Look for a material that is easy to clean. They are going to get a lot of wear and tear, and since they are in the kitchen, drink and food will most likely be spilled on them occasionally.
Determine what seat height you will need. Different types of bars are different heights. It would not do to have a bar stool with a seat as high as the bar. Measure the distance from the floor to the underside of your bar. You will want to have a seat height that is 11 to 12 inches less than the distance from the floor to the underside of the bar. If the bar is 37 inches high, you would want your seat to be about 26 inches high.
Determine number of bar stools that will fit in your kitchen. You should measure about 30 inches from the center of one seat to the center of the next seat. Divide the length of your bar by 30 to determine how many bar stools can will fit nicely at the bar. Take into consideration doors and walkways. You won’t want to be doing the bar stool maze while you are cooking.
Choose the materials your bar stools will be made of. If you want a country look, go with wooden bar stools. If you have a more modern or contemporary look, you may want to try powder-coated steel or aluminum bar stools. Wooden bar stools come in all types of finishes, but may be more difficult to care for than metal bar stools. Powder coated steel or wrought iron bar stools will be heavier than aluminum bar stools.
Decide on the features. Do you want backless bar stools? Bar stools with arm rests? Swivel seat bar stools? They each have their place. Use backless bar stools if you need them to fit under the bar and out of the way when not in use. Bar stools with a back rest or arms will take more space and cannot be slid under the counter. Swivel seats will keep your floor from being scratched, as it allows people to just swivel off instead of pushing the stool back over your floor. Look for padded seat covers for the different types of bar stools for added comfort.