Bar stools are just for bars anymore—in fact, they never were. We’ve had barstools in our homes for many years, even if we don’t think of them that way. The barstool can have a back (for support) or not—it can be pulled up to a real bar, or just a counter. It’s an extremely functional piece of furniture which has found its way into both the kitchen and the living room.

Here’s a barstool that at first seems kind of interesting. The way the legs bow out in the back is a fun play on the concept of the usual barstool and the black and steel color palette is pretty neat too. But this stool is made by one of the big box furniture makers (guess which one) and honestly, the quality is low. We’d love to see a better designer tackle design furniture like this so we could get one that’s a bit better quality in the end.