Hello friends!! I am on the hunt for some new kitchen bar stools. It’s true, our current Ikea ones have seen better days. And while I’m still contemplating this decision, I’m getting ready to pull the trigger, so I wanted to share some of my thought process with you, and how I go about deciding on things when I’m going to make a decor purchase for our home.
I’ve contemplated for a few years now the possibility of swapping out our bar stools for different ones, but never got to the point of actually pulling the trigger. I remember how excited I was to finally get 4 matching bar stools the day we brought these home from Ikea, but their years are really starting to show on them.
I love that they have a back, so that is definitely a must for whatever I get next, but what I didn’t anticipate was how much we would actually sit at our island, and the length of time we would do so. It’s where we eat just about all of our meals, and when we have company over, we hang out in the kitchen. So the need for something comfier is also top on the priority list.
So I’ve just narrowed down two key details when I’m searching. Has to have a back. Has to be comfortable = seat cushions or upholstered. Then I saw these in a current ad from Wisteria, and I fell in love!
What I didn’t fall in love with was the price! At $534 a piece (on sale), it would cost me over $2000 to replace my current Ikea ones. Now I’m no stranger to furniture costs, but that was not an easy amount to digest. I want to get something comfier, but would still like to be a little budget conscious as well.
So I started looking around. After a quick google search for “upholstered bar stools with arms”, you realize your options aren’t that many.
I quickly found out that the slip-covered Wisteria bars stools I loved weren’t the most expensive ones. Coming in to a similar price range were the Pottery Barn version, and then scaling upwards to over $800 a stool were Restoration Hardware and Perigold.
I found some similar looking styles on Overstock, and Wayfair, but they had more of a sloping arm, and weren’t quite the boxy, relaxed chairs I saw at Wisteria.
Then I stumbled across some squared off bar stools from Hayneedle, that were similar to the Wisteria ones structurally, they just weren’t the exact same esthetically.
The two on the left have the high price tag, and similar style vs. the one on the right, that is more affordable coming in around $130 a bar stool, that I just might be able to make work. I would have to sand down the legs (which I’ve done before), and make white slipcovers for all for. Even though the backs are slightly higher, then the more expensive version I like, I could get all four for around the price of one of the higher end versions.
I’m almost ready to pull the trigger, but I have learned in the past when weighing out decisions on what I buy for a house, if it’s still a yes a few weeks later, than I know I didn’t make an impulse buy.
So what do you think? Do you think I can make the more affordable chair look like the bar stool with the higher price tag? I process a lot of my decisions this way when I’m contemplating buying something for our home, and wondered if your decision process for buying things was similar?
You are the first blogger I’ve seen give any consideration to the price of anything, haha. Seriously. Aren’t those blogs sponsored for major discounts and freebies? I’m lost. Your old stools can be made over to look charming.
I’ve tried cushions, but they just don’t fit on these smaller IKEA stools :/
Hi! I am not one to post or give online advice but have followed you for several years and you are my friend–we just haven’t me in person 🙂 So having gone through the “bar stool drama” not once but twice here’s a few things to think about. First, I just read Sarah (GraceMySpace) yesterday where she said the only this she would have changed in her kitchen beautiful kitchen renovation is how she would have considered body space rather than chair space at the island. Yep been there too!
#2 Consider who will be using the chairs the most—kids?
#3 Is there enough space in your kitchen to push a chair with arms back to get down from the island? Will the chair slide easily?
#4 Is there enough space between the chairs when everyone is seated? Elbow room is necessary. Space to work around the chairs after everyone is seated —- ’cause you know you will have to get up to get something 🙂
#5 Is it better to push and jump down or would it be better to slide off the chair? (I didn’t consider one kid pushing at the same time another kid was trying to slide! Oh my….)
#6 How will the fabric or slipcovers hold up to cleaning. Mine — one family dinner = one large stain 🙂
So just things to think about or totally throw out the window. I love all of the chairs above though and wish you luck in making your decision.
Karen this is fantastic advice!! You brought up so many good points, I hadn’t even thought to measure to make sure they could be pushed in all the way. We do have plenty of room in our kitchen, but it would drive me nuts if I couldn’t push them in all the way!! I think I need to share your tips with everyone 🙂
I am loitering on the same page of Hayneedle with you and am in the same place in my head you are today. I am weighing the cost of space and time to sand and restain the legs, and find enough fabric without a 4-5 week wait (I’ve been quoted) for the restocking of the yardage that I will need to slipcover or reupholster. heavy sigh…..
Makes my bar height chairs look “good enough” for now, until I can DECIDE.
Let’s have a “recover-y” party together. shall we?!
HA!! That’s too funny!! I’m glad I’m not the only one, lol. You got me thinking, the company online that I had make a new slipcover for my sofa was very reasonable, I didn’t even think to check with them to do the slipcovers. Now I need to go price that out 🙂