A Counter Stool the Legs Carry

The Smeg counter height bar stool set is the wood-tone version of this upholstered shell, and the version where the base does the talking. Four metal legs splay outward from a dark plate under the seat, each one printed in a walnut wood grain and tapering to a dark floor tip, with a collar ringing the leg where the footrest meets it. That footrest carries the same grain and closes on four sides, so the pattern reads continuous from the seat down to the floor while the plate above it stays plainly metal. The shell on top is padded and fully upholstered, with the backrest creased forward at each side, the seat rounding off at the front over a swivel plate that brings it around to face the room. Upholstery arrives as a textured basketweave or a distressed suede-look surface depending on the finish.

Features

• Forward-Folded Back Wings bring the sides of the backrest around the ribs rather than stopping flat, so the panel meets more of the back than a flat board would across a long sit
• Textured Upholstered Shell wraps the seat and back in a woven basketweave or a distressed suede-look surface, both matte rather than coated, so the shell reads soft against the wood-grain base
• 360° Swivel Seat lets one person face the counter and the next face the room from the same stool, which is the difference between a pair of seats and a pair of places to sit
• Walnut-Tone Metal Legs carry a printed wood grain over metal tube, so the base reads warm and mid-century while staying a slim splayed profile from seat to floor
• Four-Sided Matching Footrest repeats the leg finish and closes the base on every side, which is what a swivel seat needs since there is no fixed front to point the feet at
• Dark Floor Tips close the end of each leg where the wood grain stops, keeping the metal edge off the floor as the stools get pushed in and pulled out through the day
• Exposed Metal Base Plate leaves the hardware that joins the four legs in plain sight under the seat, a dark disc that separates the wood-grain base from the upholstered shell above it
• Armless Slim Footprint leaves nothing projecting past the seat at elbow height, which is how a pair fits a short island run and how a single one tucks beside a doorway
• Counter-Height Island Fit places the seat under a 36" to 38" island or breakfast counter, the everyday eat-in height, not the taller pub bar a 30" stool answers to

Materials

• Upholstery: Woven Fabric or Faux Suede
• Legs: Metal
• Leg Finish: Wood-Grain Print
• Footrest: Metal
• Footrest Finish: Wood-Grain Print
• Base Plate: Metal
• Swivel Mechanism: Metal
• Floor Tips: Protective Caps
• Hardware: Metal

Care Instructions

• Vacuum the woven upholstery weekly with a soft brush attachment, drawing along the direction of the weave
• Brush the suede-look upholstery with a soft dry brush to lift the nap, working in one direction rather than back and forth
• Blot spills straight away with a clean dry cloth rather than rubbing, so nothing works into the weave or the welt cords
• Spot clean with a fabric-safe cleaner on a barely damp cloth, testing on a hidden area first, and let the surface dry fully before sitting
• Keep the upholstery out of long hours of direct sunlight, which lifts color from woven and suede-look surfaces alike
• Wipe the legs and footrest with a soft dry cloth, and keep abrasive pads, solvents and polishes off them, since the wood grain is a printed surface rather than timber
• Clear grit from around the swivel plate under the seat and turn the seat through a full circle now and then to keep it moving evenly
• Retighten the footrest screws and the base plate hardware by hand every few months, without a power driver
• Lift rather than drag the stool when repositioning it, and keep the floor tips clear of debris
• Keep standing water off the seat and let any damp patch dry before use