From A Former Itsy Bitsy Piece of a Counter Stool

When I was just an itsy bitsy piece of a stool, still swathed in factory bubble wrap, I thought I knew exactly what I would grow up to be: One of those solid wood bar stools that live a rich, though difficult life, in a smoke filled and rowdy pub! Then during stool adolescence I thought it would be more fun if I could become a rattan garden stool or a carefree teak bar table stool.

It wasn´t until much later that I realized the place to be was in a kitchen, at a counter, surrounded by busy adults and giggling children spilling their coco all over my vinyl seat cushion.

So, you can imagine my surprise when one day I was delivered to a mysterious address and after being unwrapped I saw myself in a mirror. I had become an Onda Counter Stool from Stua. I was quite magnificent, if I say so myself, since my curves mimicked the shape of the human body so I could even offer lumbar support. I had extra soft rubber “skin” all over my swiveling seat shell so I knew I´d get touched and squeezed and sat on more than other stools in the house. I had a stainless steel frame too, so I could relax at the garden bar or the kitchen counter.

I’ve never really wanted to think about this, but I know the day will come when I´ll have to be disassembled. I take some comfort in the fact that my parts are all recyclable. For me it’s like stool reincarnation.

When I think back to when I was first set up at the kitchen counter, I remember being more than a little confused by all the odd sounds. I mean, I didn´t understand a word the other stools were saying and I couldn´t even get close to the kitchen countertop no matter how sweetly I whispered. Now, I understand that I had come from the design studio of Jesús Gasca in Spain and my tubes were full of Spanish.

Thankfully that’s not a problem any more. I speak English and my brothers do too. They all have to pass through a place called: Design Within Reach, the exclusive retailers for my Stua stool cousins. Yes, I’m Spanish, so I have lots of cousins and distant relatives who come from different factories and are waiting to be delivered from warehouses…but I think I’ll tell you their stories on another post.