Stool mania! : Annie Elliott Design

Holy cow: what is UP with stools right now?! From practical to useless to cute to downright kooky…there are a lot of stools out there. Choose wisely.

White teacup shaped stool or side table — Do not choose this. Tea Cup Stool from Not on The High Street

(Brief public service announcement: You know about the 3 heights of stools and chairs, right? “Table height,” “counter height,” and “bar height.” So if you’re buying a stool for practical reasons, please pay attention to those labels. Thank you. Now back to your irregularly scheduled blog post.)

Some mainstream retailers have cool stools.

Fur and brass stool — CB2’s Sheepskin Stool. Part toupee, part Cousin It, part fabulous

Modern wooden sculptural stool — The butt-cupping Yanagi Butterfly Stool, which you can buy at Design Within Reach, Hive Modern, the Museum of Modern Art store, and other retailers

If you’re buying a stool for fun, say, as additional seating in your living room (they’re perfect in pairs, especially in front of a fireplace), or as a stool next to your beautiful tub to hold a towel and a glass of wine…

Blue tile bathroom — Bossy color-designed bath with classic Eames stool

…then you can — and should — have some fun.

For an offbeat statement piece, I strongly suggest that you look at places such as Chairish and 1st Dibs first, for vintage-y, one-of-a-kind stools.

Felt stools with black belt — Cinch Yellow, Cyan, and Gray Stools from Chairish

Tribal wooden stool — Carved African Wood Stool from Chairish

Elephant stools or side tables — Mid-Century Pair of ceramic Elephant Garden Stools from 1st Dibs. Because who doesn’t need a ceramic elephant stool? Or two?!

Low stool with wooden legs and cushion — Egyptian Camel Stool from The HighBoy

Then be sure and check One King’s Lane and Gilt for fancy stuff at deeply discounted prices. Act fast; the coolest objects do NOT last long!

Orange and gold counter stool — Emery Counter Stool by Safavieh from Gilt

White hide seat on chrome metal base stool — Hide Foot Stool by Uma from Gilt

Wooden drum stool — Simple, elegant Burled Stool from One King’s Lane

Blue stool/side table — See? Everyone DOES need an elephant stool! Ceramic Elephant Stool from One King’s Lane

Don’t forget that as long as the seat/top is flat and not deeply curved, stools can serve as handy drinks tables. Don’t you think you need one of these? I’m totally eyeing the side of our family room sofa as I’m writing this. Don’t tell John.

Bossy color | Annie Elliott interior design is based in Washington, D.C. We create outrageously beautiful for fascinating people — starting with color.