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...and thanks for stopping by. I'm Claire Douglas, DIY and home interiors writer specialising in money-saving and creative home interior projects. I've spent years developing my 'bespoke on a budget' approach to DIY and home interiors and I love sharing all my tips and tricks in tutorials and posts here on my blog, in articles I write for some of the leading titles, in the press, on Instagram, Tiktok and my online course.

Claire Douglas
- Nov 1, 2023

A collection of brilliantly stylish yet affordable wooden breakfast bar stools.

Updated: 5 days ago

white concrete breakfast bar with wooden high-backed stools and built-in shelves in the background

The one where she makes a breakfast bar just so she can buy some breakfast bar stools!

I recently DIYed a concrete (microcement, seeing as you asked!) breakfast bar and it was a total game changer. The spot (see above image) I picked to build the breakfast bar had always felt like wasted space. Years ago, it was the external kitchen window on the back of the house looking out into the garden. The previous owners built an extension onto the back of the house but left the window in situ, and frankly, it looked weird. When we bought the house we weighed up the cost of taking the whole wall out and opening up the space, which would have been brilliant but not worth the huge costs, so we made the best of the situation by having the window removed and the aperture opened as much as possible.

Over the years, I’ve tried several different room configurations, attempting to make better use of the area. I backed a sofa against it, which made it tricky to talk to the person in the kitchen as you have your back to them. One day, I had a lightbulb moment that building a breakfast bar would create a better flow between the kitchen and the back room and provide additional seating, ideal for working from home, doing homework, reading a magazine over coffee, etc.

I researched ready-made breakfast bars and there was a good selection available, but none of them were quite right for the look I was trying to create. I spotted a concrete-style bar, but it was mega money and definitely not worth spending that much when I knew I could microcement myself one for a fraction of the price. I’ll write a separate ‘how to’ tutorial on DIY aspects of this job, but today, we will look at beautiful breakfast bar stools.

Some research on breakfast bar stools

One of the best things about this project (aside from the super bargainous cost and improved room flow and improved space) was the fact I got to pick some breakfast bar stools as I’ve always wanted some! I found it quite hard to choose which bargain bar stools to buy as I rounded up quite the (virtual) collection from all my research, so I thought I’d share these suggestions with you in case they are helpful. So, if you are looking for stylish yet super affordable bar stools then you’re in the right place!

The breakfast bar stool brief

When I started looking for affordable breakfast bar stools I knew I needed to narrow the search down a bit as there is such a variety available and I’m bad at making decisions at the best of times! Therefore, I decided early on that these were the key search terms I was looking for: breakfast bar stools with backs, wooden breakfast bar stools, and breakfast bar stools in pairs. I didn’t specify a particular interior style as I wanted to keep my options open a bit and hadn't completely decided between rustic, traditional, scandi, contemporary, minimalist and even industrial was in with a shout!

The good bit...

Wooden high-backed breakfast bar stools - £119 for a pair - Amazon

wooden high-backed bar stools from Amazon

We ended up choosing these breakfast bar stools. They were super good value at under £120 for the pair. I loved that they had backs, and even more so because the backs were curved. The spindles complemented the fluting on the wall under the breakfast bar and in the window reveal.

They were really easy to assemble (yes, they are a flatpack, so a certain amount of building is required).

2. Wooden backless breakfast bar stool £45.99 - Amazon

These stools are tall, slim and elegant and would fit neatly under a breakfast bar as they don't have backs. They were a close contender and really good value at under £50 each. But in the end the breakfast bar stools with backs swung it for me!

3. Loxwood solid oak bar stools Dunelm - £79 each

These lovely solid oak bar stools have a moulded seat for comfort and look solid and stylish. £79 is good value for solid oak, and the construction required is minimal on account of them being backless.

4. Teknik Spin Barstool With Wooden Legs - £99 The Range

Fabric-seated bar stool with wooden legs

At £99 each, these are the second most expensive bar stools in the edit and they are upholstered with a swivel seat too. They would look cool in a modern kitchen but weren't quite right for my DIY kitchen makeover.

Some self-assembly required.

5. Nord Curved Back Barstool - £159 M&S

These are the most expensive bar stools in the edit, but there is a lot more to them. They are upholstered and more akin to a chair with long legs than a simple wooden barstool like the first ones in this round-up. They would be the most comfortable of the list but are also the most bulky and I felt would detract from the simplicity of the microcement breakfast bar.