Vintage Classic: The Toledo Stool
See why this antique draftsman's chair Is having its moment in modern home design
The Toledo stool is a classic piece with an industrial aesthetic that can sidle right up to a counter or bar in just about any style of room. The company that designed them was originally a bicycle company that jumped to making furniture as cars began to take over.
Much like bicycle design, The Toledo Metal Furniture Company's furniture was designed to stand up to rugged conditions. These stools, designed in the early 1900s, were created with schools, industrial shops and draftspeople in mind. Their charming silhouettes and mix of bent wood and metal create a look that can go vintage industrial, mid-century modern, traditional or contemporary. See how designers are incorporating them into homes today.
Much like bicycle design, The Toledo Metal Furniture Company's furniture was designed to stand up to rugged conditions. These stools, designed in the early 1900s, were created with schools, industrial shops and draftspeople in mind. Their charming silhouettes and mix of bent wood and metal create a look that can go vintage industrial, mid-century modern, traditional or contemporary. See how designers are incorporating them into homes today.
This transitional space gains a bit of quirky personality from the stool.
Vintage Toledo Stools add an industrial touch to this fresh kitchen remodel. The wood and metal play off the new finishes.
Learn more about this kitchen design
Learn more about this kitchen design
Here the stools add Industrial-Age character to the mid-century vibe of this home. The Toledo Metal Furniture Company was bending wood long before Charles and Ray Eames came along.
This design of this loft was inspired by the streets of Tribeca as well as the building's former life as an industrial warehouse. The vintage Toledo stools fit right in with the reclaimed wood, exposed brick and metal finishes. In fact, they could have been used in the building back when it was functioning as a warehouse.
See the rest of this loft
See the rest of this loft
These stools are not limited to the kitchen. In the same loft, another vintage Toledo provides a perch for putting on one's face.
The stools are an integral part of this cottage kitchen's collected aesthetic.
This sleek kitchen gets some patina style from the rough-hewn beam, bin pull hardware and Toledo stools.
The wood on the stools harmonizes with the wooden table, benches and beams. The smaller stools next to the ottoman have the same aesthetic. The are Contact Stools from CB2.
This is the backless cousin of the Toledo stool. Restoration Hardware currently makes reproductions of both versions, while a search of recently completed auctions on eBay found that vintage versions go for around the same price as the reproductions.
More: Surprisingly Versatile: Old-School Stools
Vintage Modern: What Does It Mean?
Industrial Elements: Factory Style at Home
More: Surprisingly Versatile: Old-School Stools
Vintage Modern: What Does It Mean?
Industrial Elements: Factory Style at Home