What Makes a Room a Breakfast Nook?

People use the term breakfast nook to refer to a wide variety of rooms, so there is no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a breakfast nook and what doesn’t. In general, if the room holds a breakfast table and some kind of seating, it can be referred to as the breakfast nook.

Breakfast nooks usually have windows. While not a requirement, natural light and lots of windowed walls are quite common in breakfast nooks. Studies have shown that some people actually feel less depressed and are more productive if they are exposed to sunlight during the day. What better way to start your day than in front of some windows letting in natural light. Please keep in mind that if there are windows in your breakfast nook, you must have window treatments of some kind. You do not want the harsh light of a sunrise or sunset to be in someone’s eyes as they eat. The window treatments are actually a plus because they give the homeowner or decorator a way to decorate the breakfast nook. In a room with little furniture except a table and chairs and no extra room, the window treatments are one of the few opportunities to add color and texture.

Another characteristic of most breakfast nooks is that they are actually little nooks or areas not common to the rest of the house. Many breakfast nooks are square footage that juts out away from the rest of the house. Again, this is not a requirement, but it allows for the extra windows and it means you do not have to give up kitchen counter space to have kitchen seating. This feature is particularly nice if you want a breakfast nook for a round kitchen table. It is easy to make the breakfast nook octagonal in shape with windows on each side of the half octagon. Rooms that are actually circular are harder to build and would be much more expensive if you are remodeling or building a home.

Yet another attribute of breakfast nook is that they should just flow from the kitchen. There is rarely a wall or even a change in flooring between the kitchen and the kitchen nook. It really is not a separate room and that is one reason that some people call it an eat in kitchen rather than give the area a separate name. Those people are usually referring to a breakfast nook set when they say breakfast nook.

Characteristics of Breakfast Nook Furniture

Breakfast nook furniture is pretty simple because it mostly consists of a breakfast table and some seating. However, there are different options for seating and the materials of construction and styles of breakfast nook sets are quite varied. No matter how the rest of your kitchen or home is decorated, there is kitchen furniture for you.

Your first option for seating in the kitchen is a set with a breakfast nook bench. Bench seating has many advantages over chair seating. First, you can fit more people at the table if you use benches than if you use chairs. A good estimate is that you can fit approximately one and a half people for every chair. Large families will appreciate the extra seating space without having to get a larger table. Second, benches often come equipped with under the seat storage compartments. A breakfast nook with storage is very helpful to a homeowner because the kitchen is one room where you can never get enough storage. People use this space under their breakfast nook furniture to store small kitchen appliances that they do not use every day like bread makers or rice cookers. They also use it to store things like table linens, extra food, or art and school supplies.

Your second option for breakfast nook seating is chairs. If you do not have an especially large family that you have to seat very meal and you use your breakfast nook set to entertain guests, then chairs are a good choice. Chairs are a bit less informal than benches and it is more comfortable for a guest to sit in their own chair than to share a bench with someone they do not know well. Benches force an intimacy that many people are not comfortable sharing with strangers. In addition, chairs are more comfortable for the most part than benches because a good chair will have a seat that is shaped to a person’s body. I find that it is best to have a little of both worlds. Breakfast nooks with a combination of chairs and benches are quite popular because they give you the extra room and storage of benches but still allow guests to feel comfortable at your table.

A third seating option is stools. If you have a high top breakfast table or a pub table in your kitchen, then you will be forced to use stools rather than chairs. Stools are also popular if you plan to use your kitchen island as a breakfast bar. Some kitchens are too small for large pieces of breakfast nook furniture so they use rolling kitchen islands that come equipped with a drop leaf a few stools.

A breakfast nook set is not complete without a table. The shape of the table should match the shape of the room so that you can utilize the space in the most efficient way possible. The table should also be as big as possible so that you can accommodate as many people as possible. When measuring for your breakfast table, make sure to measure the entire breakfast nook and then subtract three feet from each dimension to allow for an eighteen inch buffer around the table. Those eighteen inches are to allow room for chairs to be pulled in and out. One way to increase the size of your table is to purchase a corner breakfast nook set. That will decrease the buffer to about twelve inches or less on two sides.

As your children grow they will be inviting more and more friends to dinner and you are going to need room for everyone at the table where you take most of your meals. The breakfast table is not only for breakfast these days. In fact, most families eat almost all of their meals there. In order to spend quality time together, you want the whole family to be able to sit at one table with whatever guests they might bring along. Benches might help you increase the number of people that can fit around your table because you can typically fit one and a half people on a bench that takes up the same amount of room as one chair.

