Where did the first bar stool hang out? It would not have been called a "bar stool", but it would be easy to imagine that it might have been in Ireland...or England. Solidly crafted to hold the sturdy ale drinker who could have occupied it many a night after a long day's work, the bar stool did not, however, help the sitter stay seated. Made of wood, with three legs (ergo, the original meaning of stool) it had little character to recommend it. There may be a few still left in some ancient pub, on the other side of the Pond, with no one thinking about how valuable they might be to the antique world. There are some drinking establishments where customers are expected to stand—can you imagine—perhaps testing waning sobriety. Sounds like a good idea, but stools have their place now, and most establishments want their customers to stay awhile. Bar stools turned into cushy affairs when they crossed the Atlantic. The corner bar was the place where they guys hung out on a Saturday afternoon after a heavy game of bottle-cap baseball. Round, with four legs that eventually turned traitor and became metal, a well-padded cushion kept customers comfortable, along with booths and tables. Back then the men seemed to like the bar stools, while the ladies preferred the tables. Then one day, homes learned to raise kitchen counters and, of necessity, bar counter stools were there to meet the challenge. The first counter stools were straightforward, wooden affairs that even had backs and arms, called "captain's chairs". Everyone with a tall kitchen counter called it a "breakfast bar." Quite fashionable, and actually came in handy for the early morning rush. Say "Goodbye" to the family sitting at a table, chattering about the coming day. Bar counter stools have come a long way from the 3-legged version somewhere in Europe. Today they can be sleek and modern, with an eye-catching appeal that makes them full-fledged players in the furnishings game. Bar stool seat heights often measure 29-32 inches. You can see them sitting on pedestals, some actually sit on a carefully balanced, z-shaped piece of metal, while others sit on a stem with casters on a 5-armed pedestal. There are stools made of solid pieces of oddly shaped, molded plastic and, to best them all, there are the stools made of antlers. You will want to be very careful backing up to sit on one.