When I moved into a shared apartment last year there was one of those common linking spaces between kitchen and living room, the bar. Opposite the oven it recalled small diners and serving spaces but was cluttered with coins, silverware, and much unused junk. In some houses flat surfaces quickly accumulate significant detritus due to the simple habits of the members to set anything and everything upon any available surface. Flat is not even a necessary requirement, leading to leaning towers of unstable junk upon junk. The area on the living room side of the bar was blacked off with more flat surfaces, unnecessarily placed coffee tables and dressers. Reorganization was in order. A bar is not a bar until there are bar stools. Nothing else will do, anything that does do becomes a bar stool by definition anyways, it is an unbeatable argument. I found some excellent stools made of bamboo with a short backing and tiny arms. For me what is most crucial is the horizontal ring between the legs for resting one’s own legs. I am miserable and fidgety drinking in public bars without them. Essentially cleaning and bar stools is all that was needed, well hanging glasses and a wine rack didn’t hurt either, and the space was ready; my friends loved it.