How Many Bar Stools Does My Bar Need?
A home bar can really liven up your kitchen or any living space. Home bars are both practical and interactive. They can even allow you to carry on conversations with company while you chef it up in the adjacent kitchen. So when you are shopping for bar stools with this vision in mind, you will inevitably find yourself wondering exactly how many bar stools you need.
To determine the number of stools you need for your home bar, measure the length of the bar counter and divide that number by 24”. The result is the number of stools you need. If you want to fit more stools you can divide the bar length by as little as 21”’, but this will be tight. For more space between stools, divide the bar length by 30”.
Before you break out your measuring tape and march over to your bar top, you have a few questions to ask yourself. While there are certain standards for how much space a stool should take up, the decision is ultimately yours. In order to make the best decision for your home you need to consider comfort, functionality and practicality.
How Far Apart Should Bar Stools Be Placed?
Bar stools measure anywhere from 15” to 24”, depending on their structure and design. The most typical bar stool sizes are between 15” to 21”. The standard width of a barstool and the optimal space between it on both sides is 24”.
While 24” is often considered the norm in seating space for bar stools, you may want to increase it a bit If you have large stools that swivel. Keep in mind you can certainly put stools closer together, leaving a total of 21” of seat space. Keep in mind this leaves little room for the seated party to maneuver, and you should purchase a thinner stool (15”-18”) if you plan to allow less space.
Factors To Consider When Determining Number Of Stools For Your Bar
In addition to asking yourself the standard questions like what style bar do you want, how much of a focal point will it be, you need to dive deeper. There are several questions you should ask yourself. The answers to these questions will help determine the number of bar stools you require, and important considerations you will need to make in the purchasing phase.
What Type Of Bar Stools Do You Plan To Buy?
Bar stools come in all shapes and sizes. This variety is very helpful for those looking for something specific. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the size and shape of your bar stools can dramatically affect how many stools your bar can fit.
Bar stools with backs and armrests are typically much wider than standard stools with no backs (seat only). Cushioned seats (think plush leather, with backs and armrests) can add even more width. Cushioned, and backed seats may be comfortable, but they may limit the number of guests you can entertain.
How Comfortable Do You Want To Be?
Desired comfort levels also factor into how many stools your bar can and should have. Not only are comfortable stools wider, but most guests prefer a bit of space between them and the next guest.
If you don’t want your guests bumping elbows, you will want to allow more room than the standard 24 inches per stool. If your bar stools swivel, you want to allow your guests to turn and face each other a bit. This requires a slightly wider buffer than normal.
How Functional Is The Space?
One important question you should ask yourself is how functional the bar space is. There are many home bars that make space for stools with an overlayed counter, but the counter space is hardly functional. If, for example, your bar has enough space to sit, but not eat a meal, perhaps consider fewer stools. All bars deserve a few stools, but if you can’t use it as a fully functional space, fewer may be better.
On the other hand, if your bar is where you plan to eat most meals – factor this into your decision as well. You should plan to purchase comfortable, sturdy stools, and enough of them to seat all those who plan to dine regularly in the home for any given meal.
How Many Guests Do You Plan On Entertaining?
One of the most basic, yet important, things you need to think about is how many guests you realistically plan on entertaining. The key word is realistically. It is not uncommon for you to get very excited about a barter space. You likely envision yourself entertaining friends while chewing up in the kitchen on a regular basis – but is this reality?
Consider your living space, the current seating arrangement, and use this as a guide. Perhaps you really need all the bar space for seating. Or maybe you have a large family to feed. Sitting them (and cleaning up after them) is just easier at the bar top. Once you have that number in your head, all you need to do is some basic math to determine whether or not you can fit that many stools at your bar.
Formula To Determine The Number Of Stools For Your Bar
Once you have a vision and understand your needs for the bar and the bar stools, you are ready to determine the magic number of stools you need. All that you need to do is some basic measuring with a measuring tape and perform some simple math. This will determine how many bar stools you can fit at your bar.
Step One: Measure Your Counter
Measure the length of your counter. You can measure the entire length. Keep in mind, however, that you likely only want to put stools in areas where the space is functional.
If, for example, there is counter space but no space under the counter to tuck a stool, perhaps this is not an area you should be measuring. Best practice is to measure only the length of the fully functional bar space.
Step Two: Calculate Bar Stool And “Buffer” Width
Now that you know the type of bar stools you want (swivel, backless, armrest vs. no arm rest, etc.) you can determine approximately how wide each bar stool will be. You also know if you want to calculate a small buffer, or larger buffer between chairs. Remember the larger the buffer the more comfort and room to swivel. This also means the more space between, the fewer chairs you will fit.
Typically each space should be at least 21” (this is the narrowest you should go). You can extend to about 30 (giving you room for large stools and swivel space). Remember the “standard” industry width is about 24”
Step Three: Divide Bar Length By Stool And Buffer Length
The last step is simply dividing the total length of the bar by the width of the stool and buffer space (per chair) that you just calculated. The number you come up with is the number of chairs you can fit at the bar.
How Many Stools Can Fit vs. How Many You Should Have
Remember that less is more. Just because you can fit 5 chairs on a 120” bar does not mean you need to purchase that many. Consider, at first, just buying the number you know you will use. Unless you are purchasing stools on a one-time deal, remember that you can always buy more.
Summing Up How Many Bar Stools You Need
When you are planning to purchase bar stools for your home bar, the first thing you need to do is measure the length of the bar itself. Once you have that number you can divide it by your desired seating width. While 24” is the norm, feel free to go higher if you want larger stools or room to move around. You can go more narrow to fit another chart or two. Still, try not to go below 21” as it will begin to get too tight.
Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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