Cowhide Bar Stools
Buy the best cowhide bar stools selected and recommended by interior designers. By Emily Hilton.
Do something different with your bar stools, and maybe put some cowhide on them. That is too much work? No problem. We have a whole collection of cowhide bar stools that are soft and durable and will look very nice sidled up to your home bar, or the bar at your country saloon. So, take a look at this big ol' collection of cowhide bar stools and pick some for yourself.
Cowhide Bar Stools
Buying Guide
Emily Hilton
Interior Design Expert
Emily is a young, talented designer, whose professional interests gravitate towards kitchen and dining spaces. She prides herself on her attention to detail, obsession with functionality, and appreciation for craftsmanship.
Cowhide bar stools invite patrons, family or friends to pull up a seat and “plant it right thar, pardner.” Both cowhide and barstools come in a variety of patterns and types.
Although some types of cattle are raised specifically for their hides, cowhide is a natural outgrowth of the beef industry. Hides that are to be used are earmarked immediately and given a specific tanning method that will help keep the hide supple, give it an appealing tanned-leather aroma, and keep the hair on the skin. Cowhides can range from white through a series of dappled shades into brown, reddish brown or black. They can also be dyed to resemble the skins of other animals, although that is usually reserved for lesser quality skins.
Bar stools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from a simple, four-legged stood with braces and a round top for seating to stools that are mounted on elaborate, adjustable legs of varying sorts and tops that more closely resemble a dining room chair than the humble seat usually referred to as a stool. They are often upholstered for greater comfort. The upholstery can be cloth, leather or – of course – cowhide.
- A Basic Bar Stool
Seat your buckaroos in your ranch-style breakfast corner on a basic bar stool, upholstered with white and liver speckled cowhide. Now, before you get your chaps in a twist, “liver” in this case refers to a reddish-brown color, which is natural on several different breeds of cow. In the frontier spirit of honoring a creature by using every inch of it except the “moo,” this cowhide seat speaks of natural frugality.
- Somewhat Fancy Stool
You can dress up that basic frontier stool in a lot of different ways. Make it a little sturdier and give it a wider seat by making the top rectangular instead of round. Instead of a basic cowhide with slick hair, go for a fuzzier (and maybe comfier) seat, which can come in dappled, spotted, white, brown or black.
- Getting Even Fancier
While the really posh old-time saloons were more likely to go in for suede or damask, a mid-range hostelry might provide guests with a better seat than the basic bar stool. It could include a back, a shaped seat for greater sitting comfort, or fastening the edges of the leather with carefully wrought metal studs. Those are options available to you, too, in your quest for comfort as well as authenticity. You can even modernize it with chrome, just like the stools in a drug store soda fountain, only with cowhide seats instead of regular leather or faux leather.
A well-tanned cowhide will last for many years. Eventually, the hair might become a little worn, but that will only lend itself to authenticity. It can be cleaned. The basic technique is to sponge up any liquid spills as quickly as possible. Scrape off any hard stuff, going in the direction of the hair. Then spritz it with a mild cleaner approved for furry leather. Rub the fur in all sorts of directions to get the last of the spill or stain out, then using a soft brush, groom the hair in the direction in which it grew naturally. Allow it to dry away from sunlight or strong heat.