Something Crazy Happened…
Here’s a little hint:
It all started when John and I were lying in bed one night talking about what we’d love to do to make the sunroom more useful slash function slash awesome (it’s currently packed with secret book projects, but come fall we can finally clear it out for a charity auction – and hopefully start working on making it a room that we actually hang out in). We came up with the idea of a long chunky floating bar/counter made from rustic imperfect wood with a few stools pulled up to it along one currently unused wall. You know, sort of like this one or this one (but not exactly like either one of them for reasons we’ll get into down the line).
A chunky little wood bar along one wall in there with some simple pull-up stools would be super functional for us because:
- we wouldn’t have to put a big table in the middle of the room for reading the paper, sipping drinks, snacking, and general chillaxing (which means the daybed won’t be too cramped and can stay in there – yay!)
- when we have Clara’s annual party or just invite people over to hang out, we usually set out food and stuff in the sunroom (so everyone can mill around in there, on the upper patio and on the lower patio) so having a built in bar for setting out all the food and drinks instead of dragging various pieces of furniture into the room and tossing a tablecloth over them would be really nice
SOLD.
So the the next morning I dove into a daydream about how it would be fun to make that cool chunky wood bar/counter for the stools ourselves with some old hunk of wood and some simple brackets – just to add some rustic edge to the space and to make it less precious at parties (no real worries about drink rings since we’d stain it dark and seal it to protect it). And then I started thinking about how I’d want the stools to be counter height since the ones in the kitchen have worked out so well (they’re not as high and teetery as bar height chairs) so I mindlessly just typed in craigslist.org and searched “stools.” And then – I kid you not – the top entry made me suck air. Audibly. They were the. coolest. stools. ever.
You think I’m kidding. Check these babies out:
Forty bucks a pop, retro slatted wood with molded seats, cool dark iron hardware on them, and get this – THEY SWIVEL! The funny thing is when I googled around for similar stools, a few nearly identical versions popped up, like these for $100 a pop, and these for $85 a pop, and these for almost $120. So to get them for $40 each really saved us a ton (we got four for about the price of one and a half).
So… SOLD FOR SURE.
Well, actually not sold until I showed them to John (we both have to sign off on things, so sometimes things are dead in the water when the second person nixes them) but lo and behold, John didn’t just like them, he loved them. And actually demanded (nicely) that I call about them “right now before they’re gone.” All the good stuff is always snatched up off of our Craigslist within the day things are listed, so I ran my buns to the phone and made that call.
So then they were SOLD FOR REAL! To us. Wahoo.
When we got them into the house we were chatting about how wood stools with a chunky wood counter/bar would be a lot of wood – but it would be a huge shame to paint the chairs since they’re so cool and slatted and vintage and all that jazz. So we decided we could make a sleek white counter instead of a wood one in the sunroom. But then a better idea came into the play. That’s when the bright idea to bring them into the kitchen popped up (duh, there’s already a white counter in there).
SOLD!
Long story long, John and I loved them so much in the kitchen that we decided that our fun blue metal stools would be awesome for the rustic sunroom bar. Rough chunky wood sounds pretty fun paired with sleek boldly painted metal, right? So it’s totally weird that I ever even went on craigslist to look for stools… and then the fact that I found some, fell in love, chain-reactioned John into falling in love, and ended up with them is all kind of a whirlwind. We’re taking it as a sign that they’re meant to be.
They’re just so darn pretty in the kitchen with the rich cork floors, our chunky wood cutting boards, and even things like the woven light and the wood mirror by the fireplace. So… SOLD ALL OVER AGAIN.
And now I will wow you with how many angles I can photograph our new stools:
We love our blue guys too, so who knows, maybe they’ll come back in the spring or something when we’re feeling flirty. Haha. And who knows, maybe once the sunroom’s done we’ll ultimately love the wood stools in there and the blue guys might end up back in the kitchen. Either way, it’s pretty hilarious that we have two stool sets going on, but at least they were both really affordable (we got the first set from an online school supply store for $32 each) and we’re truly in love with both of them… and have a functional use in mind for both sets. Just don’t ask us who our favorite stool baby is. We love them all equally. Although if they’re jockeying for most comfortable, the new guys definitely have a bit of an edge with the curved seat and the swivel-action. Dinners at the peninsula just got more fun swivel-tastic. As for what Clara does, she has the yellow highchair I painted for her, so we just move that around to various places (peninsula, dining table, living room pedestal table) and she eats in that. Girl gets around. Haha.
In short: Party at our house. We’ll bring the stools. And probably say SOLD a lot.
Oh and we just used these things on the feet. Just to make sure they don’t do evil things to our cork floor. So far, so good.
