A breakfast bar is the perfect spot for the family to gather for informal dining in the kitchen. It can provide a handy spot for reading the paper, talking on the phone, grabbing a snack and - of course - eating breakfast. If you've got space in your kitchen, there may be a variety of places that you can install a breakfast bar and it's an easy project to DIY. But you'll also need to select the right stools to complement your breakfast bar.

What Kinds of Stool are Best?

The answer to this question depends on the type of kitchen you have and the mood that you want to create. For instance, if the main purpose of your breakfast bar is for grabbing a quick bowl of cereal or cup of coffee in the morning, you may find that backless stools suit your needs best, as they allow for quick and easy access. But if you're going to be doing some more heavy-duty sitting at the breakfast bar (maybe using it for wine-tasting parties, for instance), back rests may provide your guests with more support.

You face a similar choice with armrests. If comfort is the most important factor, then arm rests can certainly add something to your breakfast bar stools. But if ease of access is the most important consideration, they'll only get in the way.

If you do opt for a backrest, another choice is whether to get fixed stools or swivel stools. Swivel stools allow ease of access and because they don't need to be pulled out, you're less damage to add wear and tear to your floorboards. But swivel stools can be left at all kinds of angles and easily start looking messy - a problem you won't face if you have fixed stools.

How High Should My Stools Be?

It depends on the height of your breakfast bar, but you need stools that leave enough room for legs to fit comfortably underneath the countertop, without placing you so low that it becomes awkward to eat. For a breakfast bar standing at about 0.9m, try stools of around 0.65m.

What About Colours?

Obviously this depends on your kitchen style and preferences. But breakfast bar stools are a good option for adding a splash of colour to your kitchen, whether through cushions or paint. A bold splash of colour on your stools makes a noticeable but not overwhelming statement in the kitchen.

How Many Stools do I Need?

One for every family member is probably a good idea, but you can get by with one less than that, as someone will often be in the kitchen preparing meals. Although again, the answer to the question depends on when and how you will use the breakfast bar.

Kitchen tables come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - it's a matter of narrowing down your options, rather than searching in vain for something decent. Each type of kitchen table has its own set of advantages and of course you should choose a table to suit your particular space. In this guide we'll cover some of the types of kitchen tables you can consider.

Bistro-Style Table

These are round tables that give your kitchen a European flavour. The bistro-style kitchen table will give your kitchen an informal flavour and is a great place for the family to sit together over breakfast. They come in a variety of materials, although a glass top and metal legs is the most common.  It's a little like having your own café in the kitchen.

Country-Style Table

A big, timber table with plenty of patina and character can make a kitchen come alive. This is the sort of table that you can hang onto for years, and which just gets better with age. A variety of timbers will suit the country style, including oak and pine, and the wide variety of materials used means that country-style kitchen tables are available for all budgets. Try coupling it with a nice Provencal-style tablecloth , some flowers and a rustic chandelier for a complete look.

Breakfast Bar

Running a bar-style table along your workspace is an efficient way to create an informal eating area. These are usually couple with tall stools that the family can sit on while they eat breakfast or a quick dinner. It's great for parents - the kids can sit nearby and chew the fat while you get on with the household tasks at hand. Or vice versa! Breakfast bars work particularly well along kitchen islands.

Breakfast nook

If you've got some extra space off to one side of the kitchen, a breakfast nook can be a cosy and efficient way to create an informal eating area. It's a particularly good idea if you can situate it next to a window overlooking your yard, that catches either the morning or afternoon sun.  The style of your breakfast nook can be modified to suit your kitchen.

Granite Tables

These are great for rustic Italian-style kitchens. They're not cheap, but they're attractive and durable. They act in a similar fashion to your bistro-style tables, except that they add a more formal touch to your kitchen.