Beachcomber Counter Stools
2010s American Shaker Stools
Maple, Walnut
2010s American Shaker Stools
Maple, Walnut
2010s American Shaker Stools
Oak
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Finnish Art Deco Side Tables
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers an...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights an...
Metal
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Textile, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1960s Slovak Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
2010s Finnish Post-Modern Stools
Ash, Cork
2010s American Organic Modern Flush Mount
Brass
2010s American Modern End Tables
Maple
2010s Italian Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Vintage 1970s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Oak
2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs
Linen
Recent Sales
2010s American Shaker Stools
Maple, Walnut
2010s American Shaker Stools
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Stools
Bamboo
A Close Look at Shaker Furniture
Authentic antique Shaker furniture is hard to come by, but not exceedingly rare. “Shaker style” describes furnishings and interiors that are both warm and simple, centered on unpretentious wooden chairs, tables and cabinets without ornament or embellishment.
The term derives from the popular name for an all-but-vanished American religious sect, whose members crafted modest household furniture and objects as part of their belief in purposeful living and simplicity in all things.
Members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing — called Shakers, derisively, because they writhed and danced in religious ecstasy during worship — arrived in the United States from England in 1774. Within 50 years, the sect had established 19 self-sufficient communities from Maine to Kentucky, where they lived pure, humble and industrious lives.
The furniture and objects the Shakers made reflected their strict rules of behavior. Pieces such as ladder- and slat-back chairs and trestle tables were painstakingly crafted from native woods like maple and cherry, using traditional methods such as mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joinery and lathe turning. They employed strong, straight lines and symmetrical proportions, and decoration of any kind — carving, veneers, inlays — was prohibited, as it would encourage the sins of pride and vanity.
The Shakers movement included some 6,000 members at its peak in the 1860s, but the group practiced celibacy and could attempt to sustain their flock only by recruiting new adherents. Modernity proved too alluring. Today only one tiny Shaker community, in Maine, still exists, though the sect’s heritage is preserved at several historical sites.
To support their communities, the Shakers sold furniture to outsiders, who appreciated its superb quality. While the “Shaker style” label is today given to many plain, simple wooden pieces, it should also denote superior construction and solid materials. As elements in interior design, Shaker furnishings work best in a quiet decor. Modest pieces such as these can become lost among more ornate works. The style is most suitable to a country home — although a Shaker chair or cabinet can make a striking counterpoint in a modernist, urban setting.
Shaker furniture and objects have a deep appeal for their warmth, honesty and graceful simplicity, which make them welcome almost anywhere.
Find antique Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Stools for You
Stools are versatile and a necessary addition to any living room, kitchen area or elsewhere in your home. A sofa or reliable lounge chair might nab all the credit, comfort-wise, but don’t discount the roles that good antique, new and vintage stools can play.
“Stools are jewels and statements in a space, and they can also be investment pieces,” says New York City designer Amy Lau, who adds that these seats provide an excellent choice for setting an interior’s general tone.
Stools, which are among the oldest forms of wooden furnishings, may also serve as decorative pieces, even if we’re talking about a stool that is far less sculptural than the gracefully curving molded plywood shells that make up Sōri Yanagi’s provocative Butterfly stool.
Fawn Galli, a New York interior designer, uses her stools in the same way you would use a throw pillow. “I normally buy several styles and move them around the home where needed,” she says.
Stools are smaller pieces of seating as compared to armchairs or dining chairs and can add depth as well as functionality to a space that you’ve set aside for entertaining. For a splash of color, consider the Stool 60, a pioneering work of bentwood by Finnish architect and furniture maker Alvar Aalto. It’s manufactured by Artek and comes in a variety of colored seats and finishes.
Barstools that date back to the 1970s are now more ubiquitous in kitchens. Vintage barstools have seen renewed interest, be they a meld of chrome and leather or transparent plastic, such as the Lucite and stainless-steel counter stool variety from Indiana-born furniture designer Charles Hollis Jones, who is renowned for his acrylic works. A cluster of barstools — perhaps a set of four brushed-aluminum counter stools by Emeco or Tubby Tube stools by Faye Toogood — can encourage merriment in the kitchen. If you’ve got the room for family and friends to congregate and enjoy cocktails where the cooking is done, consider matching your stools with a tall table.
Whether you need counter stools, drafting stools or another kind, explore an extensive range of antique, new and vintage stools on 1stDibs.
- What is a counter stool?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A counter stool is a restaurant seating that is accessible to customers who are either sitting or standing. The standard height for a counter stool should be around 24" to 27" above floor level. Find a collection of antique and vintage counter stools on 1stDibs.
- What is a counter height stool?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A counter height stool is a stool that measures approx. 24 to 27 inches in height, at the seat level. Counter height stools are taller than chairs and are generally designed to go with counter height tables. They can be used in different settings, including counters, dining rooms, coffee tables, bars, restaurants and salons. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage counter height stools.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, bar stools are taller than counter stools. The average height of counter stools is 24 inches, and they are best suited for counter height tables and kitchen islands. Barstools are typically an additional five to six inches taller to fit the height of traditional bar counters. Shop a wide selection of bar stools and counter-height stools on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024The difference between bar stools and counter stools comes down to height. Bar stools are usually between 28 and 32 inches tall to provide comfortable seating at bars and bar-height tables. To pair with kitchen counters and counter-height tables, counter stools are normally 24 to 27 inches tall. Find a large collection of dining stools on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023How many stools you should have per counter depends on the length of the countertop. A good rule of thumb is to put one stool every 30 inches, so take the total length of the counter and divide by 30 to arrive at the right number. Shop an assortment of counter stools on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
Since counters are generally 34 to 39 inches high, counter stools should be 24 to 27 inches tall; bars are 40 to 46 inches from the ground, so bar stools typically stand 30 to 36 inches tall.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Counter height bar stools are stools that typically have a seat around 24 inches to 27 inches high and are designed to provide seating along a bar or at counter height tables. On 1stDibs, find an array of counter height bar stools from top sellers.