So, we finally tackled the kitchen island seating situation. It had been bare for ages, just this big island in the middle of the kitchen looking kinda lonely. We kept saying, “Yeah, we need stools,” but you know how it is, other stuff always came up.
The Great Stool Hunt
I started looking around, mostly online at first. Man, there are a LOT of bar stools out there. Too many, if you ask me. After a while, my eyes started to glaze over. High back, no back, swivel, stationary, wood, metal, upholstered… it was a bit much. We definitely knew we wanted something for the island, not a proper dining table height, so “bar stool” or “counter stool” height was key. I actually got out the tape measure and measured from the floor to the underside of our counter, then subtracted a bit for leg room. Didn’t want to get that wrong.
We pretty quickly decided on low back bar stools. Here’s why:
- I didn’t want the backs of the stools to stick up too high and visually clutter the kitchen. Our kitchen isn’t massive, and I wanted to keep that open feel.
- Low backs also mean they tuck under the counter overhang a bit better, which is great for keeping pathways clear, especially with kids tearing around.
- Honestly, some of those high-back ones just looked too formal for what we wanted. We were going for a more casual vibe.
Getting Down to Details
Once we settled on “low back,” it narrowed things down a bit, but there was still plenty to consider. Material was a big one. With kids, anything too precious or hard to clean was out. I was leaning towards something easily wipeable. We looked at some nice wooden ones, but then I imagined sticky fingers and spilled juice, and quickly moved on. We ended up finding some with a kind of faux leather seat that seemed like it would be forgiving.
Color was another debate. Do we go bold? Do we match the cabinets? In the end, we picked a fairly neutral color. Figured it would be less likely to go out of style, and wouldn’t scream for attention.
I remember almost caving and getting these super cheap, no-back stools just to be done with it. My partner talked me down, reminded me that we actually wanted to be able to sit there comfortably for a bit, not just perch like birds. The low back seemed like a good compromise – a bit of support without being bulky.
Assembly and The Final Result
Okay, so the stools arrived. Flat-packed, of course. Is there anything that doesn’t come flat-packed these days? I set aside an afternoon, thinking, “How hard can this be?” Famous last words. The instructions were mostly pictures, which is fine, but there’s always that one part where you’re staring at it, then at the pieces, then back at the picture, and it just doesn’t click for a few minutes. And don’t get me started on those little Allen keys!
There were a couple of moments where I thought a screw was cross-threaded, or a hole wasn’t drilled quite right. You know, the usual assembly frustrations. I had to walk away and grab a coffee at one point. But, eventually, one by one, they came together. I think I put the first one together, then the second one was way faster, and by the third one, I felt like a pro.
Once they were all assembled and lined up at the island, I gotta say, they looked pretty good. They fit the space just like I’d hoped. The low back was definitely the right call – they don’t dominate the room at all. And they’re surprisingly comfy for not having a huge back. The kids immediately clambered onto them and declared them their new favorite spot for snacks. Breakfasts are now mostly eaten at the island, which is actually quite nice.
It’s funny, before we got them, the island was just a workspace. Now, it feels more like the heart of the kitchen, a place where people actually gather. It’s made a bigger difference to how we use the space than I expected. So yeah, happy with how the low back bar stools turned out. A bit of a process to get there, but worth it in the end.
