Super seating for a kitchen counter or island

Size, style, cost and design matter when you're pulling up a pew. Four designers share their secrets

B&Q’s round seated wooden stool on metal, left, leather stools on a metal frame suit this contemporary kitchen from Kube Kitchens, right.

The personal pursuit of kitchen counter stools has thrown me. Too much choice can be as bad as having too few options. Metal, wooden, high back, low back, no back, upholstered with arms and no arms are just some of the considerations along with the price chasm between €99 and €1,000.

It's time to chat to those in the know to narrow it down. “It’s very important to have a clear idea of the practicality of the design and usage keeping everyone in the family in mind, especially the little ones in the family if you have kids,” says Carol-Anne Leyden, founder and director of CA Design, specialists in mid-century furniture designs with a modern twist.