What To Know About Built In Breakfast Nooks: Kitchen Ideas
Breakfast nooks are basically a small, casual dining space, usually located in the kitchen or near the kitchen area. Compared to the dining area, breakfast nooks give a more casual dining atmosphere, making a it a nice spot for breakfast, snacks and any quick meals. A breakfast nook will usually be composed of a bench (can be freestanding or built-in), a dining table, and if space allows, dining chairs or stools as well.
Built-in breakfast nooks are common in classic style homes, especially those with bay windows. Because bay windows often have a unique size and shape, breakfast nooks installed by the bay windows often have built-in benches or banquette seating that goes along the shape of the window/wall. These seating areas can be further enhanced with decorative accents, creating a welcoming space for family gatherings.
The semi-enclosed space of breakfast nooks provides privacy and cozy space to enjoy your time. But bay windows are not always necessary for breakfast nooks – some are simply placed by the window in the corner of the room, or in any corner or space near the kitchen that allows space for casual dining or lounging. Here we have built in breakfast nook ideas you can take inspiration from:
Breakfast Nook with Built-In Seating Design
Treat the nook as a miniature room inside your kitchen: give it its own “ceiling” with a low pendant or small chandelier, define the “walls” with a contrasting paint or wallpaper panel, and ground it with a rug or floor-inlay that tucks under the table base. Where ceilings are low, use a slim-back bench and shallow table pedestal to maintain generous sight-lines; in tall kitchens, add millwork—arched valances, beadboard, or cabinetry, to visually wrap the nook and make it feel intentional, not tacked on. Finally, tuck outlets or a USB strip beneath the seat for laptops and devices so the space doubles as a homework zone.
Dimensions
The sizes of breakfast nooks widely depends on the space you have available, often depending on the bay window area size. Plan the banquette depth at 18–20 in. and table overhangs at 10–12 in. together so knees clear comfortably. Built-in benches will typically be around 17.5 to 20 inches deep for them to be comfortable, and dining table sizes will vary according to size and shape of bay window. A standard breakfast nook size is 8ft by 8ft and able to seat 6 to 8 people very tightly. To avoid accidents and to ensure ease of entry/exit to the bench area, it is recommended to use round, oval, oblong or any dining table with rounded edges.
Built-In Nook with Bench
The bench is your statement piece, so specify it like custom furniture. A 3°–5° back-angle encourages lingering; adding a continuous lumbar cushion or upholstered panel keeps profiles slim while boosting comfort. If storage is a priority, design drawer bases rather than lift-up lids, drawers glide out even with the table in place and won’t collect crumbs in the hinge line. Use a wipeable performance fabric on seat cushions and a patterned textile on pillows to disguise everyday spills. To soften the “boxy” look that benches can create, curve the inside corner of the seat or add a scalloped toe-kick that echoes the dining table’s edge.
This off kitchen bay window design is a little narrow, hence the built-in bench used is a little bit smaller, armless for ease of entry, and paired with a smaller solid wood pedestal table to add a bit of contrast to the white theme of the space. Dining nooks doesn’t always have to be in a bay window, they can also be placed right by large windows, giving it that similar warm and cozy atmosphere.
Breakfast Nook
Corners unlock floor space but demand balance. Keep both bench runs equal if you’ll seat adults on each side; if traffic flow is tight, shorten the run closest to the aisle and fill the lost corner with an angled cushion that acts like a chaise-end. Position the taller backrest against the windowless wall so the shorter back doesn’t block natural light. Add a sconce or swing-arm lamp on the solid wall for layered lighting, and use mirrored or glass mosaic tile on the return wall to bounce daylight across the table. Where walls meet at 90°, specify a clipped-corner tabletop (an octagon or round) to eliminate knee-collision at the point.
Sometimes, we simply want a small corner in the kitchen where we can relax and rest a bit among the plants and appliances. This corner breakfast nook is the perfect spot for multi-tasking. It was built on the corner with large windows, so it has a good amount of sunlight and a great view of the yard. The nook is also strategically placed so that you can still see what’s going on in the kitchen and can easily attend to the food you’re cooking, the faucet, and the sink, all while relaxing in the corner.
If you have no windows by your kitchen nook, you can still recreate a cozy atmosphere by adding artwork on the walls and adding fun/bright-colored cushions to the bench. Finish it off with a unique lamp to give you corner a cozy atmosphere. A combination of white and pastel paint adds a refreshing atmosphere to the small breakfast nook at the kitchen’s corner with bright color blinds for window treatments. Add a built-in bench with a flip up closure to add more storage space, and a matching set of trestle table and stools to be paired with the white bench for a trendy design.
Kitchen With Built In Dining Nook
Visually link the nook to surrounding cabinetry by repeating door styles, paint colors, or hardware—but change the sheen or introduce upholstery so the seating area reads “furniture,” not “cabinet run.” Align the bench height (about 18 in.) with adjacent drawer banks so sight-lines stay level. Because the nook will battle cooking moisture, choose marine-grade plywood or PVC core for the bench box and ventilate the base with decorative cut-outs; this prevents trapped humidity from warping seat lids. If the nook sits near the work triangle, swap a conventional table base for a single pedestal, as this lets someone slide out quickly when the cook needs to pass with hot pans. Sometimes you’ll want to use a traditional table instead of a nook. If so, ensure that your bench seating height leaves adequate room for legs and clearance to easily get in and out.
The back of the L-shape kitchen island was used to create a built-in breakfast nook, instead of the usual counter or bar stools. The addition of the cozy nook helps balance and soften the dark woods of this classic style kitchen. Built in breakfast nook ideas that use kitchen island benches can be functional, save space and are great for conversations and those with families.
DIY Nook Design
Start with stock wall cabinets turned on their backs: their 24 in. depth can be trimmed to a perfect 18 in. seating depth, and the pre-finished interior gives you ready-made under-seat storage. Anchor boxes to wall studs and shim to ensure a perfectly level surface before adding a ¾-in. plywood top. For a custom look without advanced carpentry, wrap the front in vertical shiplap or ready-made beadboard panels, then frame with 1 × 4 face trim. If upholstery skills are limited, use thick outdoor-grade cushions cut to size and secured with Velcro strips; they’re water-resistant, affordable, and easy to swap out seasonally. Finish by applying two coats of wipeable enamel paint or a water-based polyurethane over stain to stand up to daily breakfasts—and the occasional science-project volcano.
What’s unique about this DIY breakfast nook is that it doesn’t have a nearby window, so it was only installed near the large glass French door to bring in light to the area. The bench is also not built-in, but a movable L-shape bench with backrest and removable seat cushions. It was paired with a solid wood trestle table and a white painted trestle bench to add a rustic element to the space.
The use of beadboard panels for the wall above the built-in bench in the breakfast nook adds a nice contrast and additional texture to the contemporary style kitchen. The stark difference in color/finish visually separates it from the kitchen countertop material, while the matching wood finish of the dining table surface helps bring it all together. Some nooks and bay windows have non-standard shapes, so built-in benches really come in handy to maximize the seating space in such areas.
Small Built In Breakfast Nook
Small built in breakfast nook ideas often feature a corner bench with a portable dining table and matching chairs. With this type of setup the table and chairs can be positioned separately to accommodate different amounts of guests.
This is an excellent example of a small built-in window seat with a dining table. This one features a narrow built-in wood bench that doubles as extra storage space, paired with a small rectangular dining table and two matching upholstered dining chairs. Teal and blue pillows were added to add color and provide back support for the users.
