I believe that 24 inch bar stools are a fairly modern development in the area of bar stools. Historically, there were only 30 inch bar stools. The 30 inch bar stool dates back hundreds of years. The standard height was set based on sitting at old English style pubs. When I first got into the bar design business all of the stools were generally standardized. They were the same heights, and for the most part one of only a few styles and designs. You would walk into just about any pub and not be able to tell them apart if you only had the bar stools to go by. Now there are hundreds of different types of bar stools that are manufactured and commercially available.

There are two standard heights for bar stools these days. There are 24 inch bar stools and 30 inch bar stools. The 30" bar stools are generally limited to commercial use while both the 24 inch and 30 inch bar stools are found in residential settings. Spanning the different heights are a variety of other factors such as use of material and upholstering, fixed or swivel seats, color, etc.

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.

In the mid-90s kitchen renovations were really becoming popular. Kitchen renovation shows were popping up on TV. New glossy kitchen renovation magazines were being launched. It was beginning to dawn on people that the kitchen was an integral and very important part of the family home. Today kitchens are still about function but they are also about style and lifestyle. Today, it is all about granite counters, stainless appliances, cappuccino makers, marble back splashes, and breakfast bars and breakfast bar stools. Breakfast bar stools are generally 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.

The 24" bar stool developed out of necessity. The older style bar stools seemed to dominate the kitchen and the image of these bar stools seemed to bring up the connotation of drinking of alcohol. Another critical reason was that families wanted their children to be able to use the kitchen bar stools. The standard height stools were too high for children to use comfortably. After hundreds of years using a standard height stool, the world has quickly embraced the 24" bar stool.