I am opening up an eclectic coffee shop/bookstore in a charming neighborhood in San Diego and was in the market for antique bar stools to dress up the bar counter and various parts of the space. The idea is to create an "Old World" circa early 1900s Boston mixed with a modern Pop Art theme. It would blend both the vintage appearance and nostalgia of the old with an appreciation for the progressive nature of contemporary technology. The interior design will involve a great deal of planning but should ultimately produce an environment that is both fresh and comfortable.
The antique bar stools that I have been looking for don’t necessarily have to be uniform in shape and size. Actually, because of the set up of the coffee shop/bookstore with its many areas of lounging, drinking, and listening to music, it’d be preferable if they were to look different. I may choose the same antique bar stools for each "station" so that it could create the idea of distinct spaces. For example, at the bar, I would have wooden stools with classic black upholstery. In the music space (where there would be old school record listening stations), I would opt for a more electric color for the upholstery but still keep in with the vintage design.
I think that going with antique upholstered bar stools to juxtapose it aside the modern vibe, my coffee shop slash bookstore will teeter beautifully on the edge of weirdly novel and avant garde. Hopefully it would gather a diverse crowd of people and expose them to something different.