Family time is very important and many families might use the breakfast nook set as a place to gather for family meetings or family game night. Your kids and guests alike will be less likely to run out on you if the seating is comfortable. No matter what the material of construction is for your breakfast nook chairs or benches, chair or bench cushions can make the seating more relaxing. You can buy chair cushions in a variety of colors and patterns to match almost any kitchen. Bench cushions are not quite as popular, but they are available. If you cannot find anything to match the size of your cushion exactly then you can have something custom made.

While this will probably not be available with breakfast nook chairs, breakfast nook benches often come equipped with under the seat storage compartments. You can use this extra storage space for various purposes such as extra table linens, small kitchen appliances, or games and art supplies for family time. No matter what you use it for, extra storage is always welcome in any household. Typically the storage is under the seat and can be accessed by lifting the seat like a lid. However, there are some instances where the storage might be slightly different. For example, I have seen breakfast nook benches with drawers that pull out of the upright back of the bench. These small drawers can be used for magazine racks, spice racks, or anything that can fit into a tight space.

It is important when picking breakfast nook furniture that you stay true to the design and decorating style of the kitchen and the rest of the home. For example, if you have a modern kitchen then it would be completely inappropriate to choose a wooden breakfast nook table with breakfast nook bench seating. The two style just do not match. Instead, you should choose a breakfast nook seating that matches the decorating style. A modern kitchen might mean angular chairs with leather upholstery. A more traditional kitchen might be the perfect opportunity for a corner breakfast nook bench arrangement.

Breakfast nook furniture usually consists of a table and chairs. There are lots of possibilities for both, but let’s discuss the tables first. Most breakfast tables are rectangular. The dimensions can vary but most are between 34 and 48 inches wide and 50 to 65 inches long. The typical table height is between 29 and 34 inches. Most rectangular tables have legs at all four corners. Typically the legs are connected by a trestle at each end of the table to provide extra support. There are also square or round breakfast tables. A typical size for a square or round kitchen table is 42 inches by 42 inches for a square or a 42 inch diameter for a circle. These tables, unlike rectangular ones, usually have one center leg to support the entire table. It is common for the leg to have a tripod or four prong bottom for extra support.

Breakfast tables are made of many different types of materials. Wood is probably the most common, but by no means is it the only material readily available. If you do have a wooden breakfast table, then chances are it is distressed wood. Since most breakfast nooks are less formal than dining rooms, you often find distressed wood that looks more casual. To distress the wood of a table, the edges are darkened and flattened. The corners are usually rounded so there are no sharp edges. Other than wood, you might find glass, ceramic tile, metal, plastic, Formica, or cork used as materials of construction for your breakfast table.

No matter what your table is made out of, it should be large enough to accommodate your entire family and perhaps a few guests. Try to use as much of the space as possible. There are a few ways to create extra space or make the most of the space you have available using different seating options.

The most common seating option for kitchen furniture is chairs. Chairs are probably most appropriate if you have a smaller family and only need to accommodate four to six people at any one time. Chairs can come in any of the same materials that the breakfast tables come in. Most likely the materials will match the material of the table. For example, if you have a wooden table then wooden chairs would be most appropriate. The matching could be less subtle, as well. For example, you might have a table with chrome legs and chairs with a leather upholstery and chrome trim.

The seating option that provides the biggest capacity for sitting and one that is very popular in breakfast nook sets is benches. You can have separate benches for each side of the table or L-shaped benches that wrap around two sides. It is quite common for the benches to have high backs. The high backs can fit into a corner with a corner breakfast nook set or they could offer a way to separate the breakfast nook area from the rest of the kitchen. Most breakfast nook benches have cushions and are quite comfortable. Another plus is that many come equipped with under the seat storage. A breakfast nook with storage is a welcome addition to any kitchen.

One final seating option is stools. These are not appropriate if you have small children because they are much easier to tip over and do not provide as stable a base. They also do not work well unless you have a higher table. High top tables are usually only made for two to three people, so if you have a large family then a breakfast nook table with stools is probably out of the question.

First, there is a material made out of recycled paper that is commonly used for countertops. A company called Richlite makes a very durable material out of recycled paper that is treated with an environmentally friendly resin and baked. The resulting product is heat resistant, scratch resistant, and stain resistant. It is just as easy as stone or Formica countertops to clean. Just because this material is generally used for countertops does not mean that you could not get a piece cut for your tabletop. It comes in many different colors and would be a great green addition to your breakfast nook furniture.

