More and more, kitchens have become the social hub of the home. Not coincidentally counter stools have increased in popularity as more people want to hang out in the kitchen to eat, chat or just keep the cook company.  

When my alma mater's architecture school closed for renovations, many of their old Lyon industrial steel stools were thrown out. Thanks to a friend who still lives near the university, I now have two of them awaiting a little TLC before being put to re-use in my kitchen. My initial reservations about using them in that room were relieved when I remembered that it's exactly what Martha Stewart has in her kitchen in Bedford. Bring on the Lyon stools! More

Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair is an all-encompassing egg-shaped upholstered design that's typically set up as a comfy reading spot or a place to kick back with the matching ottoman and watch some TV. Despite its name, we have never—until now—seen it in the kitchen, of all places: More

How would you like to sink down into a comfortable, cushy armchair in the midst of a cooking marathon? How about if that armchair was right next to the stove or the kitchen table? We expect to see armchairs in living rooms and bedrooms, but the kitchen is more unusual—although not unheard of, as you can see from the photos above. What do you think? Is this a great idea, or a cleaning job waiting to happen?
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When I first discovered Industry West, I couldn't bookmark it fast enough. An affordable (!) source for colorful metal dining chairs and stools seemed too good to be true. But for fans of Tolix chairs and industrial machinist stools who can't swing the hefty price tags of those original and vintage versions, Industry West has you covered. More

How do I love thee, oh Jake Chair? Let me count the ways: your powder-coated steel frame comes in three fantastically punchy colors, plus black and white. Your wooden seats are lightweight yet sturdy. And my favorite element of all, you have one contrasting wooden leg, which makes you wonderfully off-kilter and visually interesting. I'd like to have six of you, in all colors, sitting around my dining room table, please. More

Who: AR-TRE, Italian kitchen maker
What We Noticed: I saw a lot of kitchen furnishings at EuroCucina that seemed to flow or blend into other areas of the house. This was one particularly striking example: A sofa built in to the kitchen island/table. A very interesting concept for small spaces or kitchen-dining combos. What do you think? One more photo below... More

You may sit in a task chair all day at work, but do you know what? Some of them can actually make great home dining chairs, too! They're designed to be ergonomic enough to keep you comfy all day and durable enough to hold up in commercial environments. Take a look at this example: More

Emeco makes classic, simple aluminum chairs and stools that can have long been stylish staples used in many rooms of the house. But Emeco chairs' no-frills cleanability makes them perfect for our favorite room: the kitchen! More

This week I have been showing the special projects I did in my rental kitchen this past year to make it a little more beautiful and functional. I transformed a dark closet into a pantry, and I lightened up the kitchen itself with a good old-fashioned paint job. Now comes the last project, and the one I'm proudest of: A breakfast nook makeover. From dingy camper-style to my favorite spot in the house... read on to see what we did! More