BH | Studio Ludlow Nailhead Counter Stools, Set of 2

The upholstered counter stool is a younger relation of the Parsons chair, the fully upholstered dining chair on straight legs whose name and clean lines come from the Parsons table of 1930s Paris. Nailheads, round-headed upholstery tacks set close along an edge, have finished English seating since the seventeenth century, when upholsterers studded leather chairs with brass along every edge, and they lend a tall stool real presence.

These two stools have tall backs with gently flared upper edges and deep seats built for comfort: sinuous springs, flexible S-shaped wires, sit under dense foam so the seat gives a little. Silver-toned nailheads trim the seat, and a footrest between the tapered dark legs gives your feet a place to settle. The 26.5-inch seat suits a standard kitchen counter or island. The frames are solid wood, the feet carry non-marking caps, and each stool is rated to hold 500 lbs. The woven cover comes in Dove, a soft light grey, or Oyster.

Pull the pair up to a kitchen island for morning coffee and the crossword, while someone cooks on the other side. They work just as well at an apartment breakfast bar. Either shade with silver nailheads looks fresh against white shaker cabinets, marble and polished nickel, and softens a kitchen of stainless steel. This listing is for a set of two counter stools.