Small Nook Dining Table
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46 Breakfast Nooks That'll Make Every Morning a Little Sunnier
(Almost) as energizing as coffee!
Studio DB
While we love a formal dining room, it can sometimes feel too fancy for everyday use—or like too much of a to-do for a simpler meal. The solution? The breakfast nook. This small space is comfortable, approachable, and conducive to intimate conversations and meals. Plus, much like powder rooms, breakfast nooks provide the perfect opportunity for decorating special littles jewel boxes. Keep it cozy, go bold, or try something sleek and modern—but don't do anything without checking this collection of 45 undeniably stylish cozy nooks first. We've got breakfast nook inspiration to fit any style, size, and budget. And we mean any.
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Maintain the Architectural Style
These single-seat banquettes and built-in metal table in a kitchen by GRT Architects are reminiscent of a classic midcentury diner right off the highway—perfect for this inky and sophisticated kitchen in a midcentury modern home in New York's Hudson Valley.
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Incorporate Whimsy
If you never met a stripe you didn't like, add them into your breakfast nook with upholstered chairs. You can change out the color depending on the season. This one designed by Tamsin Johnson is such a refreshing mix of styles, too, from the moody and provocative framed photographs to the casual rattan table, modern walls, and whimsical yet classic upholstery.
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Get as Cozy as Possbile
Cameron Schwabenton's update of a 1770s guesthouse in Charleston is a testament to the power of preservation. Walls were stripped down to the original brick and plaster. In the dining nook, the table is reclaimed pine and the custom banquette is in Prince of Wales plaid fabric by de Le Cuona.
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Bring the Outdoors In
In this New York kitchen by Lilse McKenna, the designer wanted to nod to the garden outside the window—but also the city skyline. The solution? Covering the walls in Pierre Frey's iconic Espalier pattern (with a few windowsill topiaries to match!).
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Balance Cozy and Bright
Custom banquettes add an extra punch of coziness in this kitchen designed by Tom Scheerer, but also feel bright, fresh, and crisp. The blue Formica top complements the denim-toned cushions. The gingham curtains add the perfect country touch.
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Coordinate Upholstery
Designed by Tiffany Brooks for the House Beautiful 202o Whole Home, this nook carves out a place for guests to eat in their very own little apartment within the larger home. Pink upholstery on the banquette ties in nicely with the window treatments and accents throughout, like the chair cushions.
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Extend Backsplash
In a narrow galley kitchen like this one designed by Nanette Brown, extend the backsplash all the way up every wall in the room. This will ensure that it doesn't feel overcrowded. Plus, tiles are super easy to clean, so bonus points for messy eaters. we're loving the glossy black effect of these.
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Add Back Cushions
Custom back cushions that match the seats create both cohesion and comfort. The wooden wall paneling warms up the darker elements and also reflects the more casual chairs across the table in this breakfast nook designed by Studio Shamshiri.
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Make Do With What You Have
How could you possibly not have a good morning in this sun-drenched breakfast nook? Designer and occupant Fitz Pullins removed the French doors connecting the kitchen to this bonus space, enhancing flow and sunlight the bright yet neutral and calming colors along with the laidback materials that reflect the warmth of the Florida landscape. And the best part? No building necessary—the banquette seating here is just the right-sized sofa.
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Keep It Minimal
Designer Jae Joo gave this cellar in a Boston rowhouse a sleek upgrade with polished dark gray and black dining chairs and floral vases atop a nondescript table. Sometimes simplicity is best. She also painted the exposed brick and concrete floors a light gray and added a laid-back, neutral-hued striped rug. Rather than fighting with the bones, like the exposed stone, the new pieces complement them.
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Perch by a Window
This Emily Henderson-designed breakfast nook is perfect for families, thanks to the ample seating and comfortable and durable materials. It's also always well-advised to set up your dining nook by a large window so you can enjoy that bright morning light.
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Carve Out a Niche
This is easily one of the most stylish breakfast nooks we've ever laid eyes on. The curvature of the built-in banquet plays up the rounded custom pedestal table as well as the stools, and matching tiled table base, banquet base, and floors create a modern, almost futuristic impression. Designed by Doherty Design Studio, the dining nook is also situated inside an architectural niche, enhancing the sense of intimacy even further.
