Ive been researching for quite a while,,and Houzz photos have been a great resource.

new house with a blank canvas of primarily white walls, black frame doors/windows & blonde timber (oak) floors so would like to stick to this palette for the big items (though will introduce pops of colour with smaller decor items)... going for a scandi inspired contemporary look... and kitchen next to open plan dining is black, white & grey, haven't bought stools yet but will probably get timber ones

It might be worth while to consider the rest of the space also. Your breakfast bar/kitchen is located quiet closely to your dining table so depending on your kitchen space (apologies, I can't see too much of your kitchen from the photo) you might want to think about the overall style you want to achieve for you entire open plan space, and select pendants that would work for both your kitchen and dining. This is a project I worked on recently that shows how two different types of pendants can work harmoniously in the one space that is most similar to your kitchen and dining set up. Keep us posted on what you decide!

We finished our antique island bench, which was originally the haberdashery counter from David Jones in Newcastle, with a burnishing oil. The surface proudly bears the markers of it's history as the timber was too soft and thin to strip back any further than we have, but the burnishing process has protected it from every day wear and tear including water spills and the rough and tumble that our four boys dish out to every piece of furniture in the house, it also gives it a beautiful shine. We have finished our dining room table the same way. Kitchen dresser and the sides of the island bench that don't get the same use are finished with beeswax.