Kitchen Design
New This Week: 4 Breakfast Nooks Sure to Wake You Up
Comfy seating and eye-opening color make these spaces ideal for the most important meal of the day
We all know that if you start your day off on the right foot, the rest will likely fall into place. A sunny, cheerful breakfast nook is a great way to hedge your bets. Here, four dedicated breakfast spots show how you can kick-start your morning no matter what your style.
2. Comfy Craftsman
Designers: Kathryn Rogers of Sogno Design Group (architect) and Leslie Harris-Keane (interior decorator)
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 80¾ square feet (7.5 square meters); 8½ by 9½ feet (2.5 by 2.8 meters)
Homeowners’ request: A comfortable space for sitting, drinking coffee and enjoying the view of the backyard. This is a connector space between the kitchen and living room.
Special features: Painted geometric wood wall paneling. Deep, custom built-in bench with sloped back and thick cushion. Custom wood table with cast iron base. Horseshoe-back wooden chairs. Ceiling detail. Oak flooring.
Designer secret: “The biggest design feature that makes this space so comfortable is the solid wall behind the bench,” architect Kathryn Rogers says. “This balances the fact that the space is so open on the other three sides. It makes one feel anchored and relaxed while having a great view.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “There was a lot of discussion about having an interior window to the stairway on the wall behind the bench,” Rogers says. “The owners didn’t agree on whether they wanted this. Luckily, it was too difficult to achieve structurally, so it was not included. I feel this really helped the space feel cozy and more private from the entry hall. I think the space can feel like a little bit of a hideout as well, since it is tucked behind the doorways.”
Almost Infinity pendant light: Hubbardton Forge; cast iron table base and wooden chairs: Big Daddy Antiques; banquette cushion fabric: Perennials; custom pillow fabric: Duralee and Quadrille
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Designers: Kathryn Rogers of Sogno Design Group (architect) and Leslie Harris-Keane (interior decorator)
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 80¾ square feet (7.5 square meters); 8½ by 9½ feet (2.5 by 2.8 meters)
Homeowners’ request: A comfortable space for sitting, drinking coffee and enjoying the view of the backyard. This is a connector space between the kitchen and living room.
Special features: Painted geometric wood wall paneling. Deep, custom built-in bench with sloped back and thick cushion. Custom wood table with cast iron base. Horseshoe-back wooden chairs. Ceiling detail. Oak flooring.
Designer secret: “The biggest design feature that makes this space so comfortable is the solid wall behind the bench,” architect Kathryn Rogers says. “This balances the fact that the space is so open on the other three sides. It makes one feel anchored and relaxed while having a great view.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “There was a lot of discussion about having an interior window to the stairway on the wall behind the bench,” Rogers says. “The owners didn’t agree on whether they wanted this. Luckily, it was too difficult to achieve structurally, so it was not included. I feel this really helped the space feel cozy and more private from the entry hall. I think the space can feel like a little bit of a hideout as well, since it is tucked behind the doorways.”
Almost Infinity pendant light: Hubbardton Forge; cast iron table base and wooden chairs: Big Daddy Antiques; banquette cushion fabric: Perennials; custom pillow fabric: Duralee and Quadrille
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3. Cool Contempoary
Designer: Liz Tiesi of threshold interiors
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 21 square feet (1.9 square meters); 7 by 3 feet (2.1 by 0.9 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Turn an empty cutout between the kitchen and living room into a dining nook.
Special features: Whimsical wallpaper (Queen of Spain by Schumacher). Banquette with storage beneath. Vintage dining chairs. Basketweave fabric by Ralph Lauren on the backs of the pillows. Faux-leather bench cushion.
Designer secret: “I think the wallpaper really adds a wow factor to the area,” designer Liz Tiesi says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “The faux leather we picked for the seat cushion had been discontinued, so we had to find something new,” Tiesi says. “I often feel that these things are meant to be, because we ended up liking our new leather selection even better than the first.”
Tulip table: Design Within Reach
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Designer: Liz Tiesi of threshold interiors
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 21 square feet (1.9 square meters); 7 by 3 feet (2.1 by 0.9 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Turn an empty cutout between the kitchen and living room into a dining nook.