There are also tabletop pieces out there made from recycled sugar cane. The waste that is left after they make all the sugar products can be used to make a durable material called bagasse. The bagasse is used as the base for particleboard, which can be used to make furniture. You might also find bagasse tableware, food containers, and paper products.

If you buy wooden breakfast nook furniture, this to can be considered a sustainable material. However, you need to make sure that only the wood from managed forests if possible. You also want to avoid any wood that comes from old growth or rare trees. As long as a forest is carefully managed, we can continue to make furniture out of wood without endangering the ecosystem.

Another way to make sure that you are purchasing green breakfast nook furniture is to look for companies that use green manufacturing techniques. If you visit the web pages for different furniture manufacturers, you will be able to do research into how much effort and emphasis they put on green manufacturing and sustainability in their business. There is even a Green Business Certification available to businesses who are environmentally aware and use practices like water conservation, using recycled materials, reducing waste, and preventing pollution just to name a few.

While the breakfast room table is usually small, the table can be one of many shapes. Some of the most common breakfast table shapes are round, rectangular, or square. The shape of your small breakfast table depends largely on the shape of the breakfast nook area. If your kitchen has an end that sticks out in a half octagon shape, then breakfast table furniture of the circular nature would fit best. You can use the maximum amount of the space with a round table. If your kitchen just has an end that does not have any cabinets or counters and stays the same rectangular shape, then a rectangular breakfast table set will work best.

After you decide on the shape that fits best in your kitchen, you will want to consider the materials of construction. The materials that will work best for your breakfast table are ones that continue the decorating style of the rest of the kitchen. Since the breakfast nook and the breakfast nook furniture within it are just an extension of the kitchen, the décor should be consistent. For example, if you have a country theme kitchen with oak cabinets and a copper sink then your breakfast nook table should probably be oak or stained to look like the oak of your cabinets as best as possible. You will tie things together even better if you find a way to tie in more subtle connections like some inlaid copper tiles on the table top.

Some of the most common breakfast table materials are wood, glass, granite, stainless steel, aluminum, Formica, or other hardened plastics. The tabletop and the table base do not have to be made of the same material. In fact, it is usually nice to have a difference. You do not even have to be consistent within the tabletop. It is quite common to find a combination of metal and glass or wood and tile in a table top. Materials like glass, metal, or plastic have one advantage over wood in that they are not porous. Wooden breakfast tables can absorb spills and odors and it is harder to clean than the smooth surfaces provided by glass, plastic, or metal. That is why many wooden tables explore the many breakfast table color options by painting the tabletop. The paint provides a layer of protection and the wood is less likely to absorb stains.

There are several different styles for the table base to choose from. You can have a traditional dining table style with four legs in each corner, but this is usually reserved for square or rectangular breakfast tables. Those legs can be tapered or straight, thin or thick, or freestanding or permanently installed. Some stereotypes that seem consistent are that wooden legs are usually thicker and straight, while metal or plastic legs often taper and are thinner. Sometimes bars or supports connect the breakfast table legs. Their function is most often decorative rather than structural. An alternative to the four-leg breakfast table is a pedestal table. These work best for square or round tables because the weight can be evenly distributed around the one center leg. A pedestal breakfast table will have a large center leg, typically with an X or tripod design at the bottom for support and stability.

While most breakfast nook table sets are meant for sitting at the normal dinner table height, there is one breakfast nook table idea that is quite popular that strays from that standard. Breakfast bar tables are chest high tables meant to be used in conjunction with bar stools. Sometimes, the breakfast bar is just an extension of the kitchen island and you can pull right up to the island to eat your meals. A breakfast table with stools is reminiscent of an outdoor café or bar and works well in a newer house with a more modern feel. They are usually meant for smaller kitchens because they typically only seat two to three people. Breakfast table stools are usually higher than normal chairs and you have to step up into them.

Many people think that you can use any dining room table in the breakfast nook and that there is no difference between the two. However, some dining room table attributes are not appropriate for the breakfast nook. For example, a drop leaf breakfast table is uncommon. Usually you choose the largest table that you can for your breakfast nook. Having extra leaves that can be added to the tabletop is pointless if the room cannot accommodate anything larger. In addition, breakfast nook tables are usually considered less formal so ornate wooden carved legs and dark woods like cherry or teak are not common for breakfast tables.

