There is a bar stool for every individual out there, with a whole host of designs available in several resplendent colours.

Oak Bar Stools Swivel

Indeed, shopping for bar stools can be bewildering at times due to such choice, so here follow a few hints for what to look out for when narrowing down your choice.

Oak Bar Stools Swivel

The first thing to note is that bar stools are made to function either at a commercial height or at a domestic height. Commercial height stools are the taller of the two, sitting at around the 100cm mark, with the seat roughly lying 75 to 80cm high, while domestic stools are lower at about 90cm with a 65 to 70cm-high seat. This is because commercial bars are taller than home kitchen worktops, the natural habitat of the domestic stool.

Both types typically come in one of two guises; with four legs or with a central column, which roughly dictates the design. You will find that those with four legs do tend to be the more 'traditional' designs, while the central column usually suggests 'modern'. That said, there are innumerable crossovers and both can be found in anything from achingly retro to highly contemporary. While it is true that most wooden bodied stools have four legs (the properties of the wood itself being the major reason), you will find metal stools in both camps, as well as others like acrylic and ABS stools.

While many columned bar stools come with a gas lift to allow the user to raise or lower the stool some do not have variable height; all stools with four legs have fixed seat height. However, don't be under the impression that 360 degree swivel is only available with stools with a central column as a number of legged stools also offer rotating seats.

Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of metal bar stools is the finish on the frame, which is most commonly in the form of chrome plating or brushed steel. A chrome finish is achieved by electroplating the frame with a chromium alloy, which makes it durable and hard wearing as well as giving it a distinctive mirror finish. Chromed stools originated in the old American diners and are a mainstay in the bar stool world - but brushed steel is ever growing in popularity. The light, horizontal, brushed effect on the metalwork gives it a more subdued, matt look making these stools an ideal addition to a kitchen that features a number of steel appliances for a sleek, uniform look.

Sleek and Stylish: A Simple Introduction to Bar Stools

Oak Bar Stools Swivel