How To Decorate a Kitchen Breakfast Nook

Updated 2/1/22

Decorated Breakfast Nook

Think beyond breakfast when dreaming up your future kitchenette, breakfast nook, or small dining room. A cozy table in the kitchen can create space for moments throughout the day: a place to begin the day with a newspaper and coffee, a place for the kids to do homework while you make dinner or a setting for an intimate dinner for two. And, of course, breakfasts.

When designed carefully, small kitchens can pack a big punch. Here, we'll discuss small dining room design, providing small kitchenette ideas and breakfast nook ideas to help make the most of your space.

Decorating Ideas for Small Kitchens

Your kitchen doesn't have to be the largest room in your house to look great and function the way you need it to. Below are some small kitchen and small dining room ideas to make the most of your space.

Use all white to make your space look brighter.

Going all white is the way to go when you want to make a tiny kitchen appear larger. White captures light, looks clean, and makes even the smallest spaces appear more open. And the all-white decor allows you to go darker with your floor tiles without overpowering the room.

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Small kitchen apartment
Use contrast to make your kitchen cabinets stand out.

Contrast is a great way to draw attention to the parts of your kitchen you love. The white cabinets contrasted with a black accent wall (pictured above) stand out in the best way. And the white wall opposite the cabinets draws in light and keeps the black accent wall from overpowering the space.

Try open shelving for an eclectic yet organized look.

Even if your kitchen is small, you can still enjoy the open shelving trend. The key to enjoying open shelving in a small kitchen is to keep the shelves organized and not cluttered. It also helps to place similar items on the shelves, so it looks curated and not random.

Bassett Furniture Palisades Etagere open shelving
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Use accent colors sparingly.

If you're not a fan of all white, you can still keep your small kitchen feeling bright and open by maintaining a light color scheme and adding pops of your favorite bright hues. The gray tiles in the kitchen above look beautiful across from the robin's egg blue refrigerator.

Go crazy!

You don't always have to stick to white color schemes and plain floor tiles when designing your small kitchen. Colorful tiles, mismatched furniture, and an array of collectibles make the kitchen pictured above look inviting and cozy. Consider a unique pendant over the sink or some calming wall decor art to contrast the patterns.

Bassett's Breakfast Nook Decorating Tips

Whether your style is traditional, modern, or rustic, a breakfast nook can be a beautiful way to add to your kitchen's usable space. Below are some breakfast nook ideas for your small dining room or kitchenette space:

1. Choose the Right Table for Your Space

If you have a small space, consider a pedestal table – the lack of table legs makes the area feel roomier. Round tables also work well for tight spaces, allowing a little extra space to maneuver around them. If you have more space, try to match the shape of the table to the shape of the room. Rectangular areas work nicely with rectangular tables, and square spaces accommodate a square (or even round) table well.

2. Opt for a Flexible Seating Arrangement
Bench*Made Dining Table

In many homes, the breakfast nook is where the kids gather to do homework while the parents cook. And sometimes, they bring friends. If you host after-school homework buddies or post-slumber party breakfast guests, have a nook that can fit an extra guest by using a bench for seating. The low height of the bench will also create a feeling of extra space in your nook.

Bench*Made Dining Table
3. Go Elegant With Your Breakfast Nook

Breakfast nooks don't have to be casual. Create an elegant space that offers more intimacy than a dining room table. A pretty round table (we love the many customizations available in our BenchMade Collection) can set the scene for a quiet dinner and it looks equally beautiful for weekend mornings spent lingering over 

coffee.

4. Add Finishing Touches

And don't forget the finishing pieces! A rug can serve as an anchor that establishes your nook in the kitchen as its own space and a pendant light can finish off the area nicely.

Customize Your Breakfast Nook Furniture

If you need the right table and chairs in the right size and color, we have plenty of combinations for you to choose from. Peruse our customizable dining sets, and reach out to us to see how we can help you create a custom breakfast nook perfect for your use and space.

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