As you know, I love beautiful, functional things. How about adding versatile to the list? Garden stools are just that! They make lovely plant stands, foot stools, tables and extra-seating. The interior design world has defintely taken notice of these guys and have incorporated them into their spaces.
Are these a trend?
What I love is that although you have been seeing them everywhere, and some may call them a trend, they are definitely considered timeless pieces! Garden stools were used in Chinese gardens during the 17th century and later in Victorian conservatories. From the 1870s until 1900, factories in England, like Wedgewood and Minton, produced garden stools in earthenware. Did you know that the they were used as cigarette tables in the 1950s--hence some people referring to garden stools as cigarettes tables? How funny!
If you haven't decided if you want to commit to a garden stool, you can buy a fair priced one since they are everywhere! While I don't consider them a true trend, my advice is to always buy trends that you can easily switch out. I have seen garden stools at TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, Ross, Pier One, World Market and Target (which has a suprisingly huge selection online). Of course, sometimes the more you spend the better the quality. You can expect to spend more at places like Cottage and Vine, Horchow, Wisteria and Williams-Sonoma Home. The most expensive I found were at 1st Dibs, which have the real things--antique garden stools. They are defintely fun to look at!
Here are some lovely and fun garden stools I found online: 
1st Dibs, 1400.
1st Dibs, 1400.
Pier One, 99.95.
1st Dibs, 2400.
Target, 209.99.
Wisteria, 199.
Williams-Sonoma Home, 250.
1st Dibs, 1100.
Wisteria, 129.
Target, 189.99.
*Image 1: 1st Dibs, 2800.
Benches are fabulous! They look even more chic as a pair.
