Bar Stool Buying Guide Tips Bar stools are likely not the furniture that spring to mind when you think of contemporary design. Yet a modern bar stool can be a decorative surprise in a dining room or rec room, infusing your home bar with an unexpected shot of slender elegance and cool sophistication.

Bar Stool Rules
Size and space are critical elements of contemporary design. The same is true of bar stools. A crowded home bar or bar stools too tall for a dining counter can ruin the visual effect you want to achieve.

Before shopping for modern bar stools, go to your home bar or dining area and measure the counter height. You'll want to leave about twelve inches of space between the counter and bar stool seats. Another measurement to record is the space between bar stools. A standard allowance is thirty inches from the center of one bar stool seat to the next. Anything closer than that will look cluttered, and clutter is fatal to contemporary design. Bar Stool Design Modern furniture emphasizes clean lines, geometrical shapes, and smooth, polished surfaces. Bar stools with ornate wrought iron backs will probably look too busy. Likewise, rustic looking bar stools will be as anachronistic as Ted Danson bartending at the Bauhaus School.

Modern bar stools should have a stretched rather than a squat look. Your eyes should be compelled to move in a vertical line when looking at a modern bar stool.

Materials are also important when decorating a contemporary home bar. Wooden bar stools can be acceptable depending on their color and style, but metal and leather will probably better provide a suitably contemporary look.

Finally, pay attention to contrast when choosing modern bar stools. If your rec room features a lot of curved or ovular shapes, bar stools with rigid lines might make your home bar look like a failed geometry experiment.