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Bar stools are making a come back today. People's lives are busier than ever, so more and more families are choosing to stay at home, when they have downtime. However, keeping close to home doesn't have to be boring. In fact, individuals are creating entertainment areas within their house, and stools are an integral part of that. Bar stools have come along way from their early beginning.

You might be surprised to discover that bar stools have been around for centuries, possibly as far back as the 1600's. Of course, these were very crude examples in comparison to the bar stools available now. They were simple wood structures constructed with legs that were much taller than a standard chair to accommodate the high bars in pubs and saloons. Unlike some of their modern cousins, early bar stools were backless and had no cushions on the seat. Prior to the early 1900's, stools were still simply constructed structures made from wood with four legs and a motionless seat. This all changed in the 1950's, when bar stools experienced a metamorphosis. During this time chrome became the fashion, and chrome bar stools were built with brightly colored highly padded cushions, usually made of red vinyl, with a seat that could rotate 360' around its legs. This new style became all the rage. Not long after the chrome look an explosion of new styles emerged, including stools made from both wood and metal with high backs.

Now stools are available in numerous styles, including the famous 1950's look, which is still very popular. If you are just beginning your home makeover project or just looking for a way to add some punch, bar stools are an excellent way to add style and additional seating to your kitchen counter, bar, game room or entertainment area. This seating option is very versatile and can play up the theme of your room.

For instance, if you are decorating a game room, you may be looking for a pool hall feel. Bar stools present an excellent way to give the feel of a real pool hall or bar to your own home. Try integrating the simple swivel bar stools for an authentic feel to your game room. You can use them at your bar area or sporadically place them in the room for additional seating.

A fairly new idea is the entertainment room. This area is typically dedicated to a home theater system. Many families are combining the entertainment area and the game room to produce a very user-friendly space. The home theater often incorporates a bar area, the perfect spot for bar stools, and a game area creating an ideal spot for entertaining. For a contemporary d'cor that will compliment your high-tech equipment choose a neutral palette of colors, such as beige, black, white and gray. Then incorporate an accent color to give the room some pop. A popular accent color is orange, but you can pull any color from a favorite piece that has inspired your room and run with it. Then include pieces of furniture with straight lines and neutral colors from your palette, which are the perfect compliment to any bar. Look for items that provide plenty of hidden storage, so you can tuck away games and movies, but still keep these objects within easy reach. When combining an entertainment room and game room, you will want to keep both uses in mind, so ensure that an attractive media center is purchased and placed in an area without a glare and in clear view of seating. Keep in mind that heavy curtains are preferred for media rooms, so any glare from windows can be reduced. There are several styles of game tables that can add more function to the room. In fact, there are even game tables with sides that fold down, so they can be neatly tucked away until needed. This is the perfect solution for smaller rooms. You could even forgo the game table and opt for a bistro table with bar stools that match the style at the bar. By offering extra seating, you will not only create a versatile gaming area, but the ultimate family fun room, and with all the extra seating of bar stools, this could become your favorite place for entertaining guests, as well.

Many game rooms and entertainment areas are located near the kitchen for obvious reasons. The convenience of close proximity to munchies and the unexplained gravitational pull kitchens have with guests is a major reason for this trend. Many homes are designed with open floor plans now, and so kitchens and game rooms, family rooms, and other areas have become blurred, bar stools can help to create a seamless flow through these rooms. By selecting coordinating stools for your kitchen counter area, and then placing the same stools in your entertainment area you can provide cohesion between the rooms.

Bar stools is the perfect accent to any family's entertainment or game room. They provide a fun alternative to traditional seating and the convenience of mobility. Putting you in charge of your seating arrangements when entertaining guests. With the wide selection available today, you will be happy to find that there is a bar stool to fit any d'cor, whether it is traditional, rustic or contemporary. So, what are you waiting for, start designing your perfect play area today, and bring the fun home to your family.