It was only recently that I came to understand why so many people love, want and need kitchen bar stools with high backs for their homes.
In years gone by backless chairs and stools were my jam. Fast forward a decade as I approach 40 and I’ve come to the realisation that my core is non-existent. It’s left the building. It will potentially never return. Gosh, sometimes even standing in line becomes achey. Yep, that’s where I am in life.
But back support aside, a lot of my design clients want high-back stools so they stand out at a large kitchen island. Or, they have young kids they want to feed at the counter without them falling onto the floor. So, I totally get the desire for back support in this piece of furniture. And so this roundup of over 50 fabulous stools with high backs was created.
I’ve split the list up into different interior design styles to make it easy to find the right one for your place. And if you need it, here’s my must-read guide on how to choose stools for your kitchen bench. PS the bar stools above in the hero image of the post at the stunning Melrose Bar Stools from Coco Republic.
Hamptons Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
Let’s start with one of the most popular styles we cover on the TLC Blog: Hamptons. It must be said, there are a million different ways to decorate a Hamptons home these days. There’s a big overlap between Hamptons and coastal, Hamptons and Provincial, and even Hamptons and boho aesthetics. So you’re afforded a lot of options when it comes to furniture.
The good news is that we’ve got a dedicated post on the new way to style a Hamptons home here if you’re yet to read it. It’ll give you a good understanding of the more modern way to rock this look, and might even help you figure out which style of kitchen bar stool you’d like to get.
Hamptons bar stools with high backs tend to come in three main styles. The first is the plush upholstered look, with a tufted button back or studded trim. The second is a more all-white timber or rattan look, but with some detail in the profile and with a sense of tradition to it. And the last one is a combination of the two (best of both worlds!).
Have a look at six high-back kitchen stools in the Hamptons style below. I’m sure you’ll see something you love.
1. Fink Bar Stool in Natural | 2. Emilia Cross Back Bar Stools | 3. Zoe Bar Stool Low | 4. Keilani Rattan Counter Stool | 5. Normandy Bar Stool | 6. Chippendale Counter Stool
My top pick from the batch above is #5, the Normandy Bar Stool. It features a wonderful combo of upholstery and timber. You get softness and sturdiness, and it really gives off a sense of sophistication. It’s a chair I could see myself sitting in at the kitchen bench during a long brekkie.
Modern Country Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
The modern country vibe is a style on the rise, and one to watch as people yearn to get back to nature. You can see more modern country style on the blog here. So much time cooped up inside has left us eager to be outdoors again. Or at the very least, we want to blur the lines between inside and out at home.
Kitchen stools in this style story are an all-timber affair. You don’t get any padded upholstery, sure, but don’t go making the assumption that these bad boys are uncomfortable. The opposite is in fact true for the majority of high-back stools in the mood board below. The back support is worthy of a mention too; you do get a lot of it with these options.
The image above comes courtesy of Temple and Webster (stunning dining room, right?) and features their Kobe High Back Bar Stools. Below are six more for your consideration.
1. Bentwood Stool | 2. Bastian Bar Stool in Oak | 3. Arabelle High Bar Stool | 4. Artiss Vintage Rustic Bar Stool | 5. IMU Bar Stool | 6. Serafin Rustic Pine Timber Bar Chair
I’m loving the Arabelle High Bar Stool in the #3 position above. It’s a classic profile but a colour you don’t usually see. It’ll work so nicely in a modern country home, one with some industrial moments at play, or even a charming provincial cottage. It comes in four colours too.
Mid Century Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
I have to admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for the mid-Century style. I tend to like the shapes of this aesthetic; the thin legs and interesting profiles on pieces like chairs and stools.
I don’t love the warm orange timbers or celebration of brass this classic style tends to evoke, but that’s just me. I like to take the best bits from an array of styles for my own home, and mid-Century has so much to feast on.
The good news is that you can keep the colour story here fairly subdued in whites, black, greys and beiges. Or, you can choose to rock bolder jewel tones, which are seen a lot in this interior design style. Below I’ve given you a mix of both, so you can either make your stools a focal point, or have them blend into the background.
1. Orb Upholstered Bar Stool | 2. Blake Velvet Bar Stool | 3. Lenox Counter Stool | 4. Sophie Bar Stool | 5. Finley Counter Stool | 6. Oneal Fabric Stool in Burgundy
I really can’t decide which I love more, the Sophie Bar Stool in #4 or the Oneal Fabric Stool in #6. I actually have the Oneal in grey so I guess that one has to come in first for me, though admittedly any of the above options are going to give your kitchen a mid-Century moment to talk about (and they all look pretty comfy too!).
Coastal Boho Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
Pictured above are the Koko Bar Stools from Satara and boy do they encapsulate what the coastal bohemian vibe is all about. Now I know they don’t have a super high back on them, but they are great if you have young kids and will offer them enough support in terms of not falling off (don’t hold me responsible if your toddler takes a dive though 😉 ).
Below is a whole host of other kitchen bar stools in the coastal boho style, all with backs high enough to give you adequate support. Some will give you more than others, of course, but I love them all.
