It is the question we are asked most often in front of our bar stools, and the answer does not depend on the stool: it depends on the surface you will be leaning on. A stool that is too high, and your knees hit the top; too low, and you end up eating with your chin at the edge of the plate.
The 25 to 30 cm rule
Between the top of the seat and the underside of the counter, allow 25 to 30 cm. That is the space your thighs need to slide under the surface, with your elbows resting naturally. So first measure the height of your worktop or counter, then take away 25 to 30 cm.
The two usual heights
- An island or kitchen worktop, around 90 cm high, calls for a 65 cm seat: this is “counter” height.
- A proper bar or a high table, around 105 to 110 cm, calls for a 75 cm seat: this is “bar” height.
In between, say a 100 cm worktop, choose the height that leaves the most legroom, and a footrest does the rest.
How many stools along an island?
Allow 55 to 60 cm per stool, centre to centre, so that nobody bumps elbows: three stools on a 180 cm island, four on 240 cm. An enveloping backrest takes up a little more room than a simple seat.
Our bar stools
All are in solid teak or reclaimed teak, shaped by hand, with a seat height of 65 or 75 cm depending on the model: tell us the height of your worktop, and we will point you to the right ones.
- Lisa bar, a back and seat of rope coiled into fins.
- Oka bar, a wraparound back carved from reclaimed teak, with a rung footrest.
- Jaya bar, a full barrel back that wraps around you, for meals that go on.
- Dewi, understated, with a woven seat and low back on tapered legs.
Outdoors, teak and olefin rope stand up to sun and rain: the same stools work at a terrace bar or at the counter of a summer kitchen. At the showroom in La Teste-de-Buch, you can try them before you choose.