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Thrifting Vintage Wooden Stools For The Kitchen

Soooooo smething crazy happened. Here’s a little hint:

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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:

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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 href=”http://guffonline.blogspot.com/2010/02/vintage-wood-and-iron-barstools.html” target=”_blank”> 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).

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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…

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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…

Comments

  2. Sarah says

    Love the stools and think they look great in your kitchen. They add a much needed warmth and ties in the floors nicely!!!

    Reply

  3. Aly says

    I’m sure you’ve already seen them, but Tarhet has some stunning natural wooden bowls and platters. Just don’t get them from my Target because I’m pretty sure my drools is on all of them.

    Reply

  4. Carla says

    I’ve loved individual elements in your kitchen, but the overall look has been very disjointed, angular and lacking in warmth. The stools and new basket pendant lights help. Although the painted stools were nice, I felt you were relying too much on spray painting everything, which can give things a very flat appearance.

    The heavier stools help balance that massive round table in the front room, and the black metal and basket pendant lights add texture and sophistication. So you’re making some wonderful changes. Even though you have a large opening between those two rooms, it still lacks flow. The kitchen feels tucked to the side and like an after thought in terms of design, rather than a part of the overall plan.

    The wall where the swimmer print is located would have been served opened up so you have more visual access to the front room. And I’m still hung up on that massive block of floor-to-ceiling cabinet to the left of the sink. You lost valuable storage with the open shelving, although I love how that looks. It’s just that the design you chose for the shelves is limiting and comes off more as display shelves rather than functional shelves. So you can’t afford to lose that cabinet. But I’m wondering if there’s some kitchen redesign in your future that will help open things up more.

    Anyway, I’m excited about the new elements you’ve been bringing into the kitchen space. John’s carpentry skills are admirable, but he has a tendency to overbuild. As a result I feel your kitchen has become very boxed in. It would have been nice to have left the hood exposed, for example. And I think having two cabinets side by side that don’t match in terms of depth (to the left of the sink) is disruptive.

    It’s just so refreshing, though, that you are always evolving your style and sharing the changes with your readers. It reminds us that good design takes time and that we shouldn’t be afraid of trying something new.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  6. Amy says

    Oh my. I’m kind of a lurker and don’t comment often, but I had to today. I.am.in.love. With those stools and also your kitchen with those stools in it! Loving the addition of the natural wood!!!

    Reply

  8. vel says

    wow, those stools are pretty cool and looks great in your kitchen!I have had similar experiences, buying stuff meant for one place and switching it to another, but I guess the main thing is that piece is something YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE – and wether or not you have a spot for it or not, you will love it no matter where you put it! :-)

    Reply

  10. nikki says

    i’m clearly in the minority here, but i liked the blue stools better in there. they were just so unexpected in a kitchen that leans towards traditional. and from the sitting area of your kitchen the blue related very well to the built-ins in the dining room. it just felt more young, inspired, and creative. just my 2 cents…

    Reply

  14. Kim says

    Great update! Blue looked awesome, these look awesomer! (totally a word, right? ;). Looks cozier and more “expensive” (although both sets Of stools were a great deal!). Good job as always!

    Reply

  19. Ally says

    *raises left hand*

    As God as my witness, I will NEVER buy a barstool that doesn’t swivel! THEY.ARE.THE.BEST :)

    Come winter, a steaming bowl of dee-licous pasta will taste all the sweeter when you’re sidled up on those babies :)

    xox

    Reply

  22. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    Whoa mama! Those are some nice stools. And they swivel? I’m practically only 5 years old internally so I would be the guest that hangs out in the kitchen twirling around long after everyone else has migrated to the den for grown up talk.

    “Look at meeeee, I’m Sandy Bullock!!!!” – Mindy Kaling

    My best, Lynn

    Reply

  23. Samantha says

    I love these! They really complete the look of the kitchen, it just “comes together” so much better now (although I agree with needing to work that into the open shelves just a bit… maybe a lovely wood salad bowl set?)

    Not that my opinion matters of course… but I think they should stay right where you’ve got them. This is a perfect fit and I was never a big fan of the blue stools anyway :) That’s just me though, I’m sure plenty of people think the opposite!

    Reply

  25. Steph S. says

    These are perfect! You have a great eye Sherry. I think they go beautifully with the mirror. Love! Your site is so inspiring to me and it makes me realize that rooms take time to evolve. I think it’s great how you seem to always reuse what you already have and find new places for things you’ve purchased. It goes to show you, that when you go with what you like, you’ll want to hold onto it. And sometimes it’s a great find like these!

    Reply

  26. Samantha says

    Ok, I need to read more carefully and not just skim… you totally already thought of wooden salad bowls. Great minds and all that ;)

    Reply

  27. Christine says

    Wow! Those look amazing!!! I love how they mesh so well with the floors and white counter! Good job Sherry! I never get that lucky on C-List…

    Reply

  34. JulieW says

    LOVE the new stools. You probably might hit me over the head for saying this but I think you should switch out the white shelves for stained shelves with no brackets. Ducking out of the way now. LOL I think it would bring the wood up to eye level while still allowing for colorful accessories and make it look a little less white and sterile.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, we have definitely thought about those being wood but we worry it’ll be too busy (there are lots of items on the shelves already, so i think we love them tying into the cabs and counters and letting the items on the shelves pop instead of the shelves themselves). Hope that makes sense!

      xo,
      s

  35. Caroline says

    Wow! What a great find! I can’t believe how they fit into your kitchen so perfectly. I didn’t think it could get any more beautiful in there and then bam! You guys keep the surprises coming :)

    Reply

  38. Emily F. says

    Love the new stools! We’re about to start a large addition and with that, get a brand new kitchen with a counter-height bar seating area. I’ve already been on the lookout for stools, much to my husband’s dismay. It’ll be interesting to have to store them (along with all our kitchen stuff and all the junk from the spare room that’s getting turned into a master bath) somewhere but if I find the right ones, I’ll make it work!

    Reply

  39. Ofelia, México City says

    Those wooden bar stools are fantastic, just right for automm decor. Nice touch, I love the rich tone, same as the duck.

    Reply

  41. tjack says

    I love those stools. Somehow they work better than the older ones. I couldn’t really pin point it before, but your kitchen needed “something.” I think what you said about bringing in warmth is just what it needed.

    I love the new kitchen stools and I’m excited to see how the blue stools do in the sunroom! They are so bright it almost feels like they are made for the sunroom.

    Reply

  45. Vanessa Gasca says

    Everytime I love one of your rooms, you do something to make me love it even more. These are perfect and I cannot wait to see how your use the blue ones in your sunroom. Your house is coming along so good!

    Reply

  46. Melinda says

    I love your blog and follow you everyday!! When I got on this a.m and saw your post I was so happy!! My parents had these stools when I was a child, and I would love to have them back now to use in my house!! They look great in your kitchen!!

    Reply

  47. Crystal says

    I agree with some other folks – love the warmth the new wood stools add to the kitchen even though I once replied that the blue stools were my favorite make-over ever. I still love the blue stools and can’t wait to see how they look in the sunroom.

    Reply

  49. Miranda says

    I love those stools! And they look great in there. (I may be the only one, but I was never a fan of the other stools. Loved the color, but that was all. Maybe it’s the pics, but they looked like they’d be super uncomfortable.)

    Reply

  50. Mrs M says

    I really love this! It made so many things work — even the duck on the wall. They look great with the big mirror, too!

    Reply

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