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.

First, benches can accommodate more people than chairs. Generally, you can fit one and a half people in the space taken up by one chair if you have a bench there instead. That means that a bench along the side of a rectangular table that usually has two chair will actually sit three people. If you put benches on both sides, then you get seating for six rather than four. If you have a large family, or you entertain a lot of your children’s friends, then bench seating is probably a good fit for your breakfast nook or eat in kitchen.

Another reason breakfast nook benches are so popular is that they often come with under the seat storage compartments. Every homeowner can use a little bit of extra storage space. It is fantastic when you can get that storage from a piece of furniture that is going to be there already. Kitchen nook benches with storage are great for hiding table linens, small kitchen appliances, art and school supplies, or board games.

If you change your placemats, napkins, and table cloth often then you probably have a large supply of linens and keeping under your breakfast nook bench is the perfect place for them because they are close at hand, but not taking up valuable kitchen storage space.

There are several kitchen gadgets and small appliances that I love having, but that I do not like taking up counter space. Until I got breakfast nook storage benches, the only option was to store these items on a shelf in the garage. When I did that, I needed to clean the appliance before I used it every time. It is much more convenient to just open up the breakfast nook bench and take out the appliance I need. I know they will stay clean and protected in there. Things like my bread maker, rice cooker, pasta maker, ice cream maker, etc. have found their way into this storage place.

If your kids gather around the kitchen table to do homework or play while you are getting dinner ready then it might be a good idea to keep some art supplies and school supplies in the breakfast nook storage area so that the supplies they need are close at hand. Some families also gather in the kitchen for family nights and some board games or cards in the breakfast nook bench are handy to have around. You are much more likely to coax everyone into staying for a game if the supplies are at your finger tips.

Even though there are advantages to breakfast nook benches, there are also some drawbacks. For example, bench seating is typically a little more shallow than what you get with individual chairs. That means that sitting on a bench could be uncomfortable for some people if they need a more substantial seat. In addition, bench seating encourages closeness because there are not clear boundaries for personal space. If you entertain often, then you might want to consider having some chairs so that your guests will be more comfortable.