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Make It Kid-Friendly
If you want a space that's fun for your kids but cool enough for you, this one designed by Chango & Co. is the ultimate inspiration. From the oversized drum pendant to the cheerful threes and corresponding wall art, it's chic but approachable.
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Double Seating
Interior designer Erin Shakoor doubled the seating in this dining nook with a banquette. "A banquette allows you to sit longer, more comfortably—is and with more people," she tells us.
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Close It Off
The only thing cozier than a breakfast nook is an enclosed breakfast nook. Designed by Kaemingk Design, this one is pared down, minimalist, and industrial but the warm wood materials and enclosed setting make it feel inviting and intimate.
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Bring On the Drama
This color combo in a breakfast nook designed by NICOLEHOLLIS Studio feels glam without being gaudy in the slightest. The cushy channeled sofa is a nice contrast to the angular wooden chairs and hardwood chairs. The lone pendant light and dramatic artwork top things off.
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Use Cheerful Colors
Rattan furniture and navy and white with splashes of pink make for an energizing breakfast nook—just what we all need first thing in the morning. Designed by Cameron Ruppert Interiors, the built-inn seating also features smart storage.
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Create a Gallery Wall
Animate a dining nook with an eclectic gallery wall. In this contemporary-meets-countryside space, interior designer Heidi Caillier chose a mix of metallic and wooden frames, which complement both the dining chairs and floor tiles as well as the bronze hardware.
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Frame the Nook
Crosby Studios used glass interiors to frame a tinny breakfast nook off a gallery kitchen. It makes the eat-in kitchen feel a little larger and distinct since it separates the cooking and dining areas—but the transparent arch ensures that the two spaces can still share the light.
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Stick to the Classics
The classic color combo never fails. Choose pillows in varying shades of blue to keep it from becoming too monochromatic. We also love how Studio DB painted the cabinets a subtle pale gray tone to soften the bright white furniture.
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Shrink It
In a small apartment, shrink down a breakfast nook with two side chairs and a slim bistro table. Here, interior designer Emil Devrish spruced up the apartment nook with a modern pendant. This set up would also work nicely on a spacious stair landing with architectural quirks that make it feel nook-ish.
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Transportive Power
Designed by ETC.etera in the Firehouse Hotel, this multi-purpose nook (Read here! Sip coffee here! Work here! Post it on Instagram!) is so incredibly stylish. Just looking at it transports us to the English parlor we've always dreamed of—the one that's somehow both from the past and the future.
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Hang Bold Artwork
A bold, colorful breakfast nook is the kind everyone wants to hang out in. This tiny one designed by Studio DB is tucked under the stairs, which proves that you don't need a ton of space to make a big impact.
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Try an Unexpected Composition
Designed by Katie Hodges, this petite breakfast nook keeps things classic in design and palette, but the composition is a fun surprise. Instead of facing chairs out, have them angled inward. It looks cool and also sets the mood for more intimate conversation (or focused homework sessions).
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Make It Inviting
You don't need a massive kitchen. Take note from this country chic and sweet breakfast nook designed by Leanne Ford. Just slide up a slim bistro table and stool.
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Get Sophisticated
Mix dark green and brown to make a white kitchen feel both cool and earthy. If your nook is by a window or gets a lot of sunlight, you won't have to worry about the dark tones dulling your space. In this modern and sophisticated breakfast nook designed by Arent & Pyke, the black and white abstract art brings depth to the white walls.
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Moring Glory
Pops of yellow from shades and pillows make a room feel a bit sunnier — even on those cloudy, gross days. If the bold color intimidates you, choose something with a pattern to break it up and don't incorporate it through your staple and investment pieces.
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Be Resourceful
In smaller spaces, where a tulip table is all you can squeeze in, choose fun accent chairs and consider built-in benches. A casual gallery wall or statement-making floating shelves with decor will spice things up without taking up any precious square footage. This breakfast nook designed by Arent & Pyke proves it.
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Placement Is Key
Breakfast with a view? We're in. Country-chic and simply soothing.
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Think About Day-to-Night Transitions
Kill two birds with one stone: A taupe breakfast nook can easily transition to a dining room at night. This one designed by Robson Rak is light like the day, but mysterious like the night.
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Hadley Mendelsohn Senior Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful's senior editor, and when she's not busy obsessing over all things decor-related, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again.
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