You'll remember in our search for our dining table and chairs MOH was keen to have a bench seat as part of our purchase. That didn't quite happen, but his reason behind it - apart from liking the look - was flexibility. And he had a point, but we opted for six chairs to go with our white glass table in a mix of colours - and we forewent the flexiblity.

Until recently that is, when Cult Furniture offered me two of their Grey Hatton Wooden Low Stools to give us that extra flexibility, in a most stylish way. I chose the Dark Grey finish, as these will work with our decor throughout the house, not just our downstairs - as while they're not in dining use, they'll be used in our conservatory and my craft room.

Adding stools from Cult Furniture to our dining room furniture

Although they work well without the table extended, and give a similar feel a bench would have done. I think they give more flexibility than a bench, as when the table is extended it makes sense to have the stools at either end of the table, like this:

With the table extended the stools are better at each end

It also means that dining for eight has become a much more stylish option.

A table for eight with stools by Cult Furniture

I like clean simple lines and these have that, and match well with our existing chairs. They're the same height too at 45cm, so no one will need to feel like they're on the "make do" seating option - in fact these are as far from "make do" as I think you can get! They're very tactile, made of rubberwood and also come in a black and walnut finish, and if you're after a higher stool, there's also a 72cm option.

A closer look at one of the stools by Cult Furniture

The curved seat also means they're comfortable - surprisingly so - but that's just what you want isn't it?

Give me some cook books, a notebook, a to do list and washi tape and I'd be happy to sit here and plan away. I'm glad they're comfortable as one will have a longer-term home in my craft room (or the study, as MOH is still insisting on making a part-claim) which means when it's not being used, it'll fit nicely under the desk making the most of the space available.

Sitting down to with a notebook and cookbooks to make a plan

Once I've got that craft-room-cum-study slightly more presentable I'll show you how it works up there too. But that's for another day.

The stools (from Cult Furniture) provide more flexibility than a bench would

I'm really pleased with these stools, and the flexibility they'll give us and I've been impressed with Cult Furniture too. One of the stools I received was damaged in transit and often you can tell a lot about a company by their customer service. I sent photos of the damaged box and stool and a replacement was quickly sent, but this time using a different carrier - and with better results. I don't think you can ask for more than that.

What do you think? And how do you cope with additional people for dinner?

* This is a collaborative post, and I received these stools for the purposes of this review, however all views and opinions are my own.