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I don’t think any piece of furniture is more versatile than the stool. Stools, you might say? Well yes, a lowly stool. Stools are, in my opinion, the workhouse of the house because you can move them around and use them for seating, put a tray on them and they can become a side table, put two together to become a coffee table and you can even put your feet up on an upholstered one and it becomes an ottoman. They’re also a space saving tool because you can tuck them in a corner or under a console table if you don’t need them.

Today’s stools are also works of art. Furniture designers have become so creative in adding design details to make each stand out.

Wood

What I like about wooden stools is that they’re made out of sustainable materials and can be carved into just about any shape. Wood is an easy choice for a stool as it’s sturdy, can double as a small side table and will last forever.

Check out these unusual shapes, particularly the last one that mimics a bag with leather pulls.

Upholstered

These are the stools that can easily double as an ottoman but you could put a try on them to become a small side table.

Look for upholstered pieces in funky fabrics, fun shapes and even unique legs.

Upholstered Tops

Stools with upholstery on the top is a category all by itself. With a sturdy bottom and softness on the top, it’s the best of both worlds.

These bottoms are very unique also.

Metal

Metal might not seem like a logical choice for a stool, but I’ve seen some beautiful ones. Metals create a beautiful sculptural piece for your house.

Look for ones that have a patina or are an unusual shape.

Ceramic

When you think of ceramic stools, you might think of outdoor stools but the ones today are also elevated into works of art.

Look for colors you might not have thought of or different finishes like matte.

Unconvention Materials

Sustainability is still and I think will always be a very important part of furniture design. There’s a variety of materials to make unique furniture pieces.

Look for recycled plastic, cork, bamboo and concrete.

Stools come in all price points and can even be DIY’ed, so try stools around your house and you’ll see how versatile they can be. I have about five of them scattered around my house and they sure come in handy.

They don’t even have to match the style of your decor. Sometimes adding a modern stool to a traditional scheme can add the pop that you need. Likewise, you could add a traditional stool to a modern scheme to ground it.

Let me know if you use stools and if you find them the heroes of your home.