My take on the two stools?
Well, I like the Pottery Barn stool. With the "X" backs it will be harder to pick up at the back, but if you have the higher bar height and not the counter height stool, you'll pick it up by the seat anyway. The seat area will be much easier to keep clean, and you might get by without cushions.

The Ballard design is okay, but will have much harder time keeping that seat clean and fresh looking. Studs on blue jeans will catch on the woven cane/rush seat, food drop down, etc. And scuff marks on all the rungs everywhere. A lot of dusting and polishing on that more traditional style. You will be able to pick it up easily with the slats on the chair back though.

I'd go for the Pottery Barn design definitely. The "X" back is like British colonial tropical style. Especially in the darker wood finish.

I can share in your frustration! I've given up for the moment. I have the Aaron dining chair and it's very comfortable. I like both of your choices, but stools might be a nice way to introduce some color and contrast. I can see painted stool in a nice blue or green.

What a beautiful kitchen! I like the last stool best.

I really love the PB stools - they would look perfect in there and look sturdy and comfortable, they appear more timeless than modern to me.

moccasinlanding-
I agree that the rush seats are not compatible with kids. Ballard Designs offers seat cushions that are made specifically for tehse stools.

pps7-
I like your idea. We saw stools at Basset that could be finished in a painted green. At the time I was thinking of painting the kitchen a light green and thought it might be too much. Also, my sofas in the family room are a dark green. Unfortunately, DH didn't like the comfort of the Bassett stools :(. You got me thinking!

How about these. Surprisingly rush seats aren't all that bad. I've had them in my kitchen for the past 10 years. They clean up rather well.

Here is a link that might be useful: PB isabella

Definitely the Avignon. Have the same stools upholstered. Love the look. I cant see the rest of your area but I would go with Avignon.

Nice kitchen.

Just adding my 2 cents -

We have backless PB stools with rush seats by our island, and they are no problem to clean. We have two grubby boys, and they get used daily. I think the reason they're easy to clean is because the rush seats have an almost waxiness to them. A damp rag works well.

We also have a Ballard bench in our front entryway with a rush seat. The rush seating for that bench is more natural, and I'm sure it would not clean as well. So, if you go with the Ballard seat, you should consider that, and as mentioned, use a cushion or reupholster if you have kids, etc.

I hope this is helpful.

Jan

I have two thoughts for you...I notice that you have wrought iron pendants over your island, and that you have added other wrought iron elements, and wonder if the counter stools might be a place to continue that material? The challenge is that there are so many of that type out there that are either uncomfortable or, frankly, hideous...but if you found one that was simple, similar to your other bits, and comfortable..? The advantage would be visual lightness in that spot. The ones you posted would also look very nice, but I just thought I'd put that bug in your brain.

The other is that you rethink the white paint on the outside of your island. I usually suggest a rich color that matches the cabinetry or another strong tone from your scheme...in your case, perhaps the red ground color of your valance...for the part of the island that faces the adjacent space. Sometimes using a light wall color feels unfinished in that application. Rich color also makes the island seem all of a piece, and protects against the inevitable shoe scuffs.

pps7- Thanks for the link. I have considered those stools. They would definitely work, but I wondered if they were substantial enough for the size of the island?

Jan in wisconsin- thanks for the word of caution on the Ballard rush seats. This is exactly why I asked the question here : )

Brownysmom, my mother-in-law suggested wrought iron stools as well. My concerns were 1) overdoing the wrought iron in the house 2) comfort and 3) the hideous factor. It seems like a lot of the iron stools have either a domed or flat seat, both of which my DH objects to (he has a sensitive rear end). I do agree with the visual lightness factor - we tried some tall leather ones there some time ago and they just weighed the area down completely!

Also, I'm glad you mentioned the paint on the island. Actually, I have no paint in my kitchen yet and I am at a loss as to what color to put in there. I would love nothing more than to paint it a rich color, but my kitchen actually has very little natural light....I found this inspiration photo a couple of days ago which I loved - and thought this might work in my kitchen:

I loved the wall color though I have no idea what it is. Also, the green on the island is in both my valance and my breakfast room treatments (which are not done yet). Would that green color work on just the white part of the island?

I should mention that my breakfast room is painted in BM currant red.

Yes, there is that hideous factor. Who designs these things...orangutans?

If your island were all one color, and if you didn't have a red breakfast room, I would love that green...but on your island you will end up with a two-tone effect that I think you wouldn't like, and red and green together are very tricky to pull off well.

So my first choice would be to use the Currant Red, carrying it through the baseboard and shoe molding to the floor, which would bring that side of the island into the breakfast room and make the breakfast room seem larger at the same time, while clearly delineating where it stops and the kitchen starts.

Alternatively, you could try to use the same tone as the cabinetry, but just far enough off it to look intentional, which would keep the island in the kitchen visually.
Take a look at BMoore's "Richmond Gold" (HC-4), "Greenfield Pumpkin" (HC-40) or "etruscan" (AF-355) in the Affinity line, for something that might work as a version of your cabinet color.

What I wouldn't do is introduce another color at that point.

As to the walls, yes, the perfect tan! That would look lovely in your kitchen.
"Wilmington Tan" (HC-34), "Powell Buff" (HC-35), or "Shelburne Buff" (HC-28) might be candidates from BMoore.
From Sherwin Williams, investigate "Bagel" (SW-6114) or "Totally Tan" (SW-6115).
All are warm tans that (except for Shelburne, which can go a little pea-soupy in some lights) have hardly any green undertones.

Why not go with an iron and fabric/leather stool? Tie the color of the metal to your light fixture.

brownysmom,

Thanks for the advice. I will look into those colors!

Getting back to the stools... if I were to go for the PB stools, which finish to get? I was thinking the lighter finish that is close to the cabinet color (rustic pine).

At the risk of sounding contrary (!), I would consider a finish darker than my cabinets to avoid the matchy-matchy pitfall. I think the darker ones would feel more like furniture and less like part of the fixtures, and would also look nicer with your countertops. I also think the darker finishes add a little touch of elegance without losing informality.

Ha! I had a feeling you would say that ; )

I hate being too matchy as well. The rustic pine matches my cabinets, the dark finish matches my family room furniture and the black matches the granite.

That's another reason why I liked the Ballard ones - they don't match anything!

I would like the Ballard ones for style, too, except that the turned front legs and the square back ones annoy me. Particularly when it's the turned ones that you will see less of. I also suspect that, if your DH is a good-sized man, the PB back rest might be more likely to hit him in a comfortable place.
(My DH is 6'3 and solid, I'm 5'6 and half his weight, and finding chairs that fit us both is always interesting!)

Thanks for your input everyone! Just thought I'd mention I took the plunge and ordered some Ballard Avignon Stools. I haven't seen these up close, so I am a little nervous (but mostly excited :) ). I also ordered seat cushions to match in a sage check pattern. Not sure when they'll be here, but I'll post some pictures when they arrive.