Now that we have more natural wood in the room, we’re thinking about bringing some up onto the floating shelves on the other side of the kitchen, just because the wood mirror and our new (old) swivel stools have warmed things up and added so much texture and “homey-ness” that we’d love to add some to the open shelves too. Maybe just in the form of some rustic wooden salad bowls…
Have you guys gotten ahead of yourself and ended up getting something for a future project just because it was too good to pass up? And once you got it home did it end up shifting other things around in surprising ways? So funny how things mutate as ya go. It’s like our house is a ninja turtle.
Pssst- Our newest addition of Clara Conversations is up over on Young House Life. We might be biased, but we think she’s is pretty hilarious…
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I LOVE these stools! They definitely have my vote. I think the blue ones make more sense for the sunroom actually…But I like your idea of switching with the seasons. To me, these just tie in so much better with the floors. :)
PS….Stool BOOM! ;)
From the parlor to the pool room… haha!
xo,
s
Love this change! Looks great.
I loovvveee the new stools. I’m more on the neutral side of things, so those are much more in line with my aesthetic than the blue chairs, but I love that you guys aren’t afraid of color – you make me want to be more daring with my color choices!
Love love love these stools! What a great find. I think they look great in the kitchen. I think the tone of the wood is simply perfect. I like the blue ones too, so I’m happy to hear they’ll have a place in the sunroom.
I think I might be the only person, but in your first “hint picture” I saw something next to the console table in the hall and my first thought was “oh no, John broke another ceramic animal”. Sorry John! Glad nobody (and no ceramic animal) was hurt in the making of this post.
Hahaha, when in doubt, blame John! Haha.
xo,
s
great find! “stool boom! from the parlor to the pool room!” :-)
I like these So. Much. Better. Something always seemed off about the blue stools. The kitchen looks perfect…it looks so inviting. Congrats on the find!
As someone who’s opinion is completely irrelevant to what you do in your own home, I LOVE these stools leaps and bounds above the other ones. They seem so much more appropriate and less trendy, i.e. more classic for the space.
Snaps for another killer CL find!
Kismet score!!! So happy for you :)
these are great – hide the spray paint (orb!!), they are the perfect item to balance and warm up the “cool” colors in your kitchen. love it!
Oh I have been looking for those stools on craigslist too but every time i find them they are painted and I kinda just want a natural stain like yours. They look great and so do the metal ones.
lovelovelove!
This is called serendipity! Love the new stools!
I didn’t dislike the blue stools, but I loooove these (that’s right, I’m naming favorites!). As for stashing furniture for future projects, I’m guilty – our current apartment is SO SMALL that I’ve taken to saving great pieces (furniture, lamps) in our storage unit until we have a bigger place. I’m usually adverse to clutter, but since nothing fits here, I don’t want to waste money by getting rid of awesome stuff only to re-buy it (lots of it is vintage) when we move next year probably. It does make for a well furnished storage space though…
Swoon! I love how the wooden stools play off the newly placed mirror above the fireplace and the natural elements of the basket light fixture! Like I always tell my husband, I love Craig and his list ;)
ps: I loved the blue stools too
They’re perfect! I like how they tie in with the “new” mirror above your fireplace too :)
I started buying things for our new house 6 months before it was built because I figured that once my mortgage comes, all fun money goes out the window haha
I LOVE your blue stools, but must admit that I never loved them in your kitchen. The new ones stools though – I DIE! LOVE the stools, LOVE them even more combined with everything else in the kitchen. They make me want to sit at your counter eating apple pie (weird, I know)!
I’m not sure if anyone else had mentioned this because I haven’t read through all of the comments, but I do think the backs of the new stools play off of the shape of the West Elm chair quite nicely. I don’t know why, but all of the curves look more inviting (I was actually thinking of “huggy,” but something about that seems awkward to me.) The contrast of textures are also quite complimentary. I’m a fan!
Best buy ever. Seriously, I love these a billion times over.
Wow, these look fantastic!! I loved the old ones too, but these just add so much depth and warmth. Great find, I swear my local craigslist never has anything nearly that cool :)
OMG! They are perfect in the kitchen! I hate to say it, but I didn’t really dig the metal stools in the kitchen. These look incredible! Totally make the room more homey, less industrial. LOVE them!
Love them. I did like the blue stools but these ones really make the space cosy!
Sherry, do you have an air plant sitting in your Gurgle Pot?! That’s a great idea! It keeps the vase available but gives it purpose too! Thanks much!
Yes! Trying not to kill that guy! The jury’s still out if I can handle him. Haha.
xo,
s
I loved the blue stools, but these tie in SO well with the mirror and your new lampshade. Such a huge difference! I’m excited to see what new accents you add to the floating shelves because these wood tones are just warming up the room so much!
Gah. OMYGOODNESS Amazing. can’t wait to see the shelves re-accessorized too!
I love them! Pretty pretty stools! And I love the idea of some pops of wood on the shelves. Tarjay often has that bidness on sale.
One request though- instead of saying that the stools swivel, can we say that they pivot…PIVOT! Every time John makes that joke it makes me laugh.
