A custom built-in outdoor bar does wondrous things for a backyard. It provides a natural gathering spot that blends seamlessly with the exterior of your home. Unfortunately custom built-in bars seldom come with the matching bar stools. Finding the right look and size of an outdoor barstool for your built-in bar can be challenging if a little research isn’t done first.
Measuring For Barstools
There are several different seating heights for barstools available with the two most popular being counter height (24 to 27 inches) and bar height (29 to 33 inches). There are two key measurements you need to assure the stools will best fit your built-in bar. You need to know the distance from the ground to the bottom lip of your bar, and the distance from the ground to the top of the bar. These two measurements will tell you what height of stool you need and if you have enough room for a stool with arms.
Typically you want 10 to 12 inches from the seat of the barstool to the top of the bar. This allows for plenty of legroom, the option of having a stool with arms and more importantly it makes for the ideal eating height. A counter height bar is anywhere from 35 to 37 inches tall and a bar height table is usually 40 to 43 inches tall. A typical bar top is an inch to an inch and half thick. If your built-in bar has a thicker top you may not have the room for a barstool with arms and you will have to go with an armless bar stool. If you are considering having a built-in bar added on to your home, to save some trouble make sure the contractor designs it with barstools in mind.