| When attempting to decide which style of bar furniture | | | | central supporting splat that is recognised as the |
| to incorporate into a restaurant or pub bar the owner | | | | classic design. The most favoured traditional bar stool |
| is confronted by a bewildering number of choices, | | | | design is certainly the 'Tudor' stool, a replication of the |
| some modern, some traditional, whether made of steel, | | | | simple joined wooden stool and church pews dating |
| wood or fabric upholstered or a combination of all | | | | back to the Medieval period. In the last three decades |
| three. | | | | these pub chairs and bar stools have been most |
| The bar furniture market in the UK is seeing more and | | | | popular finished in dark oak colour although recently |
| more modern styles being offered each year as many | | | | lighter shades in walnut finish or light oak have been |
| licensees choose to give the interior of their bar a | | | | more often chosen to brighten up the bar area. These |
| lighter and hopefully more inviting aspect. Chromed | | | | bar chairs and bar stools are often required |
| tubular steel is very popular now, looking particularly | | | | upholstered and the supplier can offer a huge choice |
| attractive upholstered in leather or patterned dralon or | | | | of fabric to suit the proprietors' interior design. |
| flat weave fabric. Classic sofa designs, for example | | | | Since new regulations were made law in 1988 (The |
| Le Corbusiers' 'Petit Confort' sofa which offers | | | | Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) regulations 1988) |
| outstanding comfort combined with a strikingly | | | | it is very important when purchasing new bar furniture |
| attractive appearance when upholstered in black or | | | | that the correct certification to show that the fabric |
| red leather. These offer maximum impact when a | | | | used has been treated for fire retardancy and that |
| number of single, two or three seater pub chairs are | | | | any foam fillings are made of combustion modified |
| combined to utilize the bar space available and ideal | | | | foam. The supplier of the bar furniture will be able to |
| combined with glass topped or modern wooden | | | | supply these. Bar stools are available at bar height to |
| coffee tables. Of course fully upholstered sofas are | | | | either stand by the bar or to stand alongside tall tables |
| popular especially in full leather to give the bar a | | | | (poseur tables) designed specifically for drinking at |
| relaxed ambience that encourages customers to stay, | | | | rather than for dining. Poseur tables can have single |
| and of course spend more money on food and drink. | | | | pedestals with one or two table tops at different |
| As sofas take up more space than other forms of | | | | heights which take up little space and look very |
| bar furniture, the proprietor can add chairs or bar stools | | | | attractive when set in a room with other regular height |
| into the plan to utilize the space available and | | | | bar furniture. The single poseur tables are available |
| accommodate more customers. Cube stools go | | | | either in turned wood or decorative cast iron. They can |
| particularly well with the leather sofas and can be | | | | also be found with rectangular tops either on a double |
| upholstered in the same leather or a contrasting colour | | | | pedestal base or a conventional four legged base, this |
| to add some variety and interest to the whole design. | | | | size being more suited to a larger bar, where space |
| The choice of modern tall bar stools is extensive too, | | | | saving is not such an issue. The most popular |
| from a simple square chrome with square leather | | | | traditional bar stools for these tables are either the |
| upholstered seat or more complex tubular pedestal bar | | | | backless 'Tudor' bar stools with decorative turned legs |
| stools with gas lift cushioning to give the customer | | | | or the 'Captains' bar stools based on 19th century |
| extra comfort. | | | | colonial furniture. |
| Traditional bar furniture is still dominated by the old | | | | In modern designs the wooden 'Shaker' style stools |
| 'Colonial' designs of chair, for example the 'Mates' and | | | | with simple square legs are often chosen. These can |
| 'Captains' chairs with the Windsor and Wheelback | | | | be bought as a simple backless stool with or without |
| chairs still being very popular. The Windsor chair has a | | | | upholstery or with a backrest with either vertical or |
| history dating back to the 18th Century. Not surprisingly | | | | horizontal wooden slats. Recently tubular steel tall bar |
| the first Windsor chairs were reputed to have been | | | | stools have become a popular choice, either in powder |
| made in Windsor and developed from simply adding a | | | | coated paint finish or chrome plated. These give great |
| few back spindles and a top rail to a regular joined | | | | strength at a lower price than their wooden |
| wooden stool and gradually developed to the Windsor | | | | counterparts and give a very clean modern look when |
| chair with sweeping curved back and decorative | | | | used with bar chairs in similar designs. |