I believe that 24 inch bar stools are less than 10 years of age. I suppose these stools may have existed before, but they certainly were not prevalent. Historically most bar stools were of a standard height. The height was set based on fitting with old English style pub bars. I first started buying bar stools for different business ventures in the late eighties. These stools were all standardized. They were all of the same height, and for the most part made in a handful of designs. Now all different types of bar stools are manufactured and commercially available.

For the most part there are now two standard bar stool height: there are 24 inch bar stools and 30 inch bar stools. The higher 30″ bar stools are found in commercial venues such as pubs, night clubs and restaurants. Both the 24 inch and 30 inch bar stools models are commonly found in residential settings. With hundreds of different models to choose from you can make your bar area as unique as you want.

A few short decades ago, the residential use of bar stools was generally limited to recreation rooms or possibly at the edge of a very large living room used for socializing. If the stools were found in the recreation room of a home, these stools tended to be wooden and were stained in a dark reddish oak. Of course, the whole idea was to recreate a bar in your basement, and bars need pub style bar stools. If the stools were found in the more formal areas of the home then they tended to be made out of metal or chrome. These older style bar stools were invariably 30″ high to suit a regular 42 inch bar. Most definitely, these stools were designed for use by adults.

Then a transformation happened. It no longer was about women getting out of the kitchen. This transformation was about the family getting back into the kitchen. Lifestyle shows were being set in the kitchen. The kitchen was a place to live. The kitchen became the most important room in the house. These days kitchens are about lifestyle. This new kitchen reflects a redistribution of domestic labor. Making food now includes communicating and socializing. Todays kitchen is about stainless appliances, talking, cappuccino makers, chatting, reading, writing, and breakfast bars. With this new type of bar came a new type of bar stool - the breakfast bar stool, or what are generally known as 24 inch bar stools.

New ways to use the kitchen were created. It soon became apparent that families rarely sat down for breakfast together. At some point it became obvious that a breakfast bar was the perfect place to accommodate “shift eating”. It was the perfect place to read the paper or do homework. It was also a great spot to sit and chat with someone while they prepared dinner.

There are a number of good reasons the 24″ bar stool was created. Not the least of which was that the older taller chairs seemed too big for the kitchen. However, likely the most important reason was child safety. If children were to use these stools then the standard height stools were simply too high and posed a danger to children. The shorter 24″ bar stool was perfect as it blended into the kitchen and was safe for use by children.