The kitchen is the heart of the home (because, let's be honest, who doesn't want to gather in the room where the food is?) so it's important to create a space that's welcoming, comfortable, and of course, beautiful. There's kitchen seating out there for every style, from traditional to modern to eclectic and everything in between.
Let's take a look at kitchen bar stools and dining chairs in some of this year's most popular design styles.
Luxe Living: If you love all things glam, look for kitchen stools with designer details like nailheads and decorative hardware. These metallic accents act like jewelry and add a little bling to the humble barstool. Dark-stained legs and lush fabric upholstery also lend upscale style, as shown in this gorgeous glamorous kitchen featured in Lonny magazine.
French Inspired: Get the oh-so-chic French flea market look with weathered wood frames in classic shapes paired with rustic upholstery like linen. It's okay to mix and match styles - just make sure that there's a cohesive element to tie them all together. In the photo above from Dear Lillie, it's the plain neutral upholstery that acts as a common thread (pun intended) between these French dining chairs.
Global Decor: Global style seeks influences from cultures and countries around the world, and becomes a curated collection of color, texture, and pattern. These vibrant dining chairs showcased in Country Living magazine capture the colorful excitement of the global look.
Modern Mix: The combination of an industrial dining table and Midcentury dining chairs is dynamite. Throw in the traditional mirrored frames, luxe gold garden stool, and oversize modern art and then entire space is a chic mix of styles that shouldn't work together - but do. If you're going for a Modern Mix look in your kitchen or dining room, like this room featured in Domaine, make sure that there's an element that ties your table and chairs together. In this case, it's the reclaimed wood tabletop and the light legs of the chairs that provides a common thread.
Industrial Chic: The key to industrial style seating in the kitchen is to balance out the cold metallic finishes with some warmth. The soft off-white cabinetry in this kitchen in Atlanta Homes magazine offsets the hard industrial styling of the counter stools and pendant lights.
Cottage Retreat: The cottage look is all about weathered textures - think distressed paint, rattan, and weathered fabric upholstery. These rustic woven barstools from The Lettered Cottage are a great example of what to look for in cottage style kitchen seating.
Eclectic Chic: A farmhouse-style dining table provides the perfect backdrop for an eclectic mix of dining chairs. Be bold with color - but be sure to balance out the brights with neutrals so things don't get too crazy. This inspiration image from 55 Downing Street captures the Eclectic Chic look.
Modern Bungalow: Consider handsome and smart Mission-style kitchen chairs and barstools. Troy Mock Architects used classic Mission style counter stools in this kitchen renovation, and the stained wood and leather finishes pair beautifully with the handsome kitchen island.
There really is kitchen seating out there for every style. Chairs and barstools are a opportunity to communicate your design sense and bring personality to your space. Happy shopping!
Image credits: Lonny, Dear Lillie, Country Living, Domaine, Atlanta Homes, The Lettered Cottage, 55 Downing Street, Troy Mock Architects via Houzz