Stool Boom
John made me name this post that because of this video (which he requests that you all check it out so that you can hum the song while reading this post). Anyway, now in stool news… we got them for our peninsula! And we’re so excited about 1) where we found them, and 2) the price (because four stools can definitely be a budget breaker if they’re priced at $250 a pop). But first, let’s chat about the kitchen budget in general for a second…
We’ve actually spent some real money in certain areas like:
- new Corian counters (around $1700)
- new stainless appliances (around $2213 with the new microwave but not including a range hood that we still need)
- new cork flooring ($848 including underlayment)
- new backsplash tile (and lots of it, since we’re taking it to the ceiling on one wall – around $280)
- tearing down a wall to create an extra wide doorway into the dining room ($700 to the contractor plus $90 for the drywall/trim that we did ourselves)
- in-progress total for the big stuff: $5,831 (still need a range hood, new lighting, floating shelves, art, etc)
And like the majority of renovators, we’re also choosing areas to save, like:
- reusing our existing cabinets (they’re solid oak, full of interior upgrades, and in great shape)
- reconfiguring the layout ourselves (we had fun pushing the pantry around and building a cabinet to enclose the fridge)
- priming/painting the cabinets ourselves (we did it in our first house along with in the office for our built-in desk and really dig the finished product)
- installing as much as we can (like some of the new lighting that we have on the agenda, and those cork floors that we plan to lay ourselves)
- using as many discounts and coupons as we can (we stacked discounts when we got our appliances and our counters, along with using a coupon code on our backsplash tile, snagging clearance cork, and getting three contractor estimates to shave over 3K (!) off the highest one)
- selling things we no longer need on craigslist for money to put back into the makeover (so far we’ve sold our old kitchen table, our old granite, and the black over-the-range microwave that came with our house for a total of $815)
We still have a backsplash to install, cork flooring to lay, new lighting to buy/hang, and floating shelves + a range hood to go up – so admittedly it looks kinda crazy for the amount of money that we’ve spent (since many of the elements that we’ve purchased aren’t in yet). But in a month or two the kitchen should look significantly more finished and upgraded. At least that’s the plan! It’s all just a work in progress until then…
But weren’t we talking about stools? Back to that subject. First we debated something clear/acrylic but heard from a few people who said they really disliked how scratched and foggy theirs got with everyday use and only found a few options that we liked (all of which were over $100 a pop). So we went back to the drawing board, which basically meant examining a ton of inspiration rooms. Which (duh) allowed us to pick up on a pretty obvious theme. Apparently we have a thing for industrial metal stools. We also like that they’re not wood since there are a ton of wood-legged chairs in the nearby dining room, so a contrasting metal look is a nice variation (so not everything feels heavy and wood-y).
For functional reasons we decided that our stools had to have backs (so Clara’s booster seat can snap onto one, so bigger kiddos can more easily sit up there, and even for the added support/comfort they’ll provide for adults). So it eliminated some of the cool backless ones like the stools in this photo from atlantahomesmag.com (we’ve seen similar versions on overstock for anyone interested).
But that decision still left us wide open to cool science-y stools like these from Restoration Hardware. Too bad they’re $375 each, making four of them a budget breaking $1,500 (sniffle).
We also loved the look of the metal stools from this pic from Marie Claire Maison:
And these guys found in an image from Elle Decor:
And these two from a spread in Traditional Home:
And these three from a kitchen designed by Steve Giannetti found on Cote De Texas (look, there’s even a peninsula with a range hood & tile to the ceiling!):
So we set off to find some thrifty (preferably secondhand) options for our kitchen – hopefully at around $60 each or less (you know, in an ideal world where perfect $60 stools abound). We actually found an awesome vintage one at a local thrift store for 50 beans (it was even counter height and not bar height, which is what we need) but there was only one and we needed four. Wop wop. So we took to the internet to try to find some sort of industrial warehouse or bulk manufacturer who made science-y counter height stools in our price point. What do ya know, we found these guys on a school supply website of all places:
I know, I know – it looks more than a little nerdy in that pic (especially because they placed the backrest super high- it’s adjustable). And because it’s not in a delicious room like the other stools above (nothing looks as glamorous when it’s cut out on white). But oddly tall adjustable backrests and white backgrounds aside, there was just something charming about getting lab stools from a school supply place.
