Serena and Lily Dupe Counter Stools: Riviera-Style Rattan for Less
Serena and Lily dupe counter stools and bar stools in the Riviera rattan style: eight woven lookalikes on Amazon, what to check, and a DIY outdoor stool option.
Serena and Lily dupe counter stools almost always mean the same silhouette: a woven rattan or cane seat and back, a light wood frame, a gentle curve and a coastal, sun-bleached feel that suits a kitchen island. The best known example is the Riviera, a rattan-wrapped stool that set the pattern for a whole category. If you are searching for Serena and Lily dupe bar stools, the useful skill is knowing which details make the style work, so you can tell a decent lookalike from one that only borrows the photo. This guide covers the details, lists eight rattan-style stools on Amazon with notes on what differs from the original, and explains where a plan of ours fits.
Serena & Lily is a coastal-style home furnishings retailer, and Riviera is the name of one of its stool lines. We use both names only to describe a style. The stools below are lookalikes and not copies.
What makes a Riviera-style stool read as expensive
Real woven texture. The pattern of the weave is the main visual. Fine, even weaving with tight corners looks crafted. Loose, uneven weaving or a flat printed pattern looks like a cheap imitation.
A natural, bleached tone. Think sand, oatmeal and light honey. Very orange rattan or very dark stained rattan drift away from the coastal reading.
A gently curved back. The back follows the body slightly. Straight, rigid backs read as dining chairs on tall legs.
A light wood frame. Oak, ash or a pale stained hardwood. The frame should look like part of the same palette as the weave, not like a black metal base from a different furniture family.
Correct height. A kitchen counter is usually about 36 in tall, and the stool seat should sit about 9 to 12 in below the counter surface, which means a seat height of roughly 24 to 27 in. A 29 to 30 in seat belongs at a bar-height surface of about 42 in. Getting this wrong is the most common mistake in the category, and it is expensive to fix.
How to evaluate a rattan-style stool listing
- Identify the material. “Rattan” is a natural vine material. “PE rattan” is synthetic plastic wicker designed to look like rattan, and it is a perfectly good outdoor material but not the same thing. “Cane” refers to a woven natural webbing. Read which one the listing means.
- Check the frame. Solid wood legs with a stretcher or footrest are stronger than thin metal legs. If the listing says “solid wood frame,” ask what species.
- Look for a footrest or stretcher. Counter stools get used with feet up. A stool without a footrest becomes uncomfortable within an hour.
- Look at the seat. Upholstered seats add comfort, and a boucle or linen cover keeps the look soft. A wood or woven seat is cooler and easier to wipe down.
- Swivel or fixed. A swivel adds convenience. It also adds a mechanism that can loosen, and it changes the look from classic to casual.
- Backless or back. Backless stools tuck under the counter neatly and suit small kitchens. Stools with backs are more comfortable for long meals.
- Set size. Many listings sell sets of two or four. Compare the unit cost per stool, and check that all stools in the set match.
Serena and Lily dupe counter stools on Amazon
These eight were chosen on how closely the described weave, frame and silhouette match the Riviera look. Heights are given in each listing, so confirm that the version you pick fits your counter.
Hyfirm 26 in rattan counter height bar stools with cane back
A pair of mid-century leaning stools with a woven cane back and a wood frame at 26 in. The cane back is the closest to the classic woven character in this group. The silhouette is more angular than the soft curve of the Riviera, so it reads a little more mid-century than coastal.
CIMOTA 26 in rattan counter height bar stools with woven backs
Farmhouse-leaning stools with woven backs and an oak wood base, listed in a set of two. The woven back and light oak frame are what you want in this style. The farmhouse styling is slightly sturdier and more traditional than the original.
YLKHOME 26 in boucle upholstered rattan counter stools
A set with a boucle fabric seat and a PE rattan cane back, listed at 26 in. The upholstery adds comfort, and the boucle gives it a softer, more current look. As the listing says PE rattan, the weave is synthetic rather than natural.
Nathan James Bailey boucle rattan counter stool
A counter-height stool with a natural woven rattan back and an upholstered seat, with a solid wood frame according to the listing. The natural woven back and wood frame fit the style. It is a modern take, with the boucle seat as the key difference from an all-rattan original.
SAFAVIEH Luz natural rattan cane counter stool
A single stool with a natural rattan and cane look and a 25 in seat height. It is the most openly natural-looking option in the group, which brings it closest to the airy coastal feel. Sold as a single stool, which suits an island where you want to buy a precise number.
SAFAVIEH Leda brown rattan 26 in counter stool
A woven rattan counter stool with a deeper brown tone and a stated 26 in height. The brown tone is warmer and darker than a bleached coastal look, which suits a kitchen with wood cabinets. It reads as more traditional than the pale original.
East at Main backless rattan counter stools, 24 in
Backless stools in solid wood with a woven seat, in a set of two at 24 in. The backless shape tucks under the counter and keeps sight lines open. The 24 in height suits a lower counter, so measure before ordering. They lack the curved back that defines the Riviera, so they are a lookalike in material rather than in form.
chairus 26 in rattan bar stools with cane woven back
Chenille upholstered stools with a cane woven back at 26 in. The chenille seat is plush and the cane back keeps the look. It is a softer, more upholstered interpretation than the cleaner look of the original.
Build it instead: the outdoor version
Rattan weaving is a craft we do not offer a plan for, and an honest comparison would say that a woven stool is best bought rather than built. If your interest is an outdoor kitchen or bar, with stools that match, two of our plans are relevant.
The Backyard Bar plans describe a teak outdoor bar with stools. The stool is a simple slatted wood design, not rattan, so it suits a different look, an outdoor teak style rather than a coastal woven one. Materials for a stool are estimated at about $60 to $90, the tiki bar at about $720 to $1,040 and the patio bar at about $580 to $830. Finished outdoor bars in the plan data are listed at about $899 to $2,399. See the backyard bar cost guide for more.
The Grill Island plans describe an outdoor kitchen island that wraps the grill in cabinets. Comparable finished outdoor kitchen islands in the plan data are listed at about $3,743 to $8,999. Bar stools at the overhang are a natural pairing with an island like this, and either a slatted wood stool or a weather-resistant woven one will fit. Our outdoor kitchen island cost guide has a detailed look at the numbers.
These are generic DIY plans, not engineered drawings, and cost figures are planning estimates at typical home-center prices that vary by region. If you want every plan, the Complete Collection is $129, and the build cost hub lists our comparisons.
A note on outdoor use
Natural rattan and cane are not outdoor materials. Moisture swells and cracks them, and sun fades them. For a covered porch, a stool with natural rattan may be fine, but for an open patio you want PE rattan, aluminum, teak or treated wood. Check the listing for the words outdoor, weather-resistant or all-weather, and treat anything else as indoor.
Buy or build
Buy when the stool has a weave or curved back you cannot reproduce, which is the case for most Riviera-style looks. A good set of woven stools is the practical answer for a kitchen island.
Build when the stool is a simple wood design, when you need many identical stools for a bar, or when the surface is outdoors. If you cannot find the style you are picturing, you can request a custom dupe.
Before you order stools
- Measure from the floor to the underside of the counter, then subtract 9 to 12 in for the seat height.
- Count how many stools fit at 24 to 26 in per stool along the overhang.
- Decide on back or backless, based on how you use the island.
- Read the material line: natural rattan, cane, PE rattan or wood.
- Look for a footrest and a stated weight capacity.
A stool that answers those clearly is worth a closer look. One that does not is asking you to guess.
DIYDupe is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any retailer named here. Product names are used only to describe a style.