Hahaha PIVOT!!
xo
s
Totally jealous over here. I would’ve easily paid double for those. Great find!
Oh my gosh, I have those exact same stools in my kitchen (well, okay, I only have one)! But, I found it at the Habitat ReStore for $15! Had it for about 2-3 months. I loved the retro feel of it. First time EVER I’ve had something before you guys. You have taught me so much about this whole home decor thing, and, even more, to trust in my own abilities. You have no idea what this does for my confidence!
P.S. I also considered painting it, but, loved the natural wood too much to change it!
Love that!!
xo
s
Yes! The blue chairs will look whimsical & playful in the sunroom, while the wood chairs dress up the kitchen in a mature (but not granny) way. Nice choice, you have impeccable timing.
While I loved the metal stools, I’m obsessed with these. My aunt has very similar ones and I always thought I was super-cool sitting on those tall swivel stools, drinking my Donald Duck OJ when I was a kid. I really love that the wood in the stools is picking up the wood on the mirror.
We totally had those chairs when I was a kid! I wonder if they are in my Mom’s basement, if so, I am totally moving them into our kitchen (once the walls, ceiling and cabinets are hung and the floors installed…) Thanks for the inspiration!
I grew up with those stools in my parents house!
Love that!
xo,
s
Those stools are delicious. We did something similar this weekend when I got 1 rug each for our living room, office, and dining room. The rug for the office was really too big and we needed to do lots of organizing before we put it down, and in the meantime we needed another one for the dining room to create two distinct areas: eating, and sitting. So switcheroo! We put the office rug (jute with black edge) under the dining room table instead and moved the lovely chevron number to the sitting area. SOLD. Two areas created, and we’ll figure out something better for the office later.
Love that!
xo
s
It’s amazing what a little change can do for a whole room! Your blog has been so helpful in showing us the MANY options we have. The blue stools were great, but these change the personality of the kitchen.
Sherry: The stools are bomb diggity. You were right to jump on dat and bring them home. It does warm up the kitchen and bring texture. They are perfect! Good score girl.
Absolutely LOVE this change up!!
They look great! Just a side note: watch out for Clara’s little fingers with the swivel stools…we had to get rid of them in our house for that reason! They look awesome though!
Thanks for the tip! So far so good!
xo,
s
I know the feeling of getting ahead of yourself on a project. I recently went away for the weekend and came back with an old fashioned child’s school desk found at a vintage shop. The temptation was just too hard to resist. The house will get some rearranging to fit the new piece of ‘furniture’. ;)
What a happy accident. I love the new stools they really warm up the kitchen. I was never in love with the other ones. These look so much better.
Love these! It really ties the look of the kitchen together and makes a nice balance between modern and “homey.” Also love the artwork under the hood – I’m sure I’m way late on that, but it really fills that space well.
Love the new stools! I like how the stools match the lighter brown in the cork floor and the lighter brown in the mirror (at least that’s how it looks in the first picture).
Is that a little yellow radio on the kitchen counter? I’m looking on my phone so it’s kinda hard to tell. Anyway, just curious where you guys got it? Cute!
It was from Joss & Main, but you can also buy them from Tivoli Audio directly. We love it!
-John
Perhaps you could ORB the metal back supports on the wood chairs and love bowls made of bamboo.
I like them a lot. The metal stools improved with the coat of paint, but the wood just warms up the space and looks more “home” and less “school” or “trendy but uncomfortable expensive loft apartment”. I’m so jealous of your Craigslist luck!
Okay, I super-duper loved the metal stools and would not have believed that your kitchen could get any better, but those stools are amazing! They give it a totally different vibe – it’s still just as crisp, modern, lovely, but those stools give it a more lived-in feeling, a sense of being less decorated and more just a combination of beautifully designed elements.
Congrats on your amazing CL find!
Aw thanks Kelly!
xo,
s
I’ve been an avid over the pond reader of your blog for over a year and a half now, but never commented before. For some reason those stools have given me that extra push. Absolutely stunning! It’s amazing how they really change the feel of the kitchen love love love them! Off to hunt British versions of Craigslist for similar now.
p.s. Book is pre-ordered, sooooo excited for its arrival
Aw thanks Charlotte!
xo,
s
Those new stools are PERFECT for the kitchen! Definitely a great combination of modern/rustic! :)
From the first picture I knew exactly what stools you bought – because I have one too! I found it in a thrift store, all by itself but had to buy it because of that dang swivel and those slats. Great find and they look fabulous in your kitchen!
Love the stools! Where did you get that white coral looking bowl on the peninsula? I couldn’t find it in your source list.
That was from HomeGoods a while ago. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love the stools, they make your kitchen look so warm. You could totally pull off a dark wall paint to blend with your new stools!
O my stools! These complete your kitchen! They make the room much more richer. I am overly excited about your new stools as if they were in my house!