8 Inventive Takes on the Breakfast Bar

From simple wood slabs to sleekly sculpted shapes, breakfast bars expand eating, working and prep space in the kitchen

Lisa FrederickJune 23, 2012

Houzz Contributor. After journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.

Despite its name, a breakfast bar isn't just a spot for a morning latte and a bowl of oatmeal. This handy feature, which can be as simple or ornate as your kitchen is, fulfills multiple roles: a cocktail party buffet, a kids' homework station, extra dinner party seating and more. Here are eight great approaches to consider.

Jodi Feinhor-Dennis

Most breakfast bars sit higher than the kitchen countertops, but this one takes the opposite tack. Diners can sip a drink or nibble hors d'oeuvres at a comfortable height, yet still have a great view of the cooking action.

User

This breakfast bar, designed along the same lines, provides the feel of a demilune table. Like the one in the previous photo, it's dropped low enough to accommodate standard chairs rather than stools.

User

The rear of this half-wall could easily have languished as wasted space. Thankfully, someone saw an opportunity and put it to work with a simple bracketed strip of wood that creates the perfect spot for perching with coffee or cocktails.

A slim breakfast bar runs the perimeter of this screened-in porch — an ingenious way to maximize space and keep the focus on those amazing views.

Mc Adam Kitchens

This circular breakfast bar has several things going for it. Not only does it allow for easier conversation than a traditional side-by-side seating arrangement, but it also has the feel of a table. A dropped cabinet separates it from the work surface without putting too much distance between the two.

Hufft

Extending this countertop serves a dual purpose: It opens plenty of space to tuck in stools, and it also expands the work area when no one's eating.

Vanillawood

Even the tiniest bit of extra counter space can work as a breakfast bar. This slight overhang provides just enough room to slide in a pair of stools at right angles to each other.

Kaplan Thompson Architects

This lovely vignette proves that a breakfast bar doesn't need to be complicated. A simple plank and a pair of stools are all that's required to create a space for intimate dining with a front-row seat for neighborhood street life.

More:
20 Favorite Modern Bar and Counter Stools
Kitchen Layouts: Island or Peninsula?