I think I really need to see your island. Pics?

I hadn't heard of swing stools, but I love those pictured in the ad.

There's a table at World Market with swing stools, and it seems to me I saw them at a diner, too. I think they'd be great at an island, less so at a table.

Really want those lab tables!

Our Art Deco post office is going to close in a few years, and they have some awesome marble-topped tables on beautiful metal bases for filling out your forms. Too tall for a kitchen (unless you are really tall) but great for a bar or for a stand desk. I want one.

Very cool, thanks for sharing the link. I'd love to see these used in an unfitted kitchen.

I'd have included pics, but whenever I post pics of the kitchen, I have to shamefacedly admit to the irrefutable evidence that I still haven't replaced the flooring, after more than three years of dithering. :[ Camera batteries are charging--I will square my shoulders and face the music. ;)

In the meantime, I'll post a pic of one of the other stools. I added an 18" round blank to make it into a bedside table--in this pic it looks as if it's floating in mid-air:

This one shows it attached to the wall, through doubled 2x4s:

We checked into these (attached) but they were crazy expensive.

Here is a link that might be useful: suspended bar stools.

I looked through the photo gallery, but didn't see any pricing--I'm sure I would have been shocked. The stools with 'twig' backs are my favorite.

I have a friend who is partially disabled--she says that if she is ever able to design her own home, everything that can be suspended, will be, including the sinks and toilets. No more trying to reach behind the toilet base to clean the floor.

As of 5 years ago prices STARTED at $235 each. Our quote for the 4 stools we wanted was about $1200 which to me is very expensive and was not in our budget.

I wonder how people like them after living with them for a while. We have 4 stools out most of the time but during parties we pull up another matching stool. You can't do that with these.

edited for spelling

I agree about suspending things to aid cleaning.

This post was edited by debrak2008 on Sun, Jan 4, 15 at 12:36

I don't know...something about all those legless chairs just struck me spooky. I suppose one would easily get used to the look though. Love the idea of not having to move chairs/stools to clean the floor.

Maybe if they catch on competition will bring the prices down?

Some of the vintage stools have sold on eBay for about the same price recently. Not the ones I bought--I am much too cheap frugal.

My late aunt had an old cast iron RR table with four swing stools in her kitchen. My uncle who worked for the RR, rescued it from the cast-off heap, made new wooden seats, and made a top to match the laminate counter tops. It was bolted to the floor for stability. As she aged, it was very convenient for my aunt to sit and catch her breath as she cooked.

My children loved the table in my aunt's house--and then my grandson, who always made a beeline to one of the stools, loved it, too. Since the table was attached to the floor, it sold with the house, after my aunt died. I decided to carry on the tradition--if I weren't completely devoted to my island, I'd be seriously considering one of the tables in the eBay link, though.

You know, those ebay tables would make great baking stations. You know how they always make that part of the counter lower? Well.....

These aren't the best pics, I think my camera is winding down. This is on the sink side of the island, where I usually work. Just noticed the grunge underneath the top:
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The other side where the grandson often sits, complete with crumbs, greasy fingerprints, and an unnoticed piece of candy under the table. Gotta love 'em:
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I cleaned house for this shot (picked up candy):
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We converted a marble-topped dining table to an island, by adding blocks to raise the height, and a cabinet and shelves for storage. I had to trim the shelves to accommodate the swing of the stools. Since the table top is heavy, the table is stable, even with the stools attached, and doesn't need to be anchored to the floor. Old pic, before the stools were added, with the bench stowed under the counter:

Here is a link that might be useful: marble table conversion--click on photos for text

CEF, one for you and one for me! Stop in So.Oh and pick me up--we'll take a road trip to Illinois. I'll bring the cooky dough. ;)

mama g - I so love your kitchen! and those swing stools.

I love your island! Very cool and functional.

Hmmm....might be driving past those lab tables next week...maybe in exchange for some tubs of cookie dough, I could arrange a pick up...but then how to get it to you? lol!

You have the sweetest house, MamaGoose. : )

I just found a similar table with swing-out stools at World Market. It's very cute in that sleek, country-industrial way.

I'd love to do something similar for our island.

Here is a link that might be useful: Galvin Cafeteria Table at Word Market.

desertsteph, debrak, and laughable, thank you. :)

Thanks anyway, bpathome, I just really want someone here to adopt those tables and love them as they deserve.

The World Market table is very similar to the one my aunt had, but hers was more ice cream parlor-ish (for lack of a better description), not as industrial.