They’re admittedly not exactly the same (aka: not nearly as amazing in shape or finish) as the stools in the above inspiration images, but those were sadly (very) out of our budget. And we had a feeling in the right room these affordable guys could really be elevated (you know we’re all about mixing high and low, so things like the new counters, ceiling height backsplash, new appliances, pretty pendant lights over the peninsula, and cork flooring should really elevate them). And the price was riiight. They were $33 each (we got the fixed height 24″ ones). Which means for $168 (including tax and shipping) we got four stools delivered to our door. Here they are in our still very raw and completely unfinished kitchen (but just scroll up to see how metal stools can look pretty darn cool in more finished spaces).
As for their finish, they look nice with the stainless appliances, but once the room comes together more I’m not above tweaking them if I think they’ll look better that way (they were $33 after all…). I’ve definitely contemplated these four options:
- trying a deeper color, like the brown and oil-rubbed-bronze Elle Decor stools that are up a few photos (thankfully metal takes spray paint really well, and any painted metal chairs that you’d buy from a store are essentially just spray primed and painted in thin and even coats). I was thinking I could even upholster the seats with rough chocolate leather or something, along with using ORB spray on the leggier metal parts.
- spraying them all white with wipable leather or vinyl upholstered seats if we want them to gleam like the counters (we’re contemplating a deeper toned accent treatment under the peninsula behind them, so white could really pop – more on that in a minute).
- somehow roughing them up by scuffing, sanding, and maybe even tinting them with some sort of metal stain or glaze that would give them more of an aged/beat up look like some of the more expensive antique-ish stools out there (they could then be sealed with poly so they wouldn’t rub off on anyone)
- spraying them shiiiiiny shiiiiiny chrome like the ones in the Cote De Texas photo a few pics back
We’ll have to wait and see as the room evolves. You know we like to tweak/learn/figure it out as we go. Our house is like a big puzzle and I’m Nancy Drew… and maybe John’s Scooby Doo? Wait maybe Burger is Scooby and Clara is Nancy Drew. And I’m Angela Lansbury. And John is Mulder. Or is he Skully? I always forget which one is the guy. Update: the guy is Mulder. Thanks google.
Ugh- but those orange-y wood cabinets are really cramping our style. We’re actually working on trim and baseboards and puttying and sanding right now… which means priming and painting are just around the corner! So I know some of you might not “get” the stools at all right now (mom!) but I promise when the rest of the room starts to make more sense around them, you might come around. Just give us a chance to get the room a bit more developed. Pretty please? When in doubt, just remember that our first house eventually looked like this, but while it was in-progress it looked like this. Haha.
We especially love how the two adjoined spaces don’t look too wood riddled since we skipped wood stools for the kitchen and went with metal for some nice variety.
And although they look a bit light on their feet (thanks to the airy metal construction) these dudes are solid. Not wobbly. Not lightweight. They’re lab stools for goodness sake. So there’s no flimsy feeling because they’re made to last decades in classrooms with people/teens/teachers of all sizes sitting/beating on them. Most likely while using bunsen burners.
In the comfort department they’re actually really comfortable (there’s a bit of flex in the back rest, which is really nice). I mean it’s not like sitting in a padded armchair, but for stools at a counter we think they’re perfect. And Clara’s booster chair snapped right into the one on the end, so that was nice (it said it worked with any chair with a back, but it was good to have confirmation that she was nice and secure up there). Yup, that means we’ve all been eating (and generally hanging out) at the peninsula these days!
Look, here are Clara and John making cookies at the ol’ new peninsula (can’t see much of the stool, but she’s all strapped in and happy to help stir). More on what amazing concoction they were making here.
Speaking of Clara’s assistance, she also “helped” us assemble the stools. Check out our little leftie in action:
And now for a Burger photobomb:
He couldn’t resist getting in on the action too.
Once we have some amazing (we’re actively on the hunt) pendant lights hanging over them above the peninsula things should start coming together a little more. We sort of have something like this in mind, but we’re definitely not 100% settled yet.
And of course when those cabinets get painted and the backsplash / floating shelves / range hood go up it’ll really start to complete the picture. Oh and for anyone wondering, we’ve actually been debating a little rough wood accent wall on the back of our peninsula like this gorgeous kitchen from House and Home.
