7 Beautiful New Breakfast Nooks
See how designers used inviting details to create welcoming dining spots full of comfort and style
Mitchell Parker
March 18, 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then the place where you eat breakfast should have some importance, right? And nothing can quite top the dedicated breakfast nook. These informal dining spots are typically carved out in the corner of a kitchen, have comfortable seating for those just-woken-up family members and often enjoy a pleasing view worthy of that first sip of coffee. If you’re looking for a knockout nook, consider these seven inspiring setups.
1. Nice Niche
Designer: Emily Posey of Baker Posey Design
Location: Annville, Pennsylvania
Size: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters); 6½ by 8 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This particular space was part of a kitchen addition, and while the home includes a large formal dining space, this space serves as the comfortable, casual, everyday and intimate dining space within the kitchen,” says designer Emily Posey, whose client found her through Houzz. “This space added to the character and detail needed in the home.”
Special features. Custom oak table and bench surrounds. “As this is a small breakfast space, it is innately intimate, but the oak wood lintel and posts at its entry create a natural sense of intimacy and delineation of use,” Posey says. “It also has a lower ceiling than the adjacent vaulted ceiling. The windows that surround almost the whole table keep the space feeling light-filled and inspiring.”
Designer tip. “Built-in benches for dining are an instant space saver, add character and can add additional storage,” Posey says. “They also provide an opportunity for pillows, which can add color and texture and which can affordably be switched out to refresh or update.”
Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore
Find a kitchen designer near you
Designer: Emily Posey of Baker Posey Design
Location: Annville, Pennsylvania
Size: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters); 6½ by 8 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This particular space was part of a kitchen addition, and while the home includes a large formal dining space, this space serves as the comfortable, casual, everyday and intimate dining space within the kitchen,” says designer Emily Posey, whose client found her through Houzz. “This space added to the character and detail needed in the home.”
Special features. Custom oak table and bench surrounds. “As this is a small breakfast space, it is innately intimate, but the oak wood lintel and posts at its entry create a natural sense of intimacy and delineation of use,” Posey says. “It also has a lower ceiling than the adjacent vaulted ceiling. The windows that surround almost the whole table keep the space feeling light-filled and inspiring.”
Designer tip. “Built-in benches for dining are an instant space saver, add character and can add additional storage,” Posey says. “They also provide an opportunity for pillows, which can add color and texture and which can affordably be switched out to refresh or update.”
Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore
Find a kitchen designer near you
2. Creative Corner
Designer: Allison Crawford Design
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a comfortable space to have family dinners and to host guests,” designer Allison Crawford says. “They also wanted the space to be unique and stylish. This dining area is right next to the front door of the home, meaning a traditional table and chairs would look unanchored in the space. Instead, we added built-ins to ground it and accommodate more people.”
Crawford uses Houzz Pro to manage her design projects and calls it a game changer. “Houzz Pro helps us organize our products, create mood boards for each room and manage invoicing and budgeting for our clients,” she says.
Special features. Custom wall paint by local artist Jeremy Earhart. Cubist chandelier by designer Kelly Wearstler. Eero Saarinen for Knoll executive chairs. Knoll Saarinen oval dining table. Oaxacan black vase sourced in Mexico City. “We designed and installed channeled velvet benches to accommodate the whole family and commissioned custom paint for the walls to tie in with their stunning art collection in the rest of the house,” Crawford says. “We chose the white Eero Saarinen executive chairs to emphasize the paint tones and keep the look clean.”
Designer tip. “Incorporate the aesthetics of art in the rest of the home into every room to add a subtle cohesiveness,” Crawford says. “This home has a lot of sculptural works with smooth, curved lines.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We had a vintage coffee table lacquered and shipped from a dealer in Dallas during the summer,” Crawford says. “When it arrived, the lacquer had cracked due to the extreme heat of a Texas summer and we thought we were going to have to scrap it. Luckily the dealer worked with us to find a local painter to repair the damage. Crisis averted, but we always double-check climate control for shipments now, no matter where in the world we are designing.”
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Designer: Allison Crawford Design
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a comfortable space to have family dinners and to host guests,” designer Allison Crawford says. “They also wanted the space to be unique and stylish. This dining area is right next to the front door of the home, meaning a traditional table and chairs would look unanchored in the space. Instead, we added built-ins to ground it and accommodate more people.”