Stools in this style will feature either mid-tone timbers or crisp white ones, often with materials like wicker, rattan and leather. A weave is often seen in this pieces, as is the occasional thin metal leg, often sprayed white.
1. Logan Weave Bar Stool | 2. Cuba Woven High Bar Stool | 3. Kane Rattan White Kitchen Stool | 4. Bella Loom Kitchen Stool | 5. Coolum Rattan Bar Stool with Cushion | 6. Otto Round Bar Stool
I really can’t go past #3 in the mood board above. Get a load of it. It’s the Kane Rattan White Kitchen Stool from Cafe Lighting and Living. I love it because of the abundance of comfort. Not only do you get back support but you also get high arms and a padded seat. What more could you want?
Contemporary Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
I make no secret of the fact that I’m a contemporary designer. I like to create a timeless look that won’t date fast, but it’s always with a modern approach. I also love seeing what’s hot right now in pieces of furniture like stools convincing clients to let me get them.
Give me a thin leg, some interesting profiles, and if there’s a new of-the-moment material like boucle to play with, then it’s on like Donkey Kong. All of the kitchen bar stools you see below have that sense of modernity to them. Sure, they might hark back to an era, or pull inspiration from an older design style, but they feel distinctly fresh.
The palette is fairly restrained too. Nothing too in-your-face or bold and bright. This style is more about letting shapes and fabrics take centre stage, so enjoy the sense of calm.
1. Dante Panelled Kitchen Stool | 2. Rosie Bar Stool in Military Green | 3. Blake Boucle Bar Stool | 4. Marci Fabric Stool in Grey | 5. Nixon Bar Stool | 6. Jora Bar Stool with Cushion Seat
I know, all of the contemporary kitchen stools above are divine, but I can’t stop looking at #1 with its chic curves, and #4 with its deliciously woven back. It’s hard to decide which I love more. One is clearly calmer than the other, but they both speak to me for different reasons.
Luxe Look Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
If it’s decked out in brass or covered in velvet, it’s fair to say the kitchen stool falls into the luxe look category. And what a stellar category it is. I really like both the sense of comfort and surprise these stools bring to a space.
They all have high backs, but you’ll notice some nice curvature is present as well. Jewel tones are also showcased in some of the options, but even the calmer colours will still bring a sense of luxury to your kitchen counter or island.
The Venus Velvet Bar Stools from Temple & Webster are shown above, and you can see how nicely they go against a black and white backdrop.
1. Adela Black Velvet Bar Stool | 2. Arlen Bar Stool in Velvet Grey | 3. Sur Bar Stool in Forest Green | 4. Greta Bar Stool | 5. Claudia Bar Stool | 6. Zadine Velvet Bar Stool
In terms of faves here, I do appreciate the unapologetic bling of stool #1. The black velvet upholstery looks soft and sumptuous as well. Sometimes furniture in a luxe look home is often uncomfortable, but you can see how much padding is featured in this one, so you’d definitely be able to relax in it for hours.
Urban Industrial Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
I won’t lie: I’ve been known to go mad over a leather kitchen stool, especially if it’s in a rich walnut tone. My apartment is very black-white-grey-brown in its foundation so I do find it a bit hard to go past pieces of furniture in this style category. I like a metal leg and a mesh moment too.
If you’re in the same boat as me, you’ll love the six high-back kitchen stools in the urban industrial style below. People often think this style is more masculine, but I don’t think it has to be. And to be honest, what does masculine and feminine furniture even mean these days anyway? If you love it, you love it!
Take a look at the six options below and see if one of them wants to jump into your cart.
1. Bernard Faux Leather Bar Stool | 2. Barnett Bar Stool | 3. Arrow Bar Stool | 4. Vespa Outdoor Bar Stool | 5. Milano Woven Leather Bar Stool | 6. Cody PU Leather Bar Stool
So you know I adore leather, so for me in terms of faves above it has to be the brown beauty in spot #1, or the woven magic in stool #5. All of them are delicious, for sure, but those two are speaking to me the most. Perhaps it’s time to update my own bar stools at home.
Scandinavian Kitchen Bar Stools with High Backs
Above is the Nerd Bar Stool, available at Huset, and it showcases everything that’s amazing about the Scandinavian design style.
This aesthetic is all about simplicity, with a celebration of materials. There always feels like a great amount of craftsmanship has gone into each piece, and yet you still get comfort and support. The best pieces of furniture merge form and function, and the Scandi style tends to do this wonderfully.
It’s not all timber though, as you’ll see in the options I’ve found for you below. There is a decent amount of plush upholstery in some of the stools if you need it.
1. Rosie Timber Leg Bar Stool | 2. Sketch Poise Bar Stool | 3. Marina Bar Stool | 4. Sketch Requin Bar Stool | 5. Barbry Loom Bar Chair | 6. Yoki Bar Stool in Natural
Well, that’s it for my roundup of the best kitchen bar stools with high backs. I hope you found an option for your home that really speaks to you. There are so many fabulous options in this post that I’m confident you’ve spotted the ideal piece for your place.
Drop me a comment below if you’ve picked up a phenomenal high-back kitchen stool that needs to be seen by other TLC blog readers!
