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Measure from the floor to the underside of your counter. If it is 36 inches you need counter stools; if it is 42 inches you need bar stools. Everything else follows from that number.
Kitchen counters and most islands are 36 inches high, and take a counter stool with a seat 24 to 26 inches off the floor. A raised bar, a pub table or a bar-height island is 42 inches high, and takes a bar stool with a 30 to 31 inch seat. The rule is 10 to 12 inches between the top of the seat and the underside of the counter, which is the space your thighs need.
Get it wrong in either direction and the stools are unusable: a bar stool at a 36-inch counter pins your knees, and a counter stool at a 42-inch bar leaves you with your chin on the counter. Every Plank & Beam stool is sold in both heights, so measure first and then choose the style.
Counter stools, 24 to 26 inch seat · Bar stools, 30 to 31 inch seat
Allow 24 inches of counter per stool, measured centre to centre, and 6 inches between the edge of one seat and the next. A 6-foot island takes three stools, an 8-foot island takes four. If the stools have arms or a wide back, allow 28 inches.
Backless stools like the Smythe and Beryl slide completely under the counter, which keeps a small kitchen looking open and keeps the walkway clear. They are also the least expensive, from $186 CAD, and the lightest to move. They suit an island people perch at for breakfast or a drink.
Stools with a back, like the Solid Wood counter chair, the Elio, Sereno and Brio, and the Loar upholstered counter chair, are for an island that is the real table: homework, long breakfasts, guests who sit while you cook. An upholstered seat adds comfort for the same reason.
All of the stools come in Pecan, Walnut, Blonde and Black, which are the same finishes as the dining tables and chairs, so stools at the island and chairs at the table can match. With a white or grey kitchen, Walnut and Pecan add warmth; Black suits a darker or more modern kitchen; Blonde keeps a small kitchen light.
All counter and bar stools · Counter height tables
A counter stool with a 24 to 26 inch seat. That leaves 10 to 12 inches of legroom under the counter.
A bar stool with a 30 to 31 inch seat.
24 inches centre to centre for stools without arms, 28 inches with arms. A 6-foot island takes three stools.
For short sits, yes, and the contoured seat on the Smythe and Beryl helps. For sitting longer than a meal, choose a stool with a back.
Counter stools · Bar stools · Counter & bar stools
Last updated 2026-10-22.