Crawford uses Houzz Pro to manage her design projects and calls it a game changer. “Houzz Pro helps us organize our products, create mood boards for each room and manage invoicing and budgeting for our clients,” she says.
Special features. Custom wall paint by local artist Jeremy Earhart. Cubist chandelier by designer Kelly Wearstler. Eero Saarinen for Knoll executive chairs. Knoll Saarinen oval dining table. Oaxacan black vase sourced in Mexico City. “We designed and installed channeled velvet benches to accommodate the whole family and commissioned custom paint for the walls to tie in with their stunning art collection in the rest of the house,” Crawford says. “We chose the white Eero Saarinen executive chairs to emphasize the paint tones and keep the look clean.”
Designer tip. “Incorporate the aesthetics of art in the rest of the home into every room to add a subtle cohesiveness,” Crawford says. “This home has a lot of sculptural works with smooth, curved lines.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We had a vintage coffee table lacquered and shipped from a dealer in Dallas during the summer,” Crawford says. “When it arrived, the lacquer had cracked due to the extreme heat of a Texas summer and we thought we were going to have to scrap it. Luckily the dealer worked with us to find a local painter to repair the damage. Crisis averted, but we always double-check climate control for shipments now, no matter where in the world we are designing.”
Shop for dining chairs
3. High-Backed Hangout
Designer: Madison Lussier of Madison Nicole Design
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 135 square feet (13 square meters); 9 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The home is a small bungalow just a short walk from the beach,” designer Madison Lussier says. “The entire family, including four kids and their significant others, grandkids and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins, all come to vacation in the small beach town near Santa Barbara the same week every year. They wanted to be able to fit as many people in the space at once for big family meals and time together. We actually ended up removing a bedroom and increasing the footprint of the kitchen to accommodate this casual eating area. They were short on storage, so we did a bench seat with drawers so that no space was left unused.”
Special features. “I think the biggest statement in the area is the custom back cushion,” Lussier says. “We knew pillows would be tossed on the floor and that we didn’t have any space to spare to create a framed-in back. We worked with Twist Custom to create this beautiful and slim back cushion, which hangs from the wall. We used Walter G textiles for a bit of pattern and in a colorway that matched the Benjamin Moore Narragansett Green cabinets perfectly. We used a vegan leather — a super easy-to-clean vinyl that looks like leather — on the seat cushion to allow people to slide in easily.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Although the space looks effortless, it was completed during the first few months of the pandemic, which posed its own challenges,” Lussier says. “Labor shortages meant that there were people installing the semicustom cabinetry that weren’t usually doing it, and despite careful planning, mistakes were still made and it all had to be redone when the seat height ended up far too low for the table. Things like that happen, but given the circumstances and everything going on in the world, it felt exponentially more stressful for everyone involved. All worth it in the end, though.”
Designer: Madison Lussier of Madison Nicole Design
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 135 square feet (13 square meters); 9 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The home is a small bungalow just a short walk from the beach,” designer Madison Lussier says. “The entire family, including four kids and their significant others, grandkids and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins, all come to vacation in the small beach town near Santa Barbara the same week every year. They wanted to be able to fit as many people in the space at once for big family meals and time together. We actually ended up removing a bedroom and increasing the footprint of the kitchen to accommodate this casual eating area. They were short on storage, so we did a bench seat with drawers so that no space was left unused.”
Special features. “I think the biggest statement in the area is the custom back cushion,” Lussier says. “We knew pillows would be tossed on the floor and that we didn’t have any space to spare to create a framed-in back. We worked with Twist Custom to create this beautiful and slim back cushion, which hangs from the wall. We used Walter G textiles for a bit of pattern and in a colorway that matched the Benjamin Moore Narragansett Green cabinets perfectly. We used a vegan leather — a super easy-to-clean vinyl that looks like leather — on the seat cushion to allow people to slide in easily.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Although the space looks effortless, it was completed during the first few months of the pandemic, which posed its own challenges,” Lussier says. “Labor shortages meant that there were people installing the semicustom cabinetry that weren’t usually doing it, and despite careful planning, mistakes were still made and it all had to be redone when the seat height ended up far too low for the table. Things like that happen, but given the circumstances and everything going on in the world, it felt exponentially more stressful for everyone involved. All worth it in the end, though.”
