When purchasing bar stools, the main aim is obviously for them to suit the rest of the room, but also functionality should come into thought.

On the practical side, look for a material that is easy to clean. The bar stools are going to get a lot of wear and tear, and being in the kitchen drink and food will most likely be spilled on them occasionally.

Although this sounds obvious, think about what seat height you will require. Different types of bars are different heights. It would not do to have a bar stool with a seat as high as the bar. Measure the distance from the floor to the underside of your bar. You will want to have a seat height that is 10 to 12 inches less than the distance from the floor to the underside of the bar. If the bar is 35 inches high, you would want your seat to be about 24 inches high.

Think about the number of kitchen stools you require. Don’t overcrowd the area with seating or this will minimise the kitchen space and give it a cluttered feel. Also with too many stools, there is an accident waiting to happen around food preparation, especially boiling pots! The general rule of thumb is to measure about 30 inches from the centre of one seat to the centre of the next seat. Divide the length of your bar by 30 to determine how many bar stools can will fit nicely at the bar.

Choose the materials your bar stools will be made of. If you want a country look, go with wooden bar stools. If you have a more modern or contemporary look, you may want to try powder-coated steel or aluminum bar stools. Wooden bar stools come in all types of finishes, but may be more difficult to care for than metal bar stools. Powder coated steel or wrought iron bar stools will be heavier than aluminum bar stools.

Decide on the features. Do you want backless bar stools? Bar stools with arm rests? Swivel seat bar stools? They each have their place. Use backless bar stools if you need them to fit under the bar and out of the way when not in use. Bar stools with a back rest or arms will take more space and cannot be slid under the counter. Swivel seats will keep your floor from being scratched, as it allows people to just swivel off instead of pushing the stool back over your floor. Look for padded seat covers for the different types of bar stools for added comfort.

Here at KitchenSolution we show you all the best UK based bar stool providers so are sure you will find the style and deal that you’re looking for.