When Was the 24″ Bar Stool Invented

I believe that 24 inch bar stools are less than 10 years of age. I suppose these stools may have existed before, but they certainly were not prevalent. Historically most bar stools were of a standard height. The height was set based on fitting with old English style pub bars. I first started buying bar stools for different business ventures in the late eighties. These stools were all standardized. They were all of the same height, and for the most part made in a handful of designs. Now all different types of bar stools are manufactured and commercially available.

There are two standard heights for bar stools these days. There are 24 inch bar stools and 30 inch bar stools. The 30″ bar stools are generally limited to commercial use while both the 24 inch and 30 inch bar stools are found in residential settings. Spanning the different heights are a variety of other factors such as use of material and upholstering, fixed or swivel seats, color, etc.

Historically, the use of bar stools in private homes was generally limited to basement family rooms or possibly the main floor at the edge of a large living room. Often if used on the main floor the bars were portable. Those stools used in the basement tended to be wooden and were stained a natural color. The whole concept was to recreate an old English pub in your basement and these bars needed pub style bar stools. Those stools found in the more formal areas of the residence tended to be made out of chrome or resin. All of these older style bar stools were designed for use by adults. The stools were invariably 30″ high to suit a standard 42 inch bar.

In the mid-90s kitchen renovations were really becoming popular. Kitchen renovation shows were popping up on TV. New glossy kitchen renovation magazines were being launched. It was beginning to dawn on people that the kitchen was an integral and very important part of the family home. Today kitchens are still about function but they are also about style and lifestyle. Today, it is all about granite counters, stainless appliances, cappuccino makers, marble back splashes, and breakfast bars and breakfast bar stools. Breakfast bar stools are generally 24 inch bar stools.

The idea of the purpose of a kitchen changed radically. A kitchen wasn’t just about making food or doing the dishes. A kitchen became a place to enjoy family time. This concept came to fruition just as we all realized a bigger kitchen with more counter space was needed if the food preparation and clean up was to be shared with other activities. The breakfast bar became the ideal place to read the paper or do homework.

The 24″ bar stool developed out of necessity. The older style bar stools seemed to dominate the kitchen and the image of these bar stools seemed to bring up the connotation of drinking of alcohol. Another critical reason was that families wanted their children to be able to use the kitchen bar stools. The standard height stools were too high for children to use comfortably. After hundreds of years using a standard height stool, the world has quickly embraced the 24″ bar stool.

Technorati Tags: bar furniture, bar stools, bars, barstools, furnishing, furniture, home, home decor, home decorating, house, interior design, kitchen, renovating, renovation, Restaurants