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Seating in breakfast nook?

13 years ago

We are still finalizing our plans with the Kitchen Designer and are having difficulty deciding on seating.

We currently have a breakfast nook with the traditional three angled walls each with a window. The center wall and its window are larger than the two sides. The nook currently holds a 40" wide round table with 4 chairs as we have an angeled breakfast bar (penisula off a fixed wall)across from the nook. The new layout does away with the breakfast bar completely to allow for better traffic flow in and out of the kitchen and into the adjoining family room. We are considering built-in seating in the nook and using an expandable rectangular table. The table unextended would fit length-ways across the nook for everyday use but if we have a larger crowd, we would turn it perpendicular so that we can put in the leaves, add chairs and seat more people. This would extend out to where the breakfast bar currently is and may disrupt the traffic flow somewhat. Does anyone have a similar seating arrangement in a nook or any better ideas? Pictures would be great! At its widest points, the nook measures 50" x 92" but with the angled walls has less space as you move toward the windows.

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Comments (6)

plllog
13 years ago
A lot would depend on the proportions, which are hard to tell without a layout, but I think an octagonal table would be better. You can also put leaves in that, but you wouldn't have to rotate it. Or you could get a large, round gateleg table and keep the part that sticks out in the folded position. I think a table that fills the space would be a lot better than one that's too close to the side sitters and too far from the back sitters.
formerlyflorantha
13 years ago
I'd consider benches instead of banquettes, if you're going to do flexible things with the space. I grew up with a long table and two benches, plus chairs on the ends. As they say, you can always add one more sitter when you have a bench, esp kids. You can also take them out and add in chairs if situation changes. (Only problem with ours was that Dad designed them with the bench legs too far in from the end of the benches, so that if there was a lone sitter, she had to either sit well in from the end or hazard the possibility of being suddenly thrown downward while the opposite end of the bench headed for the ceiling.) Two short benches per side of a long table would have been better than one long bench, though--old people can't swing their legs over a bench and long benches are a pain when cleaning up--moving 'em for sweeping, etc. But they're very efficient seating.
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Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. I am so impressed with all you ability to use software to draw plans. I wish I knew how to do that. Let me address your points: The range and fridge size is a placeholder as I am still deciding between 36 & 48. I too would love bigger windows but I think there will be plenty of light in the kitchen with the bay windows looking out to south side. I think moving pantry door to either the passage or make it recessed is great and I toyed with it towards the passage to DR but I liked an idea I saw on houzz: https://www.houzz.com/photos/farinelli-construction-inc-traditional-kitchen-phvw-vp~622304 with that chalkboard that I really liked. I was hoping to have something like that. My reasoning for fridge- pantry- bar in that order was due to the need for pantry to be closer to cooking space. If I put it to end, I feel it is much out of the way. Moreover, I can use the island as landing place to put grocery that need to be put in fridge. In addition, there will be a beverage refrigerator in the bar area and if someone needs a drink, they can get that without blocking the flow of the cooking area (with range, prep sink, fridge and pantry all being very accessible).
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User
13 years ago
If the proportions of the nook are appropriate, how about building in only a window seat across the long center window? That could work with a round table or a rectangular one in either direction. The seats (chairs/benches) on the sides would not be at a fixed distance apart and could be changed with the table.
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13 years ago
(florantha, your see-saw bench sounds like a home-made table leaf that my husband's family used thirty years ago and still tells stories about. My father-in-law is in the process of making us a new leaf for the very same table, this time being sure to add the pegs to hold it in place.)
formerlyflorantha
13 years ago
ot: mnerg, that's hysterical! Glad to hear other families have wonderful nutty memories

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13 years ago
ot: florantha--yes, plenty of nutty memories here too.

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