My first recommendation would be to choose the table first. The shape and size of the table will dictate what type of seating you can and should have. So in order to choose the table, you need to consider the size and shape of the room. The shape is the most important. If your breakfast nook is rectangular, then the most common shaped table will be appropriate, but you will find that many breakfast nooks are oddly shaped. Some stick out from the house in a half octagon sort of shape and others are square. If you have an octagonal shaped breakfast nook, then a round table might be best, if it is square then a square table will work well. Pick a table that will fill the most space in the room. It is a waste of space to put a circular table in a rectangular space. You can fit so many more people around the table if you maximize your use of the space.

The size of the table is the next thing to consider. If you go to a furniture store, the sales people that work there will use a simple formula to determine how large of a table you can fit into a particular space. Your first step should be to take measurements of the room. Once you know the dimensions, you can subtract approximately three feet from each side so that there will be room around the table for people to comfortably pull out chairs and sit down. As an example, if you rectangular breakfast nook measure ten feet by twelve feet then you can fit a table that is four by six into the space. Alternatively, if you have an octagonal shaped breakfast nook that measures ten feet across, then you can fit a circular table with a diameter of four feet. I say approximately three feet should be taken from each side, because you can make slight adjustments as needed. If you use benches, then you do not need as much space to pull them out or if you choose a corner breakfast nook, you do not have to pull out seats at all on two sides. In addition, if everyone in your household is thin, then you do not need so much space to pull out the chairs or get by them when people are sitting.

Once you have chosen your table, you need to start thinking about seating arrangements. You have two choices. You can have traditional chairs or space saving benches. Both choices have attributes, and your choice ultimately depends on what your priorities are. If you have a large family and your main concerns are having enough seating for everyone and enough room to store everything you need in the kitchen, then bench seating is probably a good idea for you. You can fit more bodies on a bench than you can fit in chairs in the same space. Generally, a rectangular table will have two chairs on its longer side and one on its shorter side. If you replace those three chairs with a wrap around corner bench, you fit as many as five people in the same space. In addition, benches often come with under the seat storage so for the family who never seems to have enough room for all their stuff, they could be the perfect solution.

There are also reasons you might prefer chairs to benches. If you do a lot of entertaining and frequently have guests at your breakfast nook table, then chairs are probably a better choice. Benches require that you sit fairly close to the people next to you and for guests who might not know each other very well, that could be uncomfortable. Chairs offer people his or her own space and no one will feel crowded. In addition, benches do not offer as much support as chairs and they can be uncomfortable for some people to sit in. A chair is often the more comfortable choice. Because there are advantages to both, most breakfast nooks contain a combination of the two.

First, leather might not be the most appropriate choice if you have pets or children. Both animals and kids are hard on furniture. The claws of cats and dogs will make marks on your furniture and can tear leather. Children climb on everything. Shoe marks and scuffs are a way of life with kids so they will be just as rough on the rather delicate leather material in you breakfast nook. In addition, kids are messy eaters. You will most certainly have food and drink spilled on your seats and it is hard to clean leather.

You need special cleaners and special tools like cloths and brushes to properly clean your leather. In addition, you need to treat it with coatings and protectors often. If your kids are constantly spilling things on the leather or scuffing it up with shoes or fingernails, then it might start to get hard to keep ahead of things. Your beautiful leather furniture will fall into disrepair and it will not have been worth it to buy the expensive furniture in the first place.

Leather should not be in direct sunlight if at all possible. So if your breakfast nook has many windows and you enjoy the sunlight then leather furniture might not be a good choice for you. If leather is exposed to direct sunlight for too long it will start to crack and dry out.

But there are households where leather breakfast nook furniture is completely appropriate. Adults with no children whose homes are not in the direct view of the rising or setting sun are good candidates. Leather is soft and probably one of the most comfortable fabrics to sit in. It gets even softer over time if properly taken care of. In addition, people do think more of furniture that is made out of leather. Your success will be evident to everyone.

If you like the look of leather but do not want to spend the money for the real thing, or if you have kids and do not want to waste good leather furniture while they are still young, then you might try one of the many leather alternatives. You can buy imitation leather products under several brand names. Essentially, they are a combination of leather and a polymer, most likely vinyl. The added polymer gives the fabric strength and durability but it takes away some of the softness. You can also get vinyl furniture. Vinyl is definitely harder than leather and instead of getting softer with age like leather, it tends to get harder and look more and more like plastic. The imitation leather breakfast nook furniture will not last as long, but it will give you that leather look at a fraction of the cost.

