In The Design Studio: Breakfast Nooks and Cozy Kitchen Seating

This is a sponsored post by Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio and an award-winning, certified kitchen and bathroom designer. AKG Design Studio is a boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales. Contact Anna at 571-989-2541 or [email protected], and follow her work on Houzz; Pinterest; Facebook and Twitter.

Based on many favorite tv design shows, one would think everyone is going to the open kitchen design plans with island seating. After doing many kitchen design consults, I know island seating is not for everyone. The sometimes forgotten breakfast nook is ideal for families who would like a space for light meals. The appeal to a breakfast nook or cozy kitchen seating is that it has less of a barroom feel.

Although there are several scenarios of when a kitchen nook is an excellent choice, one of the best times to add cozy kitchen space is in an older home. Older homes many times have an unused breakfast area that is too small for a kitchen table. Additionally, many kitchens in older homes have windows that make it challenging to add cabinets without losing the kitchens natural sunlight. So, instead of losing space and light in the kitchen, a breakfast nook could be the perfect solution.

The great thing about kitchen nooks is that they can add storage space. Since most of them are are custom built to fit your space; they can be made with storage in the bottom portion of the nook’s seating. Another option is buying ready-made chairs and benches with storage space.

Of course, as a homeowner, getting the most out of space with or without extra storage will be essential, so follow the flow of the area when having your nook designed. Depending on the shape of your kitchen your nook can be curved, L-Shaped, U-Shaped, or parallel. The key is to make sure it has enough space for people to sit and stand from it easily.

Another thing to consider when having a cozy kitchen space designed is whether or not the nook will transition into another room or be the separation space between the kitchen and another room.

Although, having a nook that is near windows are beautiful, not all kitchen nooks will be near windows. You can still get all the lighting you need by adding a fun light fixture above the cozy kitchen space.

Breakfast nooks are also an excellent spot for homework, add in bay windows, and you can have quite the serene place for morning coffee.  Of course, cozy kitchen spots are also a fantastic way to add a touch of color to your kitchen by adding fabric pillows on the chairs or benches of your breakfast nook.

When choosing fabrics for your cozy kitchen space, stain-resistant fabrics are ideal if you will be eating light meals there. If you have small children, another idea is diner style nook with vinyl seating, which is easy to wipe down and keep clean.