Backless Bar Stools

Backless bar stools are a handy additional to most seating areas. They are light weight and take up much less space than bar stools with backs. There are bar stools without backs that can fit into any type of decorating scheme. Generally they are into bar height or counter top height (24 inch bar stools) but they can also be found in children's sizes.

The history of bar stools is self evident from the name. These were the seats that allowed men to belly up to the bar. The Public Houses of Great Britain and Ireland had three types of seating arrangements. The first were cozy booths located around the perimeter. The second were table and chairs located in the centre area of the room. These first two types of seating arrangements were for groups and couples. If you were in the presence of a woman you would either sit in a booth or at a table. If you were with a group of 3 or more you would also sit at a booth or a table.

However, lots of men would come to the pub on their own. Perhaps they were traveling through the village or from a neighboring village. Others would venture to the pubs on their own knowing that they would surely meet friends and neighbors once they got there. These solo pub goers would tend to sit or stand at the bar in order to chat with the bartender. Bar stools were created for the men who went to the bars on their own.

Historically all bar stools had backs. These stools tended to be more comfortable than bar stools without backs. Backed bar stools also tended to provide increased stability to the potentially tipsy customer. The seat of these bar stool was identical to the seat on a normal bar chair. These seats were generally a wee bit smaller than 2 feet by 2 feet. The backs were approximately 14 inches high and were in a semi circular shape. The back of the bar stool tended to flare out at the top. These stools took up a fair bit of lateral space at the bar. Each bar stool needed 3.5 linear feet at the bar to be comfortable and to allow room to get on and off the stools.

Bar stools without backs tend to be much smaller and require less space at the bar. A good rule of thumb is that you can generally fit 4 backless bar stool comfortably in the same space that you could fit 3 bar stools with backs. The use of these stools allows for more seating in a small space. Backless bar stools are a great idea for small bars such as residential bars or kitchen counter bars. Seat only bar stools allow the stool to be tucked away under the bar when not in use.

Backless bar stools often tend to have smaller seats. The most common bar stool seat is a circular seat. The backless circular seat bar stool comes in two different varieties: static height or variable height bar stool. The static height bar stool can either be fixed or have a swivel seat. The static height bar stools are most commonly found in commercial establishments. Whereas the adjustable height bar stools are generally found in residential settings.

Another variation amongst backless bar stools is the height of the bar stool. As previously mentioned adult sized bar stools come in two different heights. The original height is a 30 inch bar stool. Up until 20 years ago all bar stools were a uniform height. In the early 1980s, a shorter 24 inch bar stool became more and more popular for residential use. This shorter type of stool became very popular as kitchen renovations started to included islands and eating counters. There are 24 inch backless barstools and 24 inch barstools with backs.

Including an eating counter into your kitchen renovation is a great idea. In the late 1960s and 1970s, kitchens made a transformation from mostly utilitarian or functional areas into family areas or generally living areas. This transformation was, of course, due to the changing perceptions about what is considered "woman's work". As it became more common for women to take jobs outside of the house, the household labor, including cooking and food preparation became more of a general family chore. As more members of the family worked together in the kitchen, the kitchen became more of a social area. Even members of the family that were not involved in kitchen prep were in the kitchen to chat with family members that were involved. Children began to set the table and clear the dishes and become involved in kitchen chores. As the family spent more time in the kitchen, the idea of what the kitchen should look like changed.

Kitchens began to incorporate different seating options. The kitchen bar or breakfast bar was part of that evolution. The kitchen bar is generally higher than normal counter height but lower than standard bar height. The 24 inch bar stool services the breakfast bar perfectly.

When choosing a bar stool for your home or business you must first choose the height of the stool. The height of the stool will depend upon your needs. Most of the shorter stools are found in residential settings. Nest you must choose between a backless bar stool or a bar stool that has a back. The next choice is whether the seat will swivel. Swivel bar stool or definitely the most convenient stool. They allow people to get on and off the stool without moving the legs of the stool. Swivel seat bar stools help prevent wear and tear on your floor beneath the stool. The last thing to decide is whether you would like the seat height to be adjustable. Since most bar heights are standard having an adjustable seat height bar stool is an unnecessary luxury. Adjustable seat bar stools are good for sitting at a drafting table or for artists work.

Another thing to consider when choosing a backless bar stool is what type of material is used in te construction. There are upholstered bar stools and hard seated bar stools. Both types have pros and cons. Of course, upholstered seat make the bar stools much more comfortable. However, hard seated stools are easier to clean. In commercial settings to is common to find leather bar stools. These stools provide the comfort of upholstery but the cleaning ease of a hard seated stool. Most of these stools have backs but there are some backless leather bar stools.

As you can see there is an enormous variety of different types of bar stools to choose from. Bar stools without backs are handy for using in small spaces such as kitchen bars. Backless bar stools can be used in conjunction with regular bar stools to make efficient use of space and to provide different seating options for your guests.