There are breakfast nook tables made of almost every material you can think of. You can find kitchen tables made of solid wood, a combination of metal and glass, wood with ceramic tile on top, and even plastic. You can find a breakfast nook set to match any kitchen décor. For example, I saw a television show once where the designers redid a kitchen in a Spanish theme. The table was mostly made of wood, but they added a punched metal apron to the sides to tie in with the punched metal in the cabinet doors. In addition to the materials available, you can find breakfast tables in almost any shape or size. It used to be that all kitchen tables were small and round but that is definitely not the case anymore. You can find tables that are round, square, rectangular, octagonal, hexagonal, or an unusual shape to fit specifically in an odd sized breakfast nook. There are some breakfast nook tables that only seat two and there are ones that are designed for large families and seat up to fourteen. Whatever you needs, there is a breakfast nook table for you.

As varied as the table choices are, the chairs for breakfast nook seating are even more varied. Of course, most people want to chairs to match the table and buy them as a set. However, it does not have to be that way. Many people find an older distressed table and then mix and match funky chairs that they find in yard sales and second hand stores to create an eclectic and fun room. In addition to the material and design of the chair, there are other choices that you have to make. For example, will the chairs be upholstered, use breakfast nook cushions, or have no padding? The material of the upholstery or cushions is also important. If you do not have any children to worry about then you might consider leather or suede upholstery to give your breakfast nook a more formal feel so you will feel comfortable inviting guests in there to share a meal. Another decision to be made is whether you will have chairs, bench seating, or a combination of both. Benches are good if you are trying to fit a large number of people at the table because you can fit more people on benches. In addition, benches usually come with under the seat storage compartments that are handy for any homeowner. However, benches can be uncomfortable for your guests who do not want to sit too close to others or for larger individuals who do not like sliding in and out of booths. That is why a combination usually works best.

The Santa Fe breakfast nook set is the perfect solution for a family that needs a lot of seating, but has limited space. This set consists of a table and seating for eight to nine people. The seating is a combination of benches. There is a three seat bench with no back running down one side of the table. Then, there is an L-shaped bench that wraps around two of the other sides. The L-shaped bench is made up of a corner piece, a two seat bench, and a three seat bench. There are no chairs, so if you and your family are not comfortable in booths and on benches then this set is not for you. Keep in mind that not only do the benches mean you can fit more people at the table, they also mean extra storage space. There is under the seat storage in the L-shaped bench where you can keep anything that you need to.

This breakfast nooks set is made of distressed poplar wood. The combination of the distressed stylizing and the dark stain give the Santa Fe breakfast nook set a very earthy and country feel. One way that this manufacturer has elected to keep costs down is by combining solid poplar with poplar veneer. You cannot tell the difference from the outside, but the veneer lowers the cost significantly. The other material of construction used in this furniture is slate tiles. There is a row of inlaid slate tiles along the back of the L-shaped bench. These tiles are sealed into place and give the furniture a touch of color and character. The wide variety of colors and patterns in the tile make every version of the Santa Fe breakfast nook original.

One clever feature of this furniture set is the drop leaf that fits between the wall and the corner part of the L-shaped bench. The drop leaf provides a little shelf above head level where most people put some flowers, pictures, or other decorations. Yet another good feature is the fact that the set is reversible. You can put this furniture in any corner and make it work.

The cost of the Santa Fe breakfast nook set can be anywhere from $789 to $1,035 depending on where you shop. All in all , I think it is a great value for the money.

The first positive that I see is the combination of chairs and benches. The benches allow more people to sit than would be able to if you had only chairs. In addition, the benches have under the seat storage and it is very convenient to have extra storage close to the kitchen table for table linens and other kitchen linens. On the other hand, the chairs are very nice because they are more comfortable for some people to sit in. Not everyone one likes sliding in and out of a long booth or bench.

Another positive for the Soho Delfino is the materials of construction. These high quality materials will last a long time and look good too. Chrome legs support the black tabletop. The chrome is carried over into the legs of the chairs and benches as well. The final place that you see the chrome is in bars that create open space between the bench seats and the bench backs. I like this touch because when the bench seats and bench backs are continuous, it reminds me of diner booths. The chrome separators provide a much more modern look. The fabric on the benches and chairs is a velvety microfiber that comes in five different colors: red, black, beige, eggplant, and Moroccan brown. Microfibers are known for their durability and softness.

The one down side of this breakfast nook furniture set is perhaps the cost. It is one of the more expensive sets that I have come across. I have seen it advertised for around $1,279. This might be a lot of money for someone to spend on kitchen furniture, but I think it is worth it. The furniture is of good quality and should last a long time. The modern look is a plus considering you are getting seating for eight. Usually larger breakfast nook sets are more country themed. It is hard to find modern looking furniture for a large family.