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Styling The Modern Vail Stool Two Ways

*Today’s post was made possible by Denver Modern, and features gifted product for the purposes of a candid review. All opinions are my own.

When John and I hired someone to install custom quartz countertops in our original 1960s kitchen, we made the decision to extend the counters off the back of the peninsula as far as we could structurally in order to create a bonus eating area. I had no idea just how often we would actually use this spot for dining, though. That sort of flippantly made decision way back when has given us our main eating zone in the house! It’s just big enough for two counter height bar stools, and I’d say we eat at this spot in our home more often than not. Because it gets used so frequently during the week, I really wanted to make it a focal point in terms of the design of our kitchen, which led us to adding a pair of ultra luxurious Vail Stools from Denver Modern.

Styling The Modern Vail Stool Two Ways

We had nice stools up at the counter before this change, but they were pretty neutral in style. They were upholstered, but didn’t really have much ornamentation or interest beyond that. I dreamed of having stools here that felt a little more high end and that could serve as statement pieces in our, otherwise, pretty modest and demure retro kitchen. When I saw the leather strap detail on the back of the Vail Stool I knew that it was just what the space had been missing. We love how durable the nubby white boucle fabric has been, and the black metal frame is a super sleek and grounding element in the room now, too.

Styling The Modern Vail Stool Two Ways

In case you have a larger, more traditional kitchen, I also wanted to show this stool design in a totally different space for a second perspective. Here’s another pair of these stools in my parents’ Dutch Colonial home. It’s funny how similarly our kitchens are as far as layout goes (U-shaped run of lower cabinets, sink off to the right, peninsula bar seating), but their interior style tends to lean a little more traditional—or maybe “transitional” is a better descriptor. Even still, the Vail Stool fits right in with their décor. See how the black metal frame ties in nicely with their black/stainless steel appliances? We all love how these modern stools give the largely traditional room a bit of visual contrast.

Beyond style, though, I also wanted to mention that these are the most comfortable stools I’ve ever sat in. I thought that the low back on the frame would make me less inclined to lounge in them for hours at a time, but the shape is actually super ergonomic. The scolloped shape of the rounded seat and back offers lots of great lumbar support, and it’s large enough that I can sit in it comfortably with my legs curled up beneath me or beside me. I repeat: these are the most comfortable stools I’ve ever sat in!

The main point I wanted to make when showing the Denver Modern Vail Stool in two very different kitchens is that the design works well in pretty much any kind of home, whether your style leans more modern, more traditional, or even industrial. I could also see this working in a farmhouse kitchen that’s styled with other leather accents and antique black cast iron pots and pans. Comment below and let me know if you have a unique space that you’re considering for a new Vail Stool or two! I’m happy to help you plan a couple of quick tweaks to make the stools look and feel like the perfect fit for your own eat-in kitchen. Did I mention they come in bar height and dining table height, too?! Details this way.

Fourteen years…Wow! I know it’s cliche to say, but it literally feels like it was just last week that I hit “publish” on my very first blog post, and yet it also feels like a lifetime ago. I am so, so grateful for my impulsive nature because without it I wouldn’t be where I am today: nearly 15 years into my dream career writing every single day and teaching all of you how to build a home of your dreams.

All this time later, and I still crave the same outcome from each post that I share: conversation. I got into this business of sharing do-it-yourself home design tutorials and renovation stories because I want to talk about the ups and downs with you guys. I ask questions every day, and am always blown away by the responses I get. The comments sections of my social media and these blog posts have always been the most rewarding aspect of the stories I share from our home. I’ve heard from you that our home has paved the way for your own renovation journey, and that is the ultimate form of validation for me.

My business isn’t really centered on how we’re crafting our home to be perfect for us—it’s about teaching others how to find their own joy at home through action, and when I hear personal accounts of that actually happening in the comments of my posts, that’s when I feel like I’ve done my job. So, thank you for continuing this conversation all these years later. I wouldn’t be here without you!

To celebrate this milestone, I’ve put together a list of my favorite blog posts from the archives, one from each of my 14 years in business (please forgive the embarrassing look of those first few years worth of posts!). Keep scrolling to take a walk down memory lane, and let me know if you have a favorite DGD post that didn’t make it onto my list!

My Top 14 Posts From The DGD Archives:

1. DIY Framed Polaroid Photos Display

2. Handmade Wooden Gallery Wall Grid

3. Dual Purpose Party + Potting Table

4. DIY Mod Painted Headboard

5. DIY Carved Pumpkin Face Party Cups

6. 10 Alternative Uses For An Over-The-Door Shoe Holder

7. DIY Pressed Flower Wine Bottle Labels

8. DIY Faux Mid-Century Paneling Using Paint

9. How To Turn An IKEA Work Bench Into A Kitchen Island

10. Make Your Own Plant Propagation Stations

11. DIY Board And Batten Feature Wall

12. Staining Our DIY Wood Platform Deck

13. Peel-And-Stick Wallpapered Cat Litter Closet

14. “Perfect Pairs” Bridal Shower Gift Idea

BONUS: Click here to read the very personal story behind Dream Green DIY’s name

It was actually pretty emotional picking my way through those archives. I forgot how energetic and motivated I was back in my 20s to DIY and craft every single day (even after I got home from my full-time office job in those first few years before the blog supported me on its own). I feel sort of bad that I haven’t kept up with that type of content, but the truth is that my priorities have changed. Now that I’m one year away from my 40s, I just don’t have the drive to craft my own home décor. I’ve shifted my focus to investing in more long-term solutions when it comes to decorating our home, and I guess there’s really nothing wrong with that. People evolve and a person has different motivators as they age. It’s especially interesting to see that shift happen in real time when looking back through the DGD archives.

I hope you’ll take a moment to click back to those old stories I linked to above! Like I said, it was emotional to revisit them, but it’s also kindled a small fire underneath me to try harder to get back to that level of action. Things might look different as I head into my 40s as a homemaker, but I’m never, ever going to lose my drive to make our house feel extra special and so deeply us. That has always been a core part of my personality (even as a little kid—my mom can attest to how often I asked to make over my childhood bedroom to suit my whims!). Homemaking is a blast, and I’m so excited that I have this space to document every single step of the way. Thanks for getting me to year 14, and I’m excited to see what you and I each come up with in the new year ahead.

By the way, if you’d like to dive into the DGD archives yourself, all you have to do is scroll to the bottom of my righthand sidebar, and you’ll find the archives broken down by year. Again, please forgive my terrible photography and writing skills those first few years…

Styling The Modern Vail Stool Two Ways

Dream Green DIY Celebrates 14 Years

My Top 14 Posts From The DGD Archives:

DIY PROJECTS

HOME DÉCOR

Lifestyle

Secondhand

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