Wood Bar Stools

Wood bar stools are amongst the most common type of bar stool. The first original pub bar stools of the United Kingdom were all wood bar stools. The common wooden bar stool has been around for centuries. This type of stool is still commonly found in pubs and restaurants. A well made wood bar stool can last for decades with just some minor re-gluing from time to time. Wooden bar stools have a classic and rustic feel that cannot be captured with stools made from alternate materials.

There are a number of different models of this type of stool. Some are quite fancy while others including a version called the saddle bar stool are very simple in design. Most types of durable wood can be used in the construction of these stools. The most common pub style bar stools were constructed from oak. However more recently, teak bar stools have become very popular. If the finished bar stool is to be painted then often pine is used for the construction. Approximately half of these stools have a metal foot bar while the other half have a foot bar made from wood.

Wood bar stools come in a variety of different heights. The standard heights include the 24 inch bar stool, the 30 inch bar stool, and the 34 inch bar stool. In addition, you can have customized bar stools built to any height you desire. The proper height of your bar stool will be determined by the height of the bar, table or counter you wish to sit at. Most commercial bar stools tend to be higher stools while those stools used in a residential setting tend to be of the shorter variety with the exception of patio bar stools. Patio bar stools are generally taller whether they are used in a commercial or residential setting.

Once you have decided that you want to add wooden bar stools to your home, deciding upon the height of the stools is the easy part. You also have to decide on the shape of the stools, the bar stool seat and whether you prefer a back or a backless bar stool. Do you want a wood swivel seat bar stool? Each alternative has pros and cons. The first thing you need to consider is the size of the intended bar stool space. Is the space open and airy like a pool deck or is it tucked into a corner some place. The taller bar stools with backs can take up a lot of space. If the bar stool is too big for the space the look and feel will be cramped and undesirable. Choose a stool that fits your space. Backless bar stools fit better into smaller spaces but they can also be less comfortable for those people that need back support.

There are three general wood seat styles. There is the classic shaped style that is somewhat molded to the person chair interface, there are round seats. The round seats tend to be among the most cheap wood bar stools. There are also the stylish wooden saddle seat stools as pictured above. The saddle seat stools tend to be considered the hippest on the market these days. Saddle seat stools are static seat stools and do not come with a swivel option.

One last thing to consider is whether you want the seat to swivel. Swivel seats are much more convenient than conventional static seat chairs. They are much easier to get into and to get out of. In a commercial bar or restaurant or pub setting swivel seat stools are essential. The swivel seat stools will be more expensive but will save wear and tear on your floors and will be much more comfortable for your guests.

These types of stools can be easily found in a number of different locations. Of course, all furniture stores will carry assorted models. Also, all larger department stores will have bar stools in their furniture department. Some of the cheap wooden bar stools can be found in hardware stores and home renovation stores. There are also hundreds of different online distributors that will offer to ship the stools at a very reasonable price.

Wood bar stools come in many different styles and models. They range from as inexpensive as thirty to forty dollars per stool upwards to $400 or more per stool. There is a stool for every budget. Think about the characteristics that you want in a stool including the height and seat styles. Also think carefully about the amount of space you have available in which to fit the stools. Remember to choose a stool that fits your space. Wood bar stools come in an enormous array of models with some careful consideration you will find some that are perfect for your home or business.

Wooden Bar Stools

Wooden bar stools are the perfect type of bar stool for a pub or a road house type restaurant. They are sturdy, durable, and easy to clean. The combination of all of these features makes wooden bar stools the best choice for that type of business. In my experience a sturdy bar stool can last up to 5 or 6 years. With some regular maintenance or attention to the bar stool they can last even longer.

With respect to the bar stools we use at our restaurants, we set aside a morning every month to inspect the integrity of the stools. We look look to see if any have developed a wobble or seem to have loosening joints. If we think the chair might be weakening we send the entire chair to a nearby carpenter. The carpenter then decides if the chair is suitable for a quick fix with carpenters glue and a few nails or if it is necessary to take the entire chair apart and re-glue it. The cost of this simple monthly maintenance saves us a lot of money in the end. I would suggest that this regular maintenance of wooden bar stools is a good idea for bar stools at home too.

In choosing a wooden bar stool for your home of business, it is important to answer three questions. They are as follows:

1. What is the height of the bar? There are generally two commonly found distinct heights of wood bar stools. Which is best height for your purposes?

2. How many bar stools do you need to have? Bar stools can be fairly wide. Make sure that the space you have can accommodate the number of bar stools you might need. If space is tight you might have to go with a narrower bar stool, for example perhaps you might consider a bar stool without a back.

3. Do you want your bar stool to swivel? If you have a large number of bar stools then perhaps some might swivel and some might not. Bar stools that swivel are a lot more expensive than static position bar stools. Furthermore, the swivel mechanism requires some ongoing maintenance. A Swivel seat bar stool seems to have a shorter life span than a none swivel seat bar stool.

Take some measurements of the area in which the bar stools will be placed. Take these measurements and a tape measure with you when you go shopping for bar stools. If you think carefully about your needs and the purpose of the wooden bar stools then you will end up with a product that suits you and your budget.seat