We splurged on our stools for the kitchen island and I am in love. I first saw them in Petoskey this summer at the American Spoon restaurant (best Bloody Marys, by the way). The stools are pewter powder-coated steel with a black walnut seat, made by Makr, an American company based in Florida.

I searched online for (you guessed it, HOURS), looking for a similar chair (and they had to be 24″ height in order to work with our island) and found this one for $199.00 at Grandin Road…

and these lovelies from Schoolhouse Electric for $295…

And several others that of course I didn’t like because once you see the beauty that is the Makr swivel stool you just can’t settle for anything less (budget be damned). I’m so glad we went for it because not only are they nice to look at, they are comfortable and very heavy (girls can’t easily tip over) and the best part is that they were made here in the USA.