The right bar stool choice makes such a big difference. Here are my picks for affordable modern traditional bar stool options for your kitchen.
If you’ve ever popped over to check out some of the photos that we take for our photography business Art & Spaces, you’ve probably noticed that we shoot a lot of kitchens. All of these kitchens are beautiful, high-end, custom spaces, built to perfection and yet they don’t all show as nicely in photos. There are a few simple things that we’ve noticed really make a difference as far as how finished and pulled-together a kitchen looks in the photos we do and in real life, and today I want to talk about just one of those things specifically: the bar stools. It happens pretty frequently that we get into a space and say to ourselves “Ugh! So close! If only they had chosen different bar stools, this shot would have been amazing!” So today I thought I’d share some of my insight from behind the lens about which bar stools I’ve seen that are both affordable and also always look really nice in all the spaces we see them in, with a nod to my favourite classic styles, of course. Here are my favourite modern traditional bar stool options.
Affordable Modern Traditional Bar Stool Options That Always Work
Cline Counter Stool | If you’re going to go with a simple wood stool in a single material, go with something like this. The curves on the back and the legs keep it interesting and add a much needed visual break from all the rectangles and straight edges of kitchen cabinetry.
Vaughnsville Counter Stool | A space-saving basic, but with a little twist to make it interesting. Super budget-friendly too!
Cavallo Bar Stool | Oh gosh. Doesn’t this look comfy? Comes in a set of two.
Mascaro Swivel Stool | The shape of the back on this stool is so pretty and who doesn’t love a swivel?
Avah Bar Stool | I’m always a “yes” when it comes to button tufting. That little strip of metal where your feet will rest is a nice touch too. These are on major sale right now, which is how they managed to fall into my “affordable” criteria. 🙂
Adriano Counter Stool | You can’t go wrong. That price is for two!
Abrams Adjustable Swivel Stools | OK, this is just crazy. This price is for three stools! Seems a little too good to be true and yet these stools have great reviews. They’re giving me some serious French sidewalk cafe vibes.
Sunwashed Riviera Stool | Another version of the French sidewalk cafe look. 🙂 A little less cost-effective, but just beautiful in every way. I have the coastal blue version of this chair for my desk chair and it just brings so much joy to that little corner of the house.
Harwich Windsor Barstools | I will always love a black Windsor chair in any form.
*Update* I had a lot of people message me about these black Windsor stools because apparently they’ve sold out now, so I found these, which are a perfect alternative. I found others as well that were sold out and I kind of love that these have been so popular because black Windsor chairs are just so close to my heart, which you know if you’ve seen my kitchen.
Lakeport Barstools | That little bit of woven material on the back is *chef’s kiss*.
Keyren Barstools | We see this style of stool used really often and honestly, we’ve never had them look bad, no matter what kitchen they’re in. The lean a little more to the mid-century modern side of things, but if you want a foolproof choice, these are what I would recommend. This warm caramel-colored leather is really beautiful and popular, but I like the all-black version too.
Webbed Bar Stools | Had to update the post to add these in! I shared a photo over on the Art & Spaces Instagram page of a kitchen with these bar stools and I had some requests for a source, so I tracked them down!
Have you noticed what a difference the right bar stools make when you see a photo of a kitchen? It really helps to take a picture of a space and stand back to really get a perspective on what’s working and what’s not working. After taking photos of so many kitchens, I feel like I’ll be a bar stool choosing expert if we ever decide to put an island in our own kitchen. 🙂
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.