The following are some tips to follow to make your red cedar log barstools worth the purchase, not only because they are made of cedar but because they are functional.

The style.  First of all, you would have to determine the style of your cedar barstool that will blend in with the whole environment of your outdoor kitchen or bar.  If you have a rather contemporary or futuristic theme, then you look for modern, clean, and slim designs or those common swivel barstools. 

If you are having a native or traditional theme, then, your red cedar stools painted or hand-carved will be best.  A lot of designs for you to choose from can also be viewed in the web for barstools and other outdoor furniture.

The barstool height.  Perhaps you were too overwhelmed of the idea of having new barstools that you forgot to consider the stool height for you.  Measure the seating area where you are to place you barstools.  There is not really a strict standard on how high your stools should be. 

You would just then consider enough space so you can comfortably sit (sometimes swivel) and move your feet or legs freely while sitting on the stool, having drinks with someone.  More or less one foot (10-12 inches) of space between the stool seat and the bottom of your counter table will be ideal.

Number.  You need to measure the area where you shall place the stools, don’t you?  And you have decided the design of barstool you want to buy.  But before you make the purchase, you must consider how many pieces of barstools you would purchase according to your location. 

If you have chosen the sleek designs of barstool, then you don’t expect them to crowd in your outdoor kitchen or bar.  But bulky stools?  They occupy so much space, so, you might just buy a few of them.  The most important consideration here is that, you have to buy according to your need and to how much you can afford to buy wood patio furniture.

Price over durability or vice versa.  Talking about how much you can afford, you will most probably choose price over durability if you are tight with the budget.  Red cedar log, because of its high quality, may not be all the time affordable though the red cedar price has also lowered because of the high supply. More expensive items are generally more durable. 

If you can truly afford it, it would be best if you choose durability over price.  It is economical in a way that you have bought furniture that lasts longer and sustains damage.  You would not have to spend on repairs or replacements often.  On the other hand, if you choose the cheaper pieces of wood patio urniture, you would just have to take utmost care of them to make sure they don’t get damaged easily.

These tips all boil down to one great challenge, to balance everything – quality and practicality, beauty and functionality.