Kitchen islands or peninsulas are like magnets when guests come over. If your home is anything like ours, most of your friends and family congregate around the kitchen island. If that’s the case, stools are definitely going to come in handy around your home.

Stools come in a range of heights, sizes and materials, but the most frequently used ones are counter stools and bar stools. Counter stools are suitable for counters that are approximately 36” high, while bar stools are appropriate for counters that are 42” high, which is considered bar height. The seat of a counter stool is 24″ above the floor, whereas the seat of a bar stool is 30″ above the floor. Twelve inches of clearance is ideal between any counter and a stool so that your knees and legs have sufficient breathing room.

After considering the height of the stool, the most important thing you will have to decide on is whether you prefer backless or back bar stools. If you are unsure which way to go, we will grapple with the pluses and minuses of each one here.

Back Bar Stools

Counter Stools

Back bar or counter stools have a back, which is usually upholstered, wood, metal or iron and serves as a comfortable support for a person’s back. Because of this, people tend to spend a lot more time sitting at these types of stools. Moreover, upholstered stools provide you with a myriad or color options and designs. My absolute favorite counter stool is this one from Ballard Designs.

One drawback of stools with a back is that they are often much more expensive than backless stools. Pricing can range anywhere from $175 to upwards of $1,000 for a custom version. Another disadvantage is that if the back on the chair is very high, it can disrupt the sight lines to your beautifully designed kitchen. In addition, you must have an adequate amount of space to accommodate these stools so they don’t work well for tight spaces.

Backless Stools

Source: www.homedit.com

Unlike bar back stools, backless stools lack a back, think 24 hour diner stools. They tuck nicely under the overhang of a counter, which makes them perfect for areas that are short on space but big on style. Kids tend to enjoy sitting on these kinds of stools because of course, they have no back issues! When it comes to pricing, backless stools are much easier on the wallet. You can find them for less than $100 if you do your research.

The biggest drawback of backless stools is the fact that they don’t have a back! If you have back issues, a backless stool will not give you the type of support you need for extended sitting. And you can bet that grandma and grandpa will most likely make a mad dash for the sofa instead of sitting on one of these all night.

Final Thoughts

We recently purchased new stools for our kitchen and we decided to go with back counter stools. We enjoy eating dinner casually at our kitchen counter so our new stools are comfortable enough to spend a lot of time in. When I am cooking dinner, my son can sit at the kitchen counter and I can keep my eye on him as he colors, draws or ask me a zillion questions.

Ultimately, stools can look amazing whether you purchase them with or without a back. If you do not use your kitchen counter very often or lack space, backless stools may be the way to go. If your island is massive and you love to gather around it, then stools with a back will make you and your guests much more comfortable. Either way, I guarantee that either type will remain occupied all night long.

The post Stools for Your Kitchen: Backless vs. Back Bar Stools appeared first on Superior Interiors by Karina Jones.

This lovely kitchen boasts a substantial amount of storage. Using that storage space efficiently is key to making it work.

Time is something none us of us seem to have enough of. Wouldn’t it make it easier to work in a kitchen that is efficiently organized for your lifestyle? If so, then keep reading!

When I get ready to cook a meal, I want to be in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. So when I was initially faced with the task of filling up my new kitchen cabinets, I thought long and hard about how to make the kitchen flow for our personal needs. As a busy small business owner, mom, and wife, I don’t have a lot of time to waste. Hopefully, my “kitchen flow” tips will help you save some desperately needed time in your own life.

Tip #1: Store all your cooking essentials based on your dominant hand.

All of my seasonings are stored to the right of my stove.

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Why does that matter? We naturally use our dominant hand when we cook. We use it to grab seasonings, to reach up to get a mixing bowl, or to cut our vegetables.

Since I am right-handed, all of my cooking preparation happens to the right of my stove. I keep anything that I use religiously to prepare food in my right-hand upper cabinet such as my condiments, my mixing bowls, and my veggie cutter (which I love so very much!).  In my right-hand drawers, I also keep my cutting boards, my measuring cups, and my cooking utensils.

Tip #2: Store all of your pots and pans in your lower cabinets.

These pots and pans get the most use in my kitchen, as evidenced by the missing handle on my colander.

I store all of the pots and pans that I use on a daily basis in the lower cabinet directly to the right of my stove. When I get ready to put items on the stove, I can easily access them. Pots or pans that don’t get as much use, such as my pasta pot, I keep in the lower cabinet to the left of my stove. However, if you make pasta several times a week and are right-handed like me, then I would put that pot in your lower right cabinet. It just makes life easier.

Sheer weight is another good reason to keep pots and pans in your lower cabinets. Just think of how heavy some cookware is, like Dutch ovens or cast iron pans. Those become easier to handle if they are lower than rather than higher.

Tip #3: Store all of your dishes in relationship to your non-dominant hand.

The cabinet to the left of my stove houses all of my dishes. I can easily access them when I have finished preparing a meal.

All of my dishes are in the upper cabinet to the left of the stove. Once I am done cooking, I can easily move over to the left of the stove to serve dinner. In the drawer directly below this upper cabinet, I keep all of our cutlery. This way, I can get our plates and eating utensils all in the same area.

Tip #4: Keep your cups and mugs near the refrigerator.

In my kitchen, glasses and mugs are placed directly to the left of the refrigerator.

It might seem natural to keep your plates in the same cabinet that your cups are in, but I actually keep our cups in the cabinet to the left of my refrigerator. This is especially useful since our refrigerator makes ice and serves water externally. By keeping the cups next to the refrigerator, my family can just grab a cup, open the fridge, get a beverage, pour it, and (hopefully) place it right back in the fridge.

Tip #5: Keep your less frequently used items further away from your central cooking area.

The cabinet right above my double oven stores pots and pans that I use the least.

There are some items in my kitchen that I only use once in a blue or specifically around Thanksgiving time. I keep those items in the upper cabinet furthest away from my stove. In my case, it houses things like my crockpot or my deeper pans.

How your kitchen flows is dependent on your personal needs. If you are left-handed, don’t cook often, or are more of a baker, your kitchen is going to be organized much differently than mine is. The whole point of making your kitchen flow is to make your life easier and to save time in the process. That way, you can spend more time actually enjoying your dinner than making it.

Do you have some creative ways of organizing your kitchen? Please share them with us in the comments section!

Happy kitchen organizing!

Written by Karina Jones

– Superior Interiors by Karina Jones

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