Special features: Whimsical wallpaper (Queen of Spain by Schumacher). Banquette with storage beneath. Vintage dining chairs. Basketweave fabric by Ralph Lauren on the backs of the pillows. Faux-leather bench cushion.
Designer secret: “I think the wallpaper really adds a wow factor to the area,” designer Liz Tiesi says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “The faux leather we picked for the seat cushion had been discontinued, so we had to find something new,” Tiesi says. “I often feel that these things are meant to be, because we ended up liking our new leather selection even better than the first.”
Tulip table: Design Within Reach
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4. Sunny Traditional
Designer: Ann Brown
Location: San Francisco
Homeowners’ request: A large, open kitchen where friends and family could gather to prepare and enjoy home-cooked meals. “The original floor plan was small, with a large butler’s pantry adjacent to it,” designer Ann Brown says. “I removed the wall between the pantry and the kitchen and added a bumped-out bay window to create a space to build in a banquette and custom table.”
Special features: Custom table made from bird’s-eye maple. Custom painted blue ceiling. Custom cabinetry. Stained oak wood floor with 4-inch checkerboard border painted around the perimeter (“to highlight and unite the nook to the work area,” Brown says).
Custom cabinetry: Nob Hill Construction; Gustavian swivel counter stools: Charles Pollack; Atlas Regatta fabric on banquette and Diva Butter trim: Cortina Leathers; microwave and wall oven: Thermador; countertops: Brazilian blue marble slabs; Filtered Sunlight wall paint and Cloud White trim paint: Benjamin Moore; checkerboard floor border painter: Sistine Chapel Decorative Art; Beaucaire fabric for Roman shades: Cowtan & Tout, fabricated by Magnolia Lane; custom table: designed by Ann Brown, made by Thomas Fetherston Custom Furniture Design
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More
19 Ways to Create a Cozy Breakfast Nook
10 Rise-and-Shine Color Combos for Breakfast Nooks
More Resources on Houzz
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Search photos
Get advice
Browse products
Designer: Ann Brown
Location: San Francisco
Homeowners’ request: A large, open kitchen where friends and family could gather to prepare and enjoy home-cooked meals. “The original floor plan was small, with a large butler’s pantry adjacent to it,” designer Ann Brown says. “I removed the wall between the pantry and the kitchen and added a bumped-out bay window to create a space to build in a banquette and custom table.”
Special features: Custom table made from bird’s-eye maple. Custom painted blue ceiling. Custom cabinetry. Stained oak wood floor with 4-inch checkerboard border painted around the perimeter (“to highlight and unite the nook to the work area,” Brown says).
Custom cabinetry: Nob Hill Construction; Gustavian swivel counter stools: Charles Pollack; Atlas Regatta fabric on banquette and Diva Butter trim: Cortina Leathers; microwave and wall oven: Thermador; countertops: Brazilian blue marble slabs; Filtered Sunlight wall paint and Cloud White trim paint: Benjamin Moore; checkerboard floor border painter: Sistine Chapel Decorative Art; Beaucaire fabric for Roman shades: Cowtan & Tout, fabricated by Magnolia Lane; custom table: designed by Ann Brown, made by Thomas Fetherston Custom Furniture Design
See more of this home
More
19 Ways to Create a Cozy Breakfast Nook
10 Rise-and-Shine Color Combos for Breakfast Nooks
More Resources on Houzz
Find a pro
Search photos
Get advice
Browse products
1. Warm and Modern
Designers: Curtis Popp and Dustin Littrell of Popp Littrell Architecture + Interiors
Location: Sacramento, California
Size: 225 square feet (20.9 square meters); 15 by 15 feet (4.5 by 4.5 meters)
Homeowners’ request: A multipurpose space for casual dining, homework and arts and crafts.
Special features: Custom mahogany banquette. Striped, patterned fabric (Alpine Stripe in Marmot by Maharam). Built-in storage on either end of banquette.
Designer secret: “The scale and the warmth of the wood and fabric make it,” designer Curtis Popp says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “I think there was always concern from the homeowners about the size of the table and how it related to the banquette,” Popp says. “To convince them that a 60-inch round table would work, I borrowed my own 5-foot table and brought it to the house once the banquette was installed to show them it was the right size.”
Ball light, wall-mounted in black patinated stainless steel: Michael Anastassiades
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