Five non-farmyard interiors where milking stools add rustic charm

From a Barcelona apartment to a home extension in Sydney, our latest lookbook rounds up interiors humbled by the presence of wooden milking stools. Milking stools are a form of primitive seat comprised of three legs attached to a, usually circular, top. Traditionally made from wood, they were designed to be straightforward and cheap to make, The post Five non-farmyard interiors where milking stools add rustic charm appeared first on Dezeen.

Five non-farmyard interiors where milking stools add rustic charm

From a Barcelona apartment to a home extension in Sydney, our latest lookbook rounds up interiors humbled by the presence of wooden milking stools.

Milking stools are a form of primitive seat comprised of three legs attached to a, usually circular, top. Traditionally made from wood, they were designed to be straightforward and cheap to make, usually out of small offcuts of timber.

Their three-legged form – with legs that can be blocky, tapered, squared or cylindrical – allows the stool to sit stably even on uneven surfaces.

The stools' primary purpose was to seat people when milking cows or performing other domestic duties. They offer the user balance and a degree of support, rather than comfort.

Advances in robotic milking machinery mean that milking stools are now mostly redundant in farm work, but they have found new uses in homes, acting as bedside, accent or side tables.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring marble kitchen islands, living rooms punctuated by all-metal accessories and furnishings, and interiors with mirrored accents.

Love Shack, Australia, by Second Edition

Squared-off legs support an asymmetrical seat for this statuesque little stool, which occupies a corner of a home extension in Bondi, Sydney, by Australian studio Second Edition.

The warm-toned wood of the seat ties in with the Eucalyptus hardwood-clad walls of the room, which functions as a guest bedroom, study or lounge depending on the needs of the occupants.

Find out more about Love Shack ›

Weald House by Mailen Design and Peter Bradford Architects — Photo is by Peter Landers

Weald House, UK, by Mailen Design and Peter Bradford Architects

This house in Kent was designed by architecture studios Mailen Design and Peter Bradford Architects, who aimed to both mimic and honour agricultural barns through its design.

Thanks to its rural setting and farm-focused design ethos, a compact stool culminating in rounded off legs is right at home as an informal bedside table.

Find out more about Weald House ›

Picture window with day bed and stool in front of it — Photo is by William Jess Laird

The Residence at 144 Vanderbilt, USA, by General Assembly

An oversized picture window provides a backdrop for a low-slung daybed and flanking milking stool in this staged open apartment in Brooklyn's 144 Vanderbilt building, curated by New York studio General Assembly.

The stool's exaggeratedly thick top and glossy finish tie in with the silhouettes of the rest of the furnishings in the space, as well as its warm-toned, neutral colour scheme.

Find out more about The Residence at 144 Vanderbilt ›

Concrete living room with chair, light and stool — Photo is by César Béjar

Parral Building, Mexico, by Taller Héctor Barroso

A scantly furnished studio, apartment and rooftop terrace are housed within this wood-and-concrete building in Mexico City by local architecture practice Taller Héctor Barroso.

In one living space, one of three furnishings is a rustic milking stool, which is offset by a dainty paper Akari lamp and a burgundy-coloured leather cantilever chair.

Find out more about Parral Building ›