Just not sure if it’ll be too much going on (once we get the backsplash and the floating shelves up along with our grellow walls and some pretty pendant lights over the peninsula, etc). So it might be one of the last things that we complete after other things to come together and we can confidently make the call. Either way it’s safe to picture our new stools NOT in front of the unpainted plywood backing that we installed to box in the back of the peninsula (we’ve always planned to do raised paneling or some other decorative “layer” on top of that blah base to hide those brackets). Wherever we end up, we’ll keep you posted for sure!
Oh and speaking of the peninsula, a few of you couldn’t tell from the installation photos that we got the corners of it rounded, so here’s a pic from the top with a penny on the edge to show how they’re softly curved. Hooray for no sharp corners (for the bean’s noggin and our hips!).
But back to the stools (I’m all over the place today, huh?). Have you scored a deal from a school supply company or other unexpected source? Have you recently purchased new stools or chairs? Are you into the whole rough/ industrial mixed with fancy/polished look? It’s definitely not for everyone, but it’s funny how many of our inspiration kitchens are exactly that.
Psst- Ahhhhhh- who saw the Dexter finale last night? Don’t want to give anything away, but it was craaaaaazy! We’re still taking about it.
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I love that you included a clip from Waiting for Guffman. That is my all-time favorite movie!
Dexter was so good. My husband and I loved the finale. He watches Homeland too and said the season ending was just as good!
Love your choice of stools. I would have never thought to look for stools on a school supply website. How clever! I know you guys have ruled out the backless kind, but I thought these guys were pretty cool! They’re on my wishlist for our den.
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11108349&clickid=body_rv_img
Oh yes, those are awesome!!
xo,
s
I’m interested to see how you guys re do those stools; they happen to be the exact stools that were in my high school biology lab! I spent two years sitting on these things so right now all I can think of when I see them is lab dissections…ugh. Guess I have a tainted view of them! Definitely a cool, bargain choice though! Can’t wait to see their makeover if it happens!
Oh grade school memories… we had these in science/art/etc. I can’t say I particularly loved them – they were beat up, wobbly and uncomfortable. But paint the ugly gray and pad the seat a bit and I can see these being a good affordable option. Just don’t think I would do it myself!
I LOVE them! We just got word that the short sale we’ve been trying to buy since July is FINALLY going forward, so of course I have been internet “window” shopping and one of the top things on my list is bar stools for the kitchen as it does not have room for a table. I have had a hard time swallowing the cost of stools and will now be checking out your source! Thanks!
Aw, congrats! And have fun!
xo,
s
I saw a ‘graveyard’ of old school chairs, all helter skelter piled about 8′ high in an undisclosed town. They belonged to the school system and were just out in the weather. Need to call about them and give them a good home. Hundreds of these chairs need a dry home!
That’s an awesome plan! Save those stools!
xo,
s
Love the stools and LUUVVV the wood cladding on the lower peninsula idea – you also might look at what cream washed rough sawn cedar looks like – it pulls in grays but you still get the grain and texture that is so fabulous. You can sandblast any wood if you don’t have / find reclaimed wood. This treatment ages it – gets the grain to pop and add a bit of weathering – that is a builders secret!
At that price, you can totally play with the stools. Having gone chrome and white vinyl myself (with three boys) I will say that the wiping was a lot. Darling, but high maintenance.
I haven’t read the other comments so I don’t know what the consensus among readers is, but I really really (really!) like the stools. So much so that I may be a bit of a copy cat. I think some additional tweaking will make them really special too. Can’t wait to see what you do with them!
i think those stools will need to grow on me. as soon as i scrolled down and saw the picture, i had the WEIRDEST flashback to high school chemistry class. it wasn’t something i was expecting and now i can’t get the picture of bubbling bunsen burners out of my head!
i know you’ll do something to amaze me and help me forget.
I don’t know when you bought the stools, but I just checked and they raised the dang price on them $2-$3 more, wonder if it’s because of your posting! I love’em, and your kitchen progress! Soooo much better! I can’t wait to see the tile, and new flooring. And btw, I love the opening into the living room from the kitchen, it’s an awesome addition to both rooms!
Not sure if this was answered (two small children = not enough time to read all the comments!), but how do the feet slide on your floor? Did you have to put anything on the feet to make them more floor-friendly?
We have oak floors that we refinished ourselves, and although I love the metal look, I’d be a little hesitant about putting metal feet on my precious floors! We have felt on the bottom of our (wood) dining room chairs to help them slide without scratching the bejesus out of our floors.