4. Slim Sanctuary
Designers: Ross Levy and Frances Weiss of Levy Art + Architecture
Location: San Francisco
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters); 11 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This is a new build on a narrow city lot,” architect Ross Levy says. “The nook is adjacent to the kitchen and dining bar, so we needed to accommodate several different dining modes and bar service in this narrow space. We did this with a built-in banquette along the wall, specifying a narrow table and carefully proportioning the dining bar and knee space.”
Special features. “The hexagonal piece above the banquette is a Bose Sound Wall,” Levy says. “In addition to providing superior sound quality, it has a unique pattern and color palette and stretches the apparent surface with its irregular shape. The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors are from Sky-Frame and help to make the space feel and live larger than it is. They are platinum in color, sometimes standing out, other times disappearing.”
The flooring is wire-brushed French oak.
Designer tip. “Unify functions to get more than one use out of each element,” Levy says. “This allows us to simplify, reduce the number of pieces, preserve flow and sense of space.”
Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
50 Tiny Kitchens Full of Big Ideas
Designers: Ross Levy and Frances Weiss of Levy Art + Architecture
Location: San Francisco
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters); 11 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This is a new build on a narrow city lot,” architect Ross Levy says. “The nook is adjacent to the kitchen and dining bar, so we needed to accommodate several different dining modes and bar service in this narrow space. We did this with a built-in banquette along the wall, specifying a narrow table and carefully proportioning the dining bar and knee space.”
Special features. “The hexagonal piece above the banquette is a Bose Sound Wall,” Levy says. “In addition to providing superior sound quality, it has a unique pattern and color palette and stretches the apparent surface with its irregular shape. The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors are from Sky-Frame and help to make the space feel and live larger than it is. They are platinum in color, sometimes standing out, other times disappearing.”
The flooring is wire-brushed French oak.
Designer tip. “Unify functions to get more than one use out of each element,” Levy says. “This allows us to simplify, reduce the number of pieces, preserve flow and sense of space.”
Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
50 Tiny Kitchens Full of Big Ideas
5. Nifty Nook
Designers: Meredith Owen Interiors and Hatch + Ulland Owen Architects
Builder: Nalle Custom Homes
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 54 square feet (5 square meters); 6 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This breakfast nook was designed for a busy family that enjoys entertaining and working in their kitchen area,” designer Meredith Owen says. “This place offered a cozy spot for both dinners and virtual meetings to be conducted while maintaining a close proximity to the action happening in the kitchen.”
Special features. Dark charcoal stain-resistant cushions. Cane chairs. A thin cage light fixture with a low profile that doesn’t obstruct the views. “Pops of rust and gold custom pillows were designed to warm up the space,” Owen says.
Designer tip. “Use an indoor-outdoor fabric for fabrics close to an eating area so they can be easily cleaned when spills occur,” Owen says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Accommodating a good bench height for families with different age ranges is always a challenge when designing a built-in bench,” Owen says. “Using different foam thicknesses can help to make a big difference in the seat height. We used a firmer cushion at first to accommodate the younger children in the home, but once the adults were using the bench more, we changed them out to a softer foam to decrease the seat height for them.”
Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
Designers: Meredith Owen Interiors and Hatch + Ulland Owen Architects
Builder: Nalle Custom Homes
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 54 square feet (5 square meters); 6 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This breakfast nook was designed for a busy family that enjoys entertaining and working in their kitchen area,” designer Meredith Owen says. “This place offered a cozy spot for both dinners and virtual meetings to be conducted while maintaining a close proximity to the action happening in the kitchen.”
Special features. Dark charcoal stain-resistant cushions. Cane chairs. A thin cage light fixture with a low profile that doesn’t obstruct the views. “Pops of rust and gold custom pillows were designed to warm up the space,” Owen says.
Designer tip. “Use an indoor-outdoor fabric for fabrics close to an eating area so they can be easily cleaned when spills occur,” Owen says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Accommodating a good bench height for families with different age ranges is always a challenge when designing a built-in bench,” Owen says. “Using different foam thicknesses can help to make a big difference in the seat height. We used a firmer cushion at first to accommodate the younger children in the home, but once the adults were using the bench more, we changed them out to a softer foam to decrease the seat height for them.”
Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
6. Modular Moment
Designers: Hiromi Ogawa and Lynn Fisher of Ogawa Fisher Architects
Location: Palo Alto, California
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 9 by 12 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a light-filled, flexible space that can feel intimate every day but also accommodate the occasional dinner party,” architect Hiromi Ogawa says.
Special features. “We designed custom modular walnut benches that can be moved and reconfigured as a corner banquette or as a long sitting area along the windows for an alternate arrangement,” Ogawa says.
Designer tip. “Alignment of materials and corners are key,” Ogawa says. “This really simplifies the lines to create a serene environment.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We wanted the arrangement of the Muuto E27 pendants to feel artistic, deliberate but seemingly random,” Ogawa says. “Designing the layout was challenging; implementing the design in the field was even more so. I am eternally grateful for our contractor for being so incredibly patient with us.”
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Designers: Hiromi Ogawa and Lynn Fisher of Ogawa Fisher Architects
Location: Palo Alto, California
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 9 by 12 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a light-filled, flexible space that can feel intimate every day but also accommodate the occasional dinner party,” architect Hiromi Ogawa says.
Special features. “We designed custom modular walnut benches that can be moved and reconfigured as a corner banquette or as a long sitting area along the windows for an alternate arrangement,” Ogawa says.
Designer tip. “Alignment of materials and corners are key,” Ogawa says. “This really simplifies the lines to create a serene environment.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We wanted the arrangement of the Muuto E27 pendants to feel artistic, deliberate but seemingly random,” Ogawa says. “Designing the layout was challenging; implementing the design in the field was even more so. I am eternally grateful for our contractor for being so incredibly patient with us.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
7. Durable Destination
Designer: Kelly McGuill Home
Builder: Foley Custom Builders
Location: Concord, Massachusetts
Size: 54 square feet (5 square meters); 6 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “Our clients are a family of five — two young working parents and three kids,” designer Kelly McGuill says. “We were tasked with an overall house renovation as well as making this nook area functional for all of them. When we met with our clients, this area was used only for the kids — a small kids’ table and kids’ chairs. We felt that we could incorporate so much more beauty and function here. It’s a pass-through to the family room as well and we knew it needed to be a wow.”
Special features. Custom bench. Performance fabric cushions and pillows. Custom table. Large pendant with white shade. “We used Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White on the entire first floor,” McGuill says. “This created a flow and made the space feel bigger and brighter. Everything we used was kid-friendly. The custom table has an incredible finish on it, which allows for spills and messes. The fabrics used throughout are performance, which are resistant to staining and fading. All so good in a space that has kids, food and drinks.”
More on Houzz
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Shop for your home
Designer: Kelly McGuill Home
Builder: Foley Custom Builders
Location: Concord, Massachusetts
Size: 54 square feet (5 square meters); 6 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “Our clients are a family of five — two young working parents and three kids,” designer Kelly McGuill says. “We were tasked with an overall house renovation as well as making this nook area functional for all of them. When we met with our clients, this area was used only for the kids — a small kids’ table and kids’ chairs. We felt that we could incorporate so much more beauty and function here. It’s a pass-through to the family room as well and we knew it needed to be a wow.”
Special features. Custom bench. Performance fabric cushions and pillows. Custom table. Large pendant with white shade. “We used Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White on the entire first floor,” McGuill says. “This created a flow and made the space feel bigger and brighter. Everything we used was kid-friendly. The custom table has an incredible finish on it, which allows for spills and messes. The fabrics used throughout are performance, which are resistant to staining and fading. All so good in a space that has kids, food and drinks.”
More on Houzz
8 Trends in New Home Design Products for 2022
40 Home Design Trends That Will Shape 2022
Browse thousands of home design photos
Find a pro
Shop for your home
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It's clear that #1 is the most popular. I would live in that room. I think the idea of a nook is just that, it's meant to be a part of the kitchen but separate. If you look at old houses #1 is usually what they built. Because most of us don't have that, #5 and #7 are the more practical alternative.
@lori rissetto Your sunroom nook looks fantastic and functional. Love the stool at the end I might need to borrow this idea from you for the one I'm designing for our rural reno.
Thank you Erica, we love and use it constantly. I intentionally added a narrow table (22”wide x 72”long) so that it wouldn’t occupy too much floor space, yet we can comfortably seat 7 at the table using the stools on the end caps, also note; we mounted the table legs in 12” so that there would be legroom for those seats.