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How Do You Make Bar Stools?
August 13, 2026

How Do You Make Bar Stools?

Making a bar stool is straightforward in principle and demanding in the details, and this article works through both. It starts where every stool should start: measuring the counter and calculating leg length back from the target seat height, allowing properly for the assembled thickness of an upholstered pad rather than estimating it. From there we cover timber selection and why softwoods fail at the joints, leg stock dimensions for counter and bar heights, and how a five degree splay improves stability at the cost of compound angle cuts. There is detailed guidance on joinery that survives constant racking, why screws alone will loosen within a year, how stretchers triangulate a tall frame and double as a footrest, shaping or upholstering the seat, and finishing every face so seasonal movement does not work the joints apart. We also cover workshop setup, the best assembly order, and how to test a finished stool safely....

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How Do You Clean Bar Stools?
August 13, 2026

How Do You Clean Bar Stools?

Cleaning bar stools well comes down to matching the method to the material and using far less moisture than instinct suggests. Leather needs mild soap on a barely damp cloth and immediate drying, fabric needs vacuuming before any liquid touches it, timber needs an almost dry cloth worked along the grain, and chrome needs a dry buff to avoid water spots. This guide sets out a short weekly routine, then covers each material in turn along with the marks that appear most often in kitchens: grease, dried food, ink and sticky cooking residue. It also explains why the footrest and the exposed gas lift piston deserve attention, and the small habits that reduce how much cleaning is needed at all....

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How Much Space for Each Bar Stool?
August 13, 2026

How Much Space for Each Bar Stool?

Spacing bar stools correctly is what separates counter seating that gets used every day from a row of stools that sit empty. This article explains the 60cm to 70cm centre to centre rule, why measuring from seat centres is more reliable than working from edges, and how much clear worktop to leave at each end of the run. We look at how different stool types change the figure, with backless designs needing less and stools with arms or a swivel action needing more, and how to identify the genuinely usable length of counter with knee space beneath it. There is guidance on counter overhang, the walkway needed behind occupied stools, and why fewer well spaced seats usually work better in small UK kitchens....

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How Do You Remove Bar Stool Base?
August 13, 2026

How Do You Remove Bar Stool Base?

Removing a bar stool base is mostly about understanding that the gas lift column is held in place by a friction taper rather than any hidden fixing. This guide explains how the parts fit together, how to unbolt the seat for clear access, and how to release the base using controlled rubber mallet blows to the hub or a twisting pull with a pipe wrench when the taper has seized. It also covers the safety rules around pressurised cylinders, dismantling bolted and glued four legged stools, refitting a base so the taper seats properly under your own weight, and recognising when a cracked or bent base is no longer safe to reuse....

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How Long of a Bar for 4 Stools?
August 13, 2026

How Long of a Bar for 4 Stools?

Four bar stools need between 240 and 280 centimetres of usable bar, and the difference depends entirely on the stool style. Slim backless seats fit at 60 centimetres each, stools with backs need nearer 70, and anything with arms wants 75 or more. This guide explains how to measure only the counter with a genuine overhang, why 15 centimetres should be left clear at each end, and how round seats pack more efficiently than square ones. Worked examples cover 200, 240, 280 and 320 centimetre islands so you can see where four seats stop being comfortable. It also looks at seating around an L shaped return, why the internal corner should stay empty, and the sensible alternatives when four simply will not fit....

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How High Are Counter Height Bar Stools?
August 13, 2026

How High Are Counter Height Bar Stools?

Counter height bar stools are built around one figure: a seat measuring roughly 60cm to 68cm from the floor, most often close to 65cm, designed for the standard British kitchen worktop of about 90cm. This guide explains where that measurement comes from, why the 25cm to 30cm gap between seat and counter decides comfort, and how to measure your own kitchen properly so you order the right height first time. We look at the difference between counter height and tall bar height, when a fixed stool beats a gas lift and when adjustability earns its keep, and how seat padding, backrests and footrests can make two stools with identical measurements feel quite different in use. There is also a list of the mistakes that most often force people to replace a new set....

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How Many Bar Stools for 8 Foot Island?
August 13, 2026

How Many Bar Stools for 8 Foot Island?

An 8 foot island measures roughly 244cm, but the number of stools it seats depends on how much of that length is genuinely usable. This guide works through the arithmetic properly, deducting corner space at each end and dividing what remains, and explains why a peninsula, a freestanding island and one tucked between units all give different answers. It makes the case for four stools as the usual outcome, the case for three where the island is the main eating surface, and sets out the narrow circumstances in which five is workable. There is also guidance on seating two sides and the room width that requires, on placing a single stool at the end, and on the clearance, overhang and walkway figures that no reduction in stool count can fix....

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Are Low Back Bar Stools Comfortable?
August 13, 2026

Are Low Back Bar Stools Comfortable?

Low back bar stools occupy a useful middle ground between backless perches and full height designs, and for most UK kitchens they are the more comfortable choice. This article explains why lumbar support matters so much when perching, the backrest height that actually does the work, and how low back stools compare with the alternatives on both support and bulk. It covers the footrest position that takes weight off the thighs, why firm padding outperforms soft, the seat depth and front edge details that affect longer sittings, and how swivel actions ease daily use. A short pre purchase checklist covers the five figures worth knowing....

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How Many Bar Stools Should You Have?
August 13, 2026

How Many Bar Stools Should You Have?

The right number of bar stools is decided by your counter, not your household size. This guide shows how to measure genuine usable overhang length, why corners, cabinets and end clearances must be excluded, and how to divide that figure to reach an honest seat count. It compares how two, three and four stools feel in typical UK kitchens, explains why rounding down is what makes seating actually get used, and covers the walkway depth that a well measured plan often overlooks. There is also advice on odd numbers, adding a stool later, handling guests without crowding the island every day, and switching to slimmer designs when you want one more place at the counter....

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How Do You Make a Wooden Swivel Bar Stool?
August 13, 2026

How Do You Make a Wooden Swivel Bar Stool?

Building a wooden swivel bar stool is a satisfying weekend project once you understand that it is three separate components joined at the end rather than one complicated assembly. This guide explains what each part does, which timbers are forgiving for a first attempt, and how to work back from your counter height to the exact leg length once seat thickness and the swivel plate are accounted for. It covers laminating and shaping the seat, cutting angled legs for a splayed frame, gluing up in stages so the joints do not fight you, and fitting a bought bearing plate dead centre so the seat rotates without wandering. There is also advice on sealing timber for kitchen conditions, protecting floors, and an honest look at when building one stool makes sense but buying a matched set does not....

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