They came with little rubber pads on them, which glide really nicely. No loud sounds when we pull them out or dragging motion- they’re nice and smooth. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Just have to say, Waiting For Guffman is one of my favorite movies. Mainly because Christopher Guest’s character in it (the director) is a near perfect impression of my high school theatre teacher.
ah love this post, love all the stool examples you posted drool lol… and LOVE the light’s the big round ones from shades of light wowzers. good luck you guys, i know this is a lot of work!! :)
I love those stools! I would totally get some cheapo burlap coffee bags to lightly upholster the wooden seats and screw them back in there. Would take all of five minutes and add a lot!
Great progress!
Another fun idea! Love it.
xo,
s
Hi!
Love your site. I know these are more pricey but they are currently 50% off at Horchow and gorgeous! Check them out!
http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod71680022&parentId=cat10020731&masterId=cat3920732&index=15&cmCat=cat000000cat3920732cat10020731&isEditorial=false
Oh yes gorgeous!!! But totally out of our price range for four!
xo,
s
i LOVE the stools. and i’ve bought from that supplier before. when i worked for a church, we needed to get chairs and tables, and i bought a bunch of stuff from them. they were great.
as far as industrial stuff, i bought and painted a set of lockers last year. i love them.
Lockers sound like so much fun!
xo,
s
Oh no, I sat on that kind of stool (but without a back) for five years in studio, it gets very uncomfortable after a spell.
No worries! We’ve heard from lots of folks who have the same ones we have (with a back) and love them! So far we have blogged from them and everything! Very happy with them.
xo,
s
would love to see a chevron wood design on the back of the peninsula…. that could be really cool???
Ooh that could be really awesome if we think the room can handle more pattern on top of all the penny tile!
xo,
s
Wow. The kitchen is a big hit. With that minimum budget? That’s amazing. Since I think the kitchen is one of the most important areas for family gathering, this design is really cool. Comfy and chic. Can you tell me how to get the coupons? I really need them to follow your tricks.
We usually just Google the website name + “Coupon” or “Coupon Code” and something might turn up!
-John
Aha, I just had a stroke of inspiration when I was reading your December Superlatives. I think it would be fab/unexpected/easy to paint the wooden elements of the stool with a cheery plum (a color I know Sherry has been dying to try out somewhere). Small enough not to clash with other kitchen elements, and plum would look fab with the steely gray of the rest of the chair :)
Ooooh sounds fun! Definitely a possibility for sure!
xo,
s
Better late than never… I obviously missed this post while on Christmas vacay but then I saw those stools and realized just what I missed. I’m in LOVE with the stools!!! I’ve been looking for some stools like this forever. You’re genius to think to look for them at a school supply store. Also, thanks for the link. I’ve been wanting to put some retro lockers in our utility room forever, but think I might just be buying some new ones and painting them to look old. Thanks!
Oh, and I’m sure you don’t hear this enough, but totally obsessed with you and your blog. Look forward to your posts every day. You and Katie Bower freakin’ crack me up daily! Happy New Years!
Aw thanks Elizabeth, so glad to help!
xo,
s
I got one of those pendants (brushed nickel) today to go over our sink in the new house, and 2 of the jug lanterns (also shown on your sidebar) for over the island. I absolutely love them – especially with the 10% YHL discount! :)
Wahoo! We’d love to see pics!
xo
s
I am reading your end of the month post and just realized that a starbucks in Austin, Texas where I live has your exact bar stools.
So funny! I love it.
xo,
s
Just watched an episode of dear Genevieve from march 2010 and I am almost positive she has your exact same stools in her kitchen! She was redoing a kitchen and it showed her in her kitchen and I paused it to double check. They looked great! You all have great taste. :)
No way!! That’s awesome! We’ll have to check it out.
xo,
s
Just wanted to let you know that we just ordered these stools for our own kitchen gut remodel after searching desperately for over three months – thanks for the tip!
So glad! Have fun with them!
xo,
s
Ok…two question…
1) the stool website says that they only are available in quantities of five. I only need 2. Did you work out a deal with them or are you storing a 5th stool somewhere?
2) can you measure the square that the feet make for me? We have a tight fit for storing them and I can’t seem to find that measurement online.
Thanks :)
1. That’s so weird! I wonder if they changed things! It was groups of 4 when we ordered!
2. The feet are 15 x 15″ – hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks so much :) Turns out different stools on their site have different ordering requirements.