Modern bar stools present a unique range of seating options for the well appointed home. Contemporary bar stools—modern designs that run the gamut from casually stylish to exceedingly elegant—inject variety both visually and practically, and should your home lend itself to the inclusion of bar stools, you’ll have an endless array of styles and materials from which to choose.

Modern stools can generally be placed into 2 buckets: bar stools and counter stools. Counter stools, the shorter of the two, typically range in height up to around 28 inches, and are ideal for seating at kitchen islands and counters. Bar stools, their more statuesque cousins, stand taller at around 32 inches, and are designed for homes and spaces with a bar or a bar-height surface area.

Before you embark on buying bar stools, do some measuring. While the heights of counter tops and bar surfaces tend to be standardized, don’t be surprised to find variations in these measurements. Make no assumptions about whether the modern bar stools or counter stools you select will be the right height, and err on the side of caution. Once you’ve measured the height of your counter top or bar, finding the right modern bar stool or stools for your kitchen, dining room, or living room will be a breeze.

Contemporary bar stools are not typically interchangeable with counter stools, and few things will be more discouraging than finding the perfect stool only to find that it’s too short for your bar surface, or laying eyes on the perfect counter stool that ends up being simply too tall. However, depending on the specific space you’re outfitting, it’s perfectly plausible that standard height bar stools might match the height of a particular kitchen counter or island, or a counter stool might be the right height for a specific bar design. Primarily for this reason, it’s imperative to do some measuring first, and do the purchasing of your stools second.

While it’s natural to want a matching set of contemporary bar stools or counter stools, don’t shy away from amassing a collection of unique bar stools. Like modern chairs, designer bar stools have evolved to become emblems of innovative industrial design, showcasing unusual materials and revolutionary manufacturing techniques, along with artful, highly imaginative forms.

If you’re in the market for unique stools, think of them less as a matching set than as a collection of individual bar stools that reflect your appreciation for thoughtful, well-crafted modern design, and, while not exact replicas of each other, express a unifying design aesthetic.