The most important part of your home bar is the bar stools. The bar stools will help create your bar’s theme, and they’ll definitely be the place where you and your guests will naturally gravitate to during parties and other social gatherings.

Even before considering the bar’s theme, when shopping for bar stools, there are a few things to consider first. Before you even begin to think about what your bar stools should look like, you need to consider the functionality of your bar stools.

The most important thing about your bar stools is their height. Most typically, the seat of the bar stool will be between 11 and 12 inches below the bar top. So, whether your bar top is countertop height (35″-37″) or you’re purchasing stools for a tall cafe table (44″-47″), matching the stool height to the bar top height should be the first priority in your selection.

Next, you should think about the foot rail on the bar stools. You more than likely won’t need to get bar stools with foot rails if your bar has the traditional foot rail attached to it. However, if your bar doesn’t have the foot rail attached, you will probably want to choose bar stools with foot rails. It’s very uncomfortable to sit at a barstool and have no place to rest your feet.

Another feature to consider is the back of your bar stool. If you anticipate long periods of time spent sitting on your bar stools, backs are likely necessary. Especially if you have a TV in your bar, you’re going to want to have a bar stool that allows you to sit back and relax. To comfortably sit on a bar stool for any length of time, a back on the stool is helpful.

Another facet of the bar stool’s functionality is whether or not it swivels. Generally more comfortable than stools that don’t swivel, are swivel bar stools. The floor under the bar stools then will surely get scratched and worn much quicker if you use bar stools that don’t swivel. Even if you choose bar stools that swivel, you should still put floor protectors on the feet of your bar stools to further protect your floor.

Once you have considered all the functional features of your bar stools, you can now think of adapting them to the planned “theme” of your bar.

Keep in mind that finding 33″ stools with foot rails, if you’re trying for the art deco look of the 1920’s and 30’s, may be difficult. Also, 24″ bamboo stools that swivel may be just as hard to find.

It’s often a good idea to design your bar around your bar stools because there are many styles and sizes, both new and antique, that you can choose from.

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