Bar Chairs: How Green Should You Be?

Are you thinking of establishing your own bar? Starting a bar can be difficult, you need to think about a lot of different things. You need to think about what to serve, where you are going to buy your supplies and one of the main things you need to focus on is your décor, and the bar furniture you are going to install in your bar. Granted you may not know much about interior design, and you may not have enough money to hire a professional interior designer, but you can’t just go out and buy the first bar furniture you come across. If you can’t afford to hire a designer you are going to have to learn a little about bar furniture, bar tables and bar stools. There are a few questions you should answer for yourself before buying those needed bar stools, and before hitting that furniture showroom and showing everyone that “you have no idea about what you are doing” ar stools and counter stools come in countless styles, shapes, sizes, finishes, fabrics and prices. After selecting the size required and the quantity needed, there are still many decisions to be made. Here are a few tips to help with the selection process. What size do I need? Before heading off to your nearest commercial furniture provider you need to decide on the size you need. Bar stools and bar chairs are measured according to the seat height. In other words you take the height from the floor and take it to the top of the seat. You are going to need about 9” to 13” between the seat and the counter or table, where the chair is going to be, and you need to think about the height of all types of people, because some people have longer legs than others. So if you are looking at a stool that is an 18” stool, you know that it is to be used for a table or counter that is at 30.” This is a great stool for bathrooms, vanities, or even in casinos, for the use of the slot machines. There are also 24 and 26” stools and these are about kitchen counter height.

They are designed to go under tables or counters that are 36 to 39.” Stools that are 30” are designed to go under a counter or table that runs from 40” to 45.” Stools that are 34” are your typical bar stool and designed for bar counters that are typically 46” high. Stools that are 36” are known in the furniture market as spectator stools and are used in recreational areas or pool halls.

They are used in bars where the counter is exceptionally high and stands at about 47 to 48” high. The Overall Look You should also think about the overall look of the room or bar. What is the style of the bar? Does it have a contemporary feel to it? Do you want a European look? A retro look? You need to know what you want the feel of the bar to be before you purchase your stools How Long Do You Want the Stools to Last? You also need to look at durability as well as style, and you can figure this one out by taking into account the materials that are used to make the stool. Figure out what kind of maintenance your bar stools are going to need. How often they will need to be cleaned and what kind of special cleaners will need to be used? You can find this information out by reading about different manufacturers and reading reviews. You can find different reviews on different designers and manufacturers online. The Size of the Bar? Something that will have a very strong influence on the type of bar stools you buy is going to be the size of the bar, or room, in which you are putting the bar stools. Before you go and buy bar chairs or stools you need to figure out how much space you have for them, and how many bar stools you are going to need. Measure the room out. And leave some inches of space between each stool. You don’t want your customers to feel jammed into the room, you want them to feel comfortable, and want to stay for a while. The Customers’ Comfort You also need to think about how comfortable you want the customer to get. Do you want a really comfortable stool where the customer will want to stay for a few hours? Or do you want a stool that is comfortable, but not too comfortable, so that he will move on and make room for other customers? That decision needs to be based on your needs. If you have a restaurant bar, of course you will want the bar furniture to be comfortable, but maybe not too comfortable because you want your customers to move into the restaurant. But if you only have a bar then you may want extremely comfortable stools so that the customer will remain in the bar for a while. Choosing Materials Choosing fabric, or leather or cloth seats will be based on the answer of the above question. Some people prefer leather and others prefer upholstery. It really depends on your taste and the overall décor of your bar. Bar furniture is made of many different materials. You can find bar stools and furniture in wood, metal, made of upholstery, or leather.

The choice of materials really depends on your taste, because all materials are usually well made. Metal stools can give your bar a trendy modern loo, or wrought iron stools can give your bar a classic elegance. It just depends on what you want. Metal Bar Stools As we said before metal stools are probably the sturdiest material available, and can either give you a classic or a trendy look, whichever you prefer. This type of stool can be a bit heavy to move around, but it can still be moved and placed manually. Wooden Stools There are different woods that stools are made of.

These may be maple, cherry, oak, bamboo, etc.

The good thing about wood is that they give the room a warm feel to it, and there are different finishes that range from light to dark.

The only problem with wood is that temperature affects it. So if your bar is overly humid, or hot, then wood may tend to damage. Leather or Upholstery Leather is much stronger than upholstered material, and when cared for well, will last for a long, long time. Leather is harder to stain, tear, or wear than upholstered material but does tend to fade when exposed to direct sunlight. If you do use upholstered material you will need to be careful with spills, and make sure you blot them up immediately. You also need to vacuum frequently and have them professionally cleaned once in a while. With the above tips you will be ready to walk into that furniture showroom and won’t be totally green. You will have some knowledge about what you are looking for, which will make the process much easier for both you and the sales person.