Built-in Breakfast Nook Ideas

A built-in breakfast nook is a small space where a couple or family gather off of or near the kitchen to enjoy breakfast and light meals. Homeowners tend to build a breakfast nook into an offset area with windows. Outfit your built-in breakfast nook with unique furnishings and accessories to fit your family's decorating and dining tastes. Does this Spark an idea?

Square or Rectangular Banquette

If you have a larger space, design the breakfast nook with a full-size table and bench seating. Fit three edges of the table with long benches and leave the edge of the table nearest the kitchen area without seating. Orient the nook in an area with large windows, ideally facing east, for morning light to pour through. Outfit the benches with cushions and pillows for a softer, relaxing feel. Construct drawers under the seating area for storage.

Curved Banquette

Consider building a breakfast nook as a semi-circle. Design a wide seating area with an open, c-shaped bench surrounding a table. Think about using a round or oval glass table. Add a few extra chairs for joining guests. Add pillows to the bench seating for comfort and fresh flowers on the table for a bright look. Consider adding freestanding shelves in the nook area to show off collected objects from your travels, collectibles or photographs.

Breakfast Nook for Book Lovers

Adorn the nook with bookshelves. Mix and match a brand new table with antique shelving. Fit the shelves with books to read and books you've read. The shelves will add color and height to the nook. Add a chalkboard or dry-erase board so those sitting at the table can write notes, ideas or lists from their seats. If you have a household of readers, think about creating a book check-out list so you know who is reading which books and when they will return them to the nook space.

Living Space

Make the built-in breakfast nook a living space. Keep a calendar, a bulletin board and a chalkboard on the wall for organizing agendas and schedules. Add drawers under the bench or seating area to store dry goods and other kitchen items. If you have a busy household, use clay or porcelain tiling to protect the table and floors from potential stains. Make sure to equip the nook with a bright light for reading and seeing the foods and drinks on the table. Consider a dangling light, like three lights made with braided wire, to illuminate the table. Install a dimmer switch to lower the lights in the evening.