under the magnolia tree

  Who knew it would be the barstools that have been the hardest thing to figure out in our new kitchen?  

If I had to choose some from here, I'd choose these.  I like the warmth the wicker brings.  They are out of my budget so I have to pass... 

I found these vintage bar stools online here and really love them but there's a couple of problems.  They are barstools and we actually need counter stools.  I'd have to cut about six inches off the bottom and I feel like that's not going to work.  I'd also have to make new cushions and round cushions are really not my forte.  And we'd paint over the gold... a lot of work.

 The peninsula is on one end of the kitchen with nothing but two windows behind it.  The other end of the kitchen is heavy with cabinetry.  I started to realize that I needed something "heavy" to balance out the room.  I like these from here but unless that's leather or vinyl, I couldn't possibly be sane enough to do this with my two kids.  Oh, and they're really expensive....sigh.

 I really love these from here.  Our kitchen is bright and these would work in there.  But since one chair costs over $600,  I'm thinking I could find some wood chairs and paint them a bright color.  I still have the "heavy" issue though...

  These were almost ordered in white.  We like the classic bentwood look but these were really light, so much so that we realized the kids could tip them over easily.  Either that or slip through the back.  These are out.

This was our next solution.  A sturdier bentwood with arms.  We like the warmth a distressed oak chair would bring to the space.  Then we realized how much mac and cheese would be stuck in the caned seat.  I don't think the wood is sealed either...way too many greasy hands for that.

This one was a better solution.  Solid, cushioned, and the price is fair.  When I saw that my fabric choices were Belgian Linen or Velvet I laughed out loud and threw this one out the door.

 Then I thought, why not get these from here.  Cheap, cheap, cheap.  I can paint the legs and recover the seats in vinyl, leather, oilcloth, or outdoor fabric.  Just not excited about them...

That brings me to these.  I saw them here last year and had mixed thoughts about them.  I thought they'd be great if I was the only one on the bench.  I didn't know what I thought about sharing it with someone.  Then I realized after a summer of eating out how much our family likes booths.  The kids like to sit next to us, they like to move around, and sit on our laps.  They're heavy and that will give us the balance we need.  These cost a fortune but I'm finding a way to duplicate them and make them with slipcovers that are completely kid friendly.  And since two out of the three meals a day are with just the three of us, I might just get my own bench!   

 Now I just need to bite the bullet and order them...