I was glad to see this thread because it was something that I had not considered. I never intended to have a stone top because the used kitchen I bought came with a butcher block top. Well, we don't think we are going to like the wood, even after it is re-sanded. Plus, we dropped it and it split in two. I imagine it can be repaired (it is after all, glued together wood in the first place) but we are now looking at stone or porcelain. When I read that swiveling stools have chipped the edges of islands, I was relieved that the counter stools I got on Craigslist are completely upholstered and cushioned, front and back. I think that this will solve the problem for me, and I imagine it would work for a lot of you. Those parsons chair type stools should also work.

We originally had swivel stools at our last house but unfortunately they began to disintegrate after less than a year which was a shame as we chose them because they had a bit of a bentwood, slightly Parisian look going on that complemented our art nouveau stuff :( I was wary of buying more swivel ones TBH and wanted upholstered stools with studded details but in the UK it seemed surprisingly difficult - or at least it did in 2014 - to find high quality, antique style stools so we opted for non-swivel pewter look, industrial (backless) ones from Wayfair. The consolation being they have a vaguely Arts & Crafts feel! Currently we're sans island (making do with a dresser base!) so are not using them, but overall we're happy with the lack of swivel!

After Ravencajun's comment, I will definitely make sure that the barstools do not have casters - I did not like that idea anyway. The problem with one design is that it is somewhat cone shape that goes down to the floor, and so there is not a separate base from which the seat can swivel. I told everyone that this was a bad idea from the beginning, but they kept telling me that they wanted it. If this design does not have casters, it will be very difficult to move, but we can still put a swivel in the base, although it still does not seem like a practical design to me. The design is based on a popular lounge/occasional chair that we have that is barrel shaped and has both casters and swivel, but it is also a very heavy chair and difficult to move, even with casters. I did some other designs with a 6" diameter column and round base, but not everyone liked those, although I think they are more practical. However, my boss had me put casters in those, but I will be taking them out. At work I have an intermediate stool/chair that is like an office chair, but is between the height of an office chair and a drafting stool. I use it at my work table, which is about 33-34" high, I think. I had the work table built for me so that the top would be at the point where my hip flexes, and this makes it easier for me to bend and reach across the table. It's a very large table, about 42" x 80", and I am able to cut sheets of cardboard that start out at 48"x96". Do you like barstools with a column base or do you prefer four legs. I tend to prefer the ones with legs, and I have done several of these with swivel seats. The ones with the center column have to have a round foot rail attached to the column, but the ones with legs I did with either square or round foot rails. For the ones with square legs, I rotated the legs 45°, to accommodate the round foot rails. I really appreciate all of this help, especially since there are so many diverse ideas on this subject.

We have 4 upholstered room and board cora swivel chairs that have held up really well with a cat, dog, and lots of use (plus one move). Swivel was great for our set up that sounds similar to yours. I wanted to get their leather versions but we couldn't swing the expense in the cora style, but I'm pleasantly surprised how well the fabric versions have held up. The one slightly (but not very negative) thing about the fabric is that pet & human hairs seem to cling to it altho I might be the only one who notices. The legs show no wear and tear whatsoever despite banging around them with a vacuum, and we sit there so often that I would've expected more scuff marks and whatnot.