The breakfast nook is the new social spot in the home
This cosy spot cultivates a more communal and connected way of living – and it’s the design element every home needs.
If the kitchen and the living room had a love child, it would be the breakfast nook.
Combining a banquette with a table and loose furniture, it forms a cosy spot that cultivates a more communal and connected way of living.
“Propelled by lockdowns and work-from- home flexibility, the way in which we interact and use spaces at home has changed so much over the past few years,” says Kate McCluskey Kyle, founder and director of Melbourne-based McCluskey Studio. “While the breakfast nook is not a new concept, it can elevate the experience of both informal and formal communal dining, promoting better connection and interaction.”
Australian interior designer Tali Roth agrees. In a compact apartment she renovated in New York, Roth solved the problem of an awkward corner bay window by adding a banquette into the alcove. With the addition of two chairs, her clients can now fit six comfortably around the table. “It’s a fun and casual way to have a meal and can really optimise space,” she says. “It’s also just a really inviting place for a morning coffee, games, entertaining and homework for the kids. It keeps people connected.”
For this project, Roth specified plump cushions with her trademark whimsy, using a teal fabric with flecks of colour that wouldn’t show stains or creases. There are infinite options when it comes to cabinetry and upholstery, and designers are getting creative with statement colours, slimline bases, wrap-around seating, integrated storage, and banquettes so comfortable it’s like sitting on a sofa.
But looks shouldn’t be sacrificed for comfort, warns interior designer Jillian Dinkel.
Given that banquettes are fixed and they need to pair with a table, she stresses that there is no room for error. “The construction involves multiple disciplines working together to achieve what is a very regimented formula in consideration of appropriate seat depth, height, backrest and angle of seating,” she says. “There is nothing worse than a banquette that doesn’t hit these precise measurements correctly.”
Roth also suggests being mindful of size. “They’re not necessarily suitable for everyone,” she says. “You may be able to fit in more people and it’s a great option for casual, communal eating, but you do have to scoot in to get a seat so it can be pretty intimate.”
In a terrace redesign for her clients in Sydney, Dinkel used a small extension into the home’s side return to build a bench. Elegant and understated, the gently curved silhouette features a base and backrest upholstered in tan leather. Built alongside a custom table, it permits seating for 10 and serves as the primary dining area for the home. “Banquette seating is ideal for maximising space,” Dinkel says. “It’s also a great opportunity to achieve additional seating around a table and is well suited to otherwise under-utilised corners.”
At McCluskey Studio’s Garden House, the dimensions of an existing recess meant including seating was a no-brainer. To elevate the horseshoe-shaped bench, the designers added Cassina Cab chairs and statement lighting, which helped delineate the zone. In this instance, the clients already had a luxurious formal dining room and a more than ample kitchen island, so the nook was more of an additional feature than a practical necessity. But McCluskey Kyle says it’s become a multi-purpose hub..
“Garden House belongs to a young family and this may well be the most used space in the whole house,” she says. “It allows the children to play and eat during meal preparation without overcrowding. We want people around us – especially those we love – and with inclusions like the breakfast nook these needs can be met.”
This story is from the November issue of Mansion Magazine.
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