People often confuse kitchen counter and bar stools.  Whilst they often look the same, there is actually a big difference, namely in the height. If you don't pay attention to your bar/counter height and the seat height of the stool you could find yourself with a piece of furniture that doesn't meet your needs, where you are either reaching up to the counter top or banging your knees on it.

In general, bar stools have a seat height of 72-80cm and are suitable for bar tops of 100-105cm. Whilst counter stools have a seat height of 59-71cm and are suitable for counter heights of approximately 90cm.  With these measurements it will allow around 25-30cm of leg room, which is a comfortable amount of space. Below we take you through how to measure your kitchen bar or counter top in order to determine which type of stool will best fit your needs. 

How to take measurements to determine what size of Counter or Bar Stool you need

1. Measure from the floor to the underside of the counter or bar top.
2. Subtract 25-30cm from this to get the range of seating heights for your stool.

So for example if you counter height is 90cm to the top and 86cm to the underside, subtract 25-30cm from 86cm, which will mean you are looking for a stool with a seat height of approximately 56-61cm.  This would be a counter stool, as oppose to a bar stool.

Once you have determined whether you need a bar or counter stool you can then look into styles.  At Milola most of our kitchen stools come in a bar or counter stool height. Contact us if you need help to determine which size is suitable for you.

When it comes to style you need to think about the size of the space.  For small kitchen bars you may want to choose a narrower, slighter and/or backless stool so it doesn't take over the space.  But then if you plan on sitting in the stool for long periods of time you may want to consider a back and an upholstered seat to ensure comfort. 

Our Favourites

Below we share with you a few of our favourite bar and counter stools and tell you why we love them so much:

1. Dual Counter Stool by Danform

We have this one in our 'living' showroom and love the softness and plushness of the velvet seat, not to mention the handstitched detail to the back. It looks great in all velvets and art. leathers and the back is low enough to be able to push them under the counter top.  A lot of people ask me what the velvet is like to look after. We have a 9 and 7 year old and two cats and it is still as good as new. Spillages are really easy to wipe off with just a damp cloth and a little washing up detergent where required.

2. Ram Bar Stools by Kristensen Kristensen

Kristensen Kristensen are the masters of craftsmanship and their Ram stools are no exception with a comfortable oak or ash curved back, combined with a steel frame and upholstered seat. We love them because these stools are so customisable and you can choose between more than 10 different wood stains and hundreds of fabrics and leathers.  

3. Fl@t Bar Stool by Tonon Italia