NOSTRA NOTES: THE DINING STOOL

Dine in high style. The traditional dining stool, also known as a bar stool, is perfect for giving your meals area a little lift. Today’s Nostra Notes series focuses on why you should invest in a dining stool and allow your guests or family keep you company so you don't miss out on any news while you're chopping the vegetables.

Versatile and convenient, a dining stool is the perfect solution for turning your kitchen bench into a communal dining area. Whether you'd like the added flexibility of a breakfast bar, you live in a space-challenged home that lacks room for a dining suite, or you want some extra seating on hand, kitchen stools can be used in a number of areas in your home.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking outside the box:

- In the bathroom, as a side table for toiletries or towels next to your bath.

- In the bedroom, a stool can be repurposed to become a portable side table.

- In the hallway, pop a dish on your stool and put all your keys, mail and other bits and pieces in it.

Practicality is one aspect that needs to be thought of – how are you going to use the stool? The kitchen is often the hub of the home with the island being used for food preparation and eating, along with homework, working on a laptop or just sitting around chatting while food is being prepped. If your stools are going to get a lot of use then you might want to consider something with a footrest and padded seat for extra comfort.

The size of the stool is paramount – measure your space before you invest. Typically you need 20 – 25cm between the height of the seat of the stool and the height of the island bench (which is typically 90cm). If the benchtop is thicker, say 40mm, then you need to take this into account as well.

Available in a myriad of materials and styles, dining stools don’t have to match your dining set. A contrast of black wood against a white island bench is timeless, or you can use the opportunity to introduce exotic materials like steel or leather. A real must-have in every home, dining stools are a functional and a stylish addition to any room. Visit our display homes to get a feel for how the humble stool can be used in your home!