The Rustic Wooden Stool

39cm is low. That is what makes it useful next to a chair rather than at a counter.

As a side table, 39cm is right. The rule beside an armchair is a surface roughly level with the arm, and most armchair arms sit between 55cm and 65cm. This is lower than that, which suits a deep seat where you reach down rather than across.

As a seat, it is a low stool. Dining chairs sit at 45cm to 47cm, so at 39cm this is below dining height. It works as an occasional extra seat, a perch at a coffee table or a child's chair, not as a permanent dining seat.

The 26cm depth is the useful figure. That is narrow enough to sit in a bathroom beside a bath, in a hallway against a wall, or in the gap between a sofa and a wall where nothing else fits.

It is not a bar or counter stool. Those want 65cm to 75cm. If that is what you are after, this is the wrong height by some distance.

A curved seat and angled legs, which are both harder to make than the alternatives.

The seat is slightly dished rather than flat. A flat seat is cheaper and quicker to produce; a curved one takes more work and is considerably more comfortable to sit on for any length of time. It is the detail that tells you the shape was considered rather than simply cut.

The legs are angled outward, which does two things. It widens the footprint, so a small stool is stable when someone sits on it. And it gives the silhouette a visual lightness that a straight-legged stool at this scale never has, keeping it elegant rather than blocky.

The distressed finish shows the grain, the knots and the marks of the making rather than hiding them under a uniform coat. That means every stool differs slightly in tone and figure, which is the point of buying wood rather than a wood-effect board.

• Solid wood, not veneer or a wood-effect board
• Curved seat, more comfortable than a flat one and harder to make
• Angled legs for a stable footprint and a lighter silhouette
• Only 26cm deep, so it fits where most side tables cannot
• Distressed finish that shows grain, knots and tonal variation
• Genuinely multipurpose: seat, side table, plant stand, bathroom surface
• Light enough to move from room to room as the need changes
• Marks add to it rather than spoiling it, which few pieces manage

Pulled up to a coffee table when guests arrive, or tucked into a kitchen corner. At 39cm it is a low perch rather than a dining chair, so use it as the seat someone takes for half an hour.

Beside an armchair or at the end of a sofa for a drink, a book and a candle. Its low height suits a deep seat where a taller table would be awkward.

A raised surface lifts a plant out of the floor plane and gives a corner some height. Works particularly well with a trailing plant or a faux tree in a woven basket.

Beside a freestanding bath for towels, a candle or a book. The 26cm depth is what makes this possible in a bathroom where floor space is short. Keep it away from direct splashing.

At the end of a bed or in a bedroom corner, with a small tray, a stack of books and a vase. Three objects at three heights, as ever.

A distressed timber stool earns its place by contrast. Beside a linen sofa, a pale rug or painted furniture it does the job that texture always does in a neutral scheme.

Two or three objects at most. A stool crowded with ornaments stops reading as a piece of furniture and starts reading as a shelf.

A pair either side of a bed makes an unusual and considerably cheaper alternative to matching bedside tables, and they can be split up later when the room changes.

Angled legs against a room full of right angles do quietly useful work. Put it where a run of straight-fronted furniture needs interrupting.

A distressed finish is designed to gather more marks. Trying to keep it pristine defeats the point of buying it.

Dust with a dry or barely damp cloth, following the grain. Nothing abrasive, and no household sprays, which will lift a natural finish over time.

Wipe spills straight away. Wood absorbs liquid quickly, and a ring left overnight is a ring you keep. A tray under drinks solves this permanently.

In a bathroom, keep it out of direct splashing and away from a shower zone. It will handle the humidity of a normal bathroom, but standing water on timber is a different matter.

Keep it out of strong direct sun, which lightens timber unevenly over the years, and away from a radiator, which dries it out.

Check the joints once a year and gently tighten anything that has loosened. Any stool that gets sat on works its joints, and thirty seconds of attention prevents a wobble becoming a repair.

What to expect. Variation in tone, grain, knots and the depth of the distressing is the character of solid wood with a hand-applied finish, not a fault. No two will be identical, and yours will not match the photograph exactly.

Current delivery timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Not sure whether 39cm is the right height beside your chair or bed? Send us the measurement and we will tell you honestly. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right once it is in the room, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

0% interest-free finance is available at checkout, and our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Furnishing a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.