Wooden Footstools

Buying Guide

Emily Hilton Interior Design Expert

Emily is an interior designer specializing in kitchen and dining spaces, with a strong focus on function, craftsmanship, and detail. Shaped by both formal training and hands-on studio work, she approaches every project as a problem-solving exercise that must balance workflow, storage, and comfort with a cohesive visual story. Her guidance helps readers transform everyday cooking and dining areas into inviting hubs that truly support how they live and gather.

Wooden foot stools are handy for a variety of different uses. There is the classic inscription for a two-step stool that runs, “Helps me reach the things I couldn’t, and lots of things I really shouldn’t.” While not strictly a foot stool, although it could function as such, it does get one started on the uses of a wooden foot stool. It can be used to reach things that cannot otherwise be reached – that just out of reach book or kitchen item on a tall shelf – but are too close to merit getting out a real step ladder.

What are the most popular designs of wooden foot stools?

The Simplest of Wooden Foot Stools

A very common use of a wood foot stool is ergonomic. It is extremely bad for circulation to sit all day at a desk in a chair that is too tall. A simple wood step stool, just a board across two two-inch by four-inch boards, can make all the difference in the world to the amount of fatigue that is felt at the end of the day. Such a simple stool can be placed where desired without effort and stored at the back of the knee-well of a desk should a taller person want to sit there.

Charming Three or Four Legged Stools

A three or four-legged stool that is a bit taller than the under-desk foot stool can act either as a seat or as a comfortable place to prop your feet for a moment’s rest between chores. A bit of whimsy can be added by carving the seats into animal faces or shapes. Some stools of this nature can be more elegantly shaped and given high gloss to move them out of the kitchen or nursery realm and into the sitting or living room.

Upholstered Wooden Stools

Add to the comfort of your wooden stool by selecting a model that is upholstered. While your feet might not remain on that stool for very long, your enjoyment can be increased by a little softness under your ankles. The upholstery can also be coordinated with other furnishings in your room, for a pleasant, over-all effect.

Adjustable Height Embroidered Foot Stool

Show your good taste and your practicality with an embroidered foot stool that can be adjusted to be either that under-desk foot support or a place to put your feet up for a little relaxation. This elegant foot stool could easily take its place in a Victorian, shabby chic or Boho décor. It could even settle into a country living retreat.

Regardless of your taste in footstools, they are a time-tested simple solution to creating comfort. Whether you are making up for a lack of inches when trying to get comfortable in a desk chair, or enjoying a place to put your feet up at the end of a long work session so that you can truly rest before the next round, wooden foot stools are an easy, fun solution to simple needs. And yes, they can help you reach a few things you couldn’t.