Bar and Counter Stools – A Brief History

It is difficult to determine where the stools were invented. It is plausible they evolved from benches, as evidence found in the Stone Age where benches brought humans off the ground, elevating them from animals. There is also evidence of bar stools in ancient Chinese and Egyptian tombs. 

Today, the kitchen island is the gathering place in the home. This evolved from the creation of an open floor plan in the late 1940s. Before that most homes used the basic floor plan in which the main hallway served as a kind of artery that provided access to branch rooms serving specific functions.  The kitchen was at the back of the house because it was seen as a service area and off-limits to guests.

In the 1950’s open floor plans began to appear regularly and were regarded as incredibly modern. We can thank Frank Lloyd Wright for this as his early vision of an open floor plan in a home he created for a client who wanted to be with her guests as she cooked. This design has the kitchen cooking centre as the hub of social activity.

By the 1990s, open floor plans became almost the norm for new construction, especially in suburban environments.  As well as this innovation, we also saw the kitchen island become a must, and the required seating is the counter/bar stool. 

At Sofa So Good, we source Canadian-made products and we are pleased to include the AMISCO line of counter/bar stools as well as complimentary counter and bar tables. Made in Quebec, our stools come in such a wide variety that we can create the perfect style – be it swivel or stationary – for you.