Wood lobby bar stools

Warm wood at the bar line suits a paneled lobby, a library bar or a hotel restaurant whose counter faces the dining room. Each of the 46 stools here stands on a wood frame, and each carries an indoor listing. Start with the back. Curved backs lead the list, and slats, ladders and upholstered backs follow close behind.

Backs that agree with the dining room

Wood stools usually sit within sight of wood dining chairs, and the two should agree. Curved backs come on 16 stools, upholstered backs on 7, vertical slats on 6, ladder backs on 5, and square and window backs on 3 each. When the restaurant chairs have rails across the back, the ladder-back bar stools repeat that profile at bar height. The traditional bar stools mix wood and metal frames in classic shapes.

Seats are where a bar shows its hours. Vinyl is listed on 46 stools, wood on 44 and fabric on 41, and 45 carry upholstery options. A bar that pours from noon until late does well with vinyl, which wipes clean between guests. Fabric reads softer in a quiet residents' bar. Ask for a swatch before ordering, as the colors in the listed range change over time.

Height and spacing along the bar

Measure the bar first. Against a bar top of roughly 40 to 42 inches, aim for a seat between 29 and 31; the listings here name heights such as 30, 29 3/4 and 28 inches. A coffee counter, lower at 34 to 36 inches, needs something shorter, and the counter stools are all wood too.

Leave 24 to 30 inches between stool centers. Arms, found on 8 of these, push you toward the wider end; the arm bar stools page shows armed models in every frame. Along a 16-foot residents' bar, that spacing gives six to eight seats.

Keep the wood indoors

None of these stools carries a patio listing. A wood frame left at the pool bar swells and fades, and the warranty does not cover indoor furniture used outdoors. For a bar outside, look for the stools in the bar stools department that do carry a patio listing.

Inside, keep to a mild cleaner. Damage from the wrong cleaning agent is one of the things the warranty leaves out, and a bar team reaching for whatever is under the counter is how it happens.

A single stool costs between $112 and $277. Sketch the bar on a property plan with each seat marked, and the count you order will be the count you set on opening night.