I’m at a point in my life where I’m team stools over chairs, and I truly believe stools deserve to be given way more credit than they get. Stools are often overlooked, maybe because they occupy minimum space, and aren’t really overbearing. But these traits are what make stools so great in my opinion! I mean, they’re compact, and a great space-saving furniture option for our modern homes. They are also super portable. And, we’ve put together a collection of stool designs that not only provide a healthy seating experience while promoting a good and stable posture but most of them are created from sustainable materials as well. From a sculptural multifunctional stool made from wood to a rustic horse-riding saddle-inspired stool – these well-designed stools are the furniture pieces you need to add to your home.
1. The Plastic Translation Stool
Called the Plastic Translation Stool, this intriguing stool design attempts to reinterpret the lines of a plastic stool, creating a form that is similar and yet completely unique, allowing the wooden stool to possess its own unique character.
Why is it noteworthy?
The wooden legs alone, however, won’t be enough to offer the same stability as the plastic counterpart, so an additional element had to be added. This element comes in the form of Birch plywood buttresses. These buttresses distribute some of the force evenly across the beechwood legs, which, in turn, hold the buttresses together. The result is increased architectural stability and visual amplification, which gives the design an upgraded look.
What we like
- Doesn’t require screws or nails to be assembled
- A more sustainable option to the plastic stool
- It’s like a fun design puzzle
What we dislike
- Options to customize the stool are currently missing
2. Paco y Paco
Paco y Paco is a design concept that tries to check all the right boxes for a low-cost school furniture solution that is also sustainable and, to some extent, fun. Both the desk and the stool share the same basic shape of wooden planks connected in a row.
Why is it noteworthy?
The basic idea is for these to fold into trapezoidal form, with the two sides serving as legs while the middle one is the actual tabletop or seat. When no longer in use, they can lay flat for easier carrying and storage until their next use.
What we like
- It can be easily carried and stored away
- Uses ropes as the primary mechanism to fold or collapse the two
What we dislike
- Not sure if this furniture design is going to be comfortable
3. Altura
Patricia Perez designed the Altura, a minimal and sturdy step stool, for Case Furniture. An interesting fact about the stool is that it doubles as up as a side table and a plant stand.
Why is it noteworthy?
Described as a “sleek yet sturdy design”, the stool has been equipped with two stepped tiers that serve extremely handy in holding and storing all kinds of items – from lamps, and books, to an entire person! It enables users to reach those high-up places in their homes that they usually aren’t able to get.
What we like
- Altura’s minimal and neutral aesthetics make it a great addition to any modern living space
- Feature a clear polyethylene lacquer that helps to protect and save the wood from external damage
What we dislike
- The stool has 2 levels to it, so it doesn’t occupy too much space width-wise
4. The Pepe Stool
Designed by Raffaella Mangiarotti, the Pepe Stool is deeply inspired by a ‘horse-riding saddle’! Raffaella drew inferences from the saddle, especially its aesthetics and ergonomics to create the sturdy-looking Pepe Stool.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Pepe stool is a rather playful and amusing twist on saddle stools. Saddle stools are popular for promoting good posture, and for helping users strengthen their core since they feature no back support, and enable you to tilt your pelvis forward.
What we like
- Inspired by a horse-riding saddle
- Promotes good posture
What we dislike
- Its rustic aesthetics may not complement modern interiors
5. The FELS Stool
The Fels Stool by OUT stands out from most of the stools on the market as they’re quite aesthetically pleasing. They’re a stark contrast to the boring wooden stools we usually see in homes. They have a sculptural appeal to them, and they’re also multifunctional!
Why is it noteworthy?
The Fels stool is excellent for a variety of reasons. It’s been crafted from wood, making it a sustainable and eco-friendly piece of furniture. Secondly, although it is built from wood, it looks as if it’s been carved from stone! This instantly gives the stool a rather sophisticated and luxurious look to it, despite being made from a simple material – wood. It looks more like a sculpture than a piece of furniture, to be honest.
What we like
- It functions as a side table as well
- Looks like it’s been carved from stone
What we dislike
- The stool may be too bold and quirky for some people
6. The Balanco Stools
The Balanco stools were designed during the pandemic to provide kids and adults with something to play and engage with! Besides being interesting playthings, the stools are great seating options, inspired by rocks and boulders. You can stack the stools in different forms and patterns, in turn creating art in the process.
Why is it noteworthy?
The idea for the Balanco stools came from the Japanese practice of stacking pebbles to create towers. Traditionally, the pebbles mostly consist of rounded forms, designers Lisa Lai and Joel Wong decided that chiseled rock-like shapes would create more visual dynamism while offering a variety of flat surfaces that are ideal for stacking and layering.
What we like
- The poufs are deceptively light
- The individual surfaces remain relatively flat, so they stack on each other rather beautifully
- Inspired by rocks and boulders
What we dislike
- Made from felt, there is a higher chance of staining this design
7. The Tie Stool
The Tie Stool is made up of three bent plywood strips that effortlessly lock into one another, creating a tripod form that is comfortable to sit down on. Besides its unique design, the sheer simplicity of the stool, and the use of minimal materials make the stool quite a beauty.
Why is it noteworthy?
Fabricating the Tie Stool would require a few simple steps. The three plywood strips can, in fact, be split into 6 total parts (you can see the parting lines). The individual parts are formed using high pressure and temperatures that cause the plywood to bend and retain its shape, and cutting/finishing processes are performed on the parts to make them interlock into one another.
What we like
- The entire stool can potentially be flat-packed and shipped to customers
- It’s stackable
What we dislike
- Its compressed design means it needs a tabletop to add more space on the stool
8. The Flightable Closet
The Flightable Closet is a pretty interesting concept as it is not just a suitcase but is also a mini closet (as the name states) with a clothes rack. It can even function as a stool in case you would need one while at the airport or in the room where you’re currently staying.
Why is it noteworthy?
The idea is to make your carry-on suitcase more than just an accessory where you try to fit in as many clothes and toiletries as possible. It is conceptualized both for frequent travelers and those who are living in small spaces and need extra space for their stuff.
What we like
- The telescopic handle of the suitcase can also serve as your clothes rack
- Multipurpose design
- Perfect for frequent travelers and those who are living in small spaces and need extra space for their stuff
What we dislike
- Need to test the actual weight it can withstand when an actual life-size prototype will be created
9. Rice Husk Stool
This reading stool is ‘rice-inspired’, which basically means that rice husk became the designer’s inspiration and material for this product. Agriculture is not something that is usually linked with furniture, so this stool is really quite a special one. The round shapes of the actual chair seat and the stand itself give off a “harmonious emotion” between the bionic design and the human who will be sitting on it.
Why is it noteworthy?
When it comes to sustainable materials, he proposes using a mix of rice husk and carbon, breaking them down and mixing the materials together and then using perfusion molding to shape it into the final chair design. The seat surface itself is made from braided straw but with the rice husk used as the base for the cushion. At the bottom of the stool, the straw is used as well. This brings the idea of sustainable design full circle, so to speak.
What we like
- The stool looks like a sculpture with an agricultural spin to it
- Sustainable + eco-friendly design
What we dislike
- As a reading chair, it looks uncomfortable to sit in for a long period of time
10. The Bond
This is just a stool, but its particular purpose is to make two persons live in unity. How? You open the stool system and separate the parts to seat two persons. Some people will probably not understand the point because the stools are too close, but the Bond can be perfect for couples who change residences frequently.
Why is it noteworthy?
If you and your partner love going out, you can sit together on the stools while you wear your shoes and before you head out the door. Bond is just to be closer to one another because, you know, some couples just can get enough of each other. The Bond stool system also features some storage space inside. You can put anything inside, like maybe your shoes or your laptop. Likewise, you can probably put there your purse or just about anything you don’t want to forget.
What we like
- The Bond is mainly made of wooden material, so you know it’s durable enough to withstand the test of time
- Space-saving form
- Allows you to get closer to your partner
What we dislike
- Standalone design that cannot be added on or increased