We are big lovers of the kitchen nooks. Whether it’s a corner breakfast nook or a kitchen island nook or a built-in dining bench or a modern banquette, having any of them will increase your home value for sure. The coziness they offer is unmatchable and is highly desirable, and if you’re planning to remodel or are building a new house, please consider including one.
If you have children, they would love to do their homework in one. And as adults, you can be enjoying your breakfast or dinner in a close family circle. These are all wonderful ideas, and we’re exited to present our own collection of nook designs that we see fit best in modern homes. Some of the designs below can be done as DIY projects and some are more elaborate and require planning with an architect but all are some of the best, we believe.
We split them by location and design type, for your convenience.
Built-in Breakfast Nooks
Built-in nooks are probably the most desirable type. They can be done as a corner design with an L-shaped bench that provides a more luxury, restaurant like feel or as a two-bench design for a more casual, fast food McDonald’s like feel. While you normally need more room for a corner nook, you can manage to fit the other in a small niche. Both are common ideas for the DIY projects, but if you want something really special then you may want to contract a professional designer. Let’s look at some modern design examples.
There’s something very cozy about this bench style breakfast nook design (above). Maybe it’s the choice of wood covering the entire space. Maybe it’s the choice of lighting and soft pillows. Or maybe it’s that amazing window with its exposed frame. It’s probably all of the above. The entirely built-in contemporary nook stays true to the minimalism. Notice the absence of legs from the table and benches.
This keeps the little nook feeling open and spacious. The lighting reflecting the warm color of the wood makes this nook utterly inviting. The perfect spot for lazy afternoon tea or an early morning breakfast while the sun shares its first rays of the day.
From TGH Architects. Photographed by David Wakely.
This nook occupies its own room, and is built on it’s own platform … just like a restaurant booth. From TGH Architects.
Another cozy built-in breakfast nook in its own booth, sort of speak. Also made in natural wood what appears to be a knotty pine. If this built-in design in light wood doesn’t make you want to start your own DIY project immediately I don’t know what will. This nook can be a space savior and it also adds a gorgeous aesthetic to any kitchen. It has its own windows and even it’s own skylight – how cool it that! But the knotty wood may be the most beautiful part of this design idea. Found at HustlerOfCulture.
This stunning built-in breakfast nook belongs in a contemporary eclectic home in Los Angeles that was remodeled by Warren Techentin Architecture (WTARCH). The decorative wallpaper was inspired by the trees outside. The built-in benches are made from white melamine panels, and the tabletop is a small marble slab on a metal pipe leg, also supported on the wall at one end. This design is also a great candidate for DIY.
Here’s an overall view of the breakfast nook above, just to give you a better idea on the scale of this design. And notice how the dark wood flooring contrasting nicely with the white nook and white walls.
Borrow a 3-sided bench breakfast nook idea from this tropical home paradise designed by the owners, an architect and an interior designer from Australia. The small square table is bolted directly to the concrete floor on a steel leg, and the benches are made from some exotic wood to match the rest of the interior. The nook even has its own tiny pendants hung from the concrete ceiling. The whole feel is a resort like as you have a little beautiful spot to come to for breakfast in the morning.
Corner Kitchen Nook Designs
A design feature that used to be reserved for traditional style kitchens only, the corner nook is now a desirable option in many modern homes, and here’s a few best examples of different types of installation.
Above is a beautiful, classic corner breakfast nook design by Brandi Becker at Indi Interiors, photographed by Matthew Williams. In contrast with the previous idea, it has soft padded seats and uses a modern table and chairs to complete the design.
In this clever kitchen nook design, the kitchen countertop zigzags its way around it while adding more prep space. Underneath the counter, the corner nook has built-in shelves and the benches are retro-styled with funky cushions. While this design is an extension of the kitchen, it still manages to be its own little spot of home paradise. This project is a part of the cabin design in Canada countryside by Altius Architecture.
A wonderful idea, this corner kitchen nook belongs in an architect’s own house in Brooklyn, New York. It’s a luxury design with built-in benches with plush velvet cushions, and is a great place to relax with a morning cup of coffee. We love the color palette that is implemented here: a dark red kitchen cabinets are in full harmony with the olive green upholstery of the seats. The overall look cozy and comfortable. The benches appear to be built from common laminated particle boards, with some storage room underneath. See more at Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture website.
Modern Dining Nooks
A dining nook is our second most favorite feature in a modern house. And what’s interesting is that they often include built-in fireplaces and serve as room dividers. Check out our selection of inspirational design ideas on fireplaces as room dividers. Dining tables are usually bigger in size, and so the dining nooks are also much larger size installations that often include other built-in elements such as shelves, seats and low walls. These unusual architectural features we believe is a relatively new idea that mostly seen in modern homes.
The dining nook above comes with a tall leather bench and a rustic dining table for a design that has an urban flair but a heart in the wilderness. Three colored glass pendants complete this beautiful nook design, which is a part of the chic interiors by Karhard Architektur.
This next dining nook serves as a room divider from the living room and has a black leather dining bench, a wood stove and a wood storage, all built into a partial wall. The wooden table is a perfect match to wooden floor and ceiling. From k_m architektur.
This cool dining nook was designed by a German architecture firm Baufritz and belongs in the Smart House. It divides the space between the dining and the living, and it’s main feature is white wall that holds a dining tale sitting, a double-sided fireplace, a wood storage and decorative shelves. This is a true modern design that is also a very intriguing architectural idea.
The design of the dining nook above consists of the floor-to-ceiling divider wood wall, that houses a long built-in bench on one side and cabinets on the other, and a wood dining table, all made in knotty pine. Actually, the entire home decorated in knotty pine. See more at Coblonal, an interior design and architecture firm from Barcelona.
Above is a cottage style corner dining nook with a minimalist wood table and padded wooden benches with white pillows for backrests. The overall design is very modern, and it fits well in this modern mountain cottage in Spain by Eccobauer, and Estonian based construction company.
Banquette Nook Ideas
If you’re thinking of bringing your favorite breakfast cafe experience into your modern home and are imagining having your morning meal in a booth, then the banquette style nooks are just what you want. But they sure don’t have to be dark-leather boring.
For a luxury nook design, you can go with this banquette breakfast nook idea (above), found in a mid century home. If you have enough room in your kitchen, you can pull up two additional chairs to make this corner design a banquette for four people. Note how a built-in buffet divides the kitchen space to create an elegant eating area, and of course, the large window makes your breakfast more exiting.
Los Angeles designer Amy Sklar has created an open plan kitchen space that includes this gorgeous circular banquette nook, big enough to seat an entire family for breakfast, with patterned cushions, modern table and chairs. Photographed by Laure Joliet.
An open plan kitchen idea with a banquette nook, by Amy Sklar Design.
This colorful and inspiring banquette style dining nook idea is by Design Vidal, a Los Angeles based design studio and shop. Decorated in floral patterns, a full size circular sofa replaces a common banquette bench, to create an awesome dining nook. Notice how the color palette of the sofa matches one of the rug. And of course, a modern circular table to fit the shape of the nook.
Modern Kitchen Island Breakfast Nooks
A typical island nook would either be built into the island or set against the island. Below, you’ll find examples for both ideas.
An oval kitchen island breakfast nook adds warmth of natural wood to this otherwise minimalist white kitchen by Elmar. Sometimes, it’s all you need – just a bit of space to have your breakfast on the go, and this tiny nook fits the purpose perfectly without cluttering the kitchen.
This counter height wood breakfast nook (above) is a beautiful extension of the clean modern kitchen island – from Elmar.
This large corner breakfast nook (above) with an L-shaped bench set against the island would be a good fit in an urban style, modern contemporary kitchen. With its dark painted wall and dark tone wood paneling, we see this relatively compact kitchen design as a cool idea for a bachelor pad. Part of the Laiki Lefkothea project by Tsikkinis Architecture Studio.
Single Bench Nook Designs as Extension of the Kitchen
It’s only natural to connect a kitchen nook to the kitchen, and here’s a few modern design ideas that do that with grace and fun.
A fresh and clean modernist dining nook in a white kitchen (above) was designed by 30 Collins, a lifestyle design firm based in Los Angeles. This custom-made single bench nook is installed right between the end kitchen cabinet and a wall.
Above are custom made table and bench for a small one bench breakfast nook – built by Tomasi Design, a San Francisco company that specializes in custom wood furniture and cabinetry. A clean minimalist idea with a totally built-in look that is just right for this modern kitchen.
What a cool dining nook idