Sorry for asking another frivoulous question, but the advice I have received on my previous questions has been very, very helpful. Anyway, re: stool selection for new island - I love a french country style chair I found on overstock but it has a rattan seat, so I am thinking I will need a chair pad to keep the rattan clean as well as for comfort. Well, chair pads have always been my evil nemesis (?sp). I have never found one that is washing machine washable, plus they all seem to shift as you move on the chair. The new gripper ones do stay more stationary but are not perfect and again, are spot clean only. Am I best to only purchase vinyl/faux leather upholstered seats? I have young boys, so dirt is a constant variable around here. However, my sister mentioned that perhaps even with an upholstered seat, it might be easy to rip/puncture them. What are your favorite, kid friendly style seats? Thanks again
Boys. I have one of those! :) I can't have anything nice anymore (fabric
couches, glass vases, candles etc.).
I would either do a leather top or better yet a wood seat.
No swivel.
One with a back w/young kids.
My mom's counter stools are wooden and very comfortable. Our kitchen chairs are actually dining room chairs with upholstered cushions. I get a durable fabric like oil cloth that just wipes off and reupholster them every few years. You just unscrew the cushion underneath, wrap the fabric around, staple it to the bottom and screw it back in. Oil cloth comes in all colors and lots of fun patterns and is resistant to spills and stains. I just change mine because it starts to look worn or I get bored and want something new to look at.
Our dining room chairs are like a micro fiber suede, something like that. Anyway, we covered them with clear vinyl from a fabric store, (with staples).
I am a big fan of scotch guard. I got new kitchen chairs a year ago with upholstered seats. I have 2 young boys also, so I put scotch guard on. It really works - I can wipe them clean with a damp cloth - spaghetti sauce, syrup, it all comes off easily. So don't give up on spot-clean ones so easily. If you get ones with the gripper stuff plus ties on the back, they shouldn't move around too much.
I personally am not such a fan of vinyl ones, they seem to tear easily to me.
We have a medium tone distressed leather on our island seating and it has lasted 8 years without so much as a pock-mark! I bought the faux fabric at Jo-Ann''s and took the seats off and upholstered them myself. All I needed to do was cut the fabric, place it over the chair seat and staple it to the wood backing. Voila! Looks like a million bucks, wear well, and it was very easy! I can change them out any time I want by simply doing the same thing over again with another fabric style. I would consider the faux leather. Everything wipes right off and it is very durable. It also feels good and looks great the more you sit on it. Get a distressed leather like I did to give it a richer, rustic feel. It's elegant yet understated.
I don't care for chair pads, either. Is there any indication how to clean the rattan? If there isn't, call a local upholsterer and ask before you order. I think a non-upholstered French country stool is not really going to hurt anybody's bottom.
You are right that rattan will catch stuff and be a pain. Pads are a pain, too. Leather is best and normally, I would stop there. BUT I have heard about the new spray on waterproofing stuff. It's supposed to be awesome. It probably would make the material darker but the things I saw that were treated..amazing. Ask someone at Lowes.
Rattan lasts about 6-9 months and that's if you're skinny and don't use it much. Rattan is not very strong. If you put a pad on it that will just push it down more. So it will basically stretch out more and it won't bounce back since it's a fiber and not a stretchy substance.
I wouldn't have any rattan like that. Go for a wooden seat if you want to put a pad on it. Go for a leather if you want padding. It's easy to clean and stands up to a lot.
I got some nice microfiber chairs from Target. They clean up quite nicely. Yes it requires a spot cleaning, but usually a baby wipe gets everything out. I also agree with scottguard. The only other option with kids is just a wooden chair. Easy to clean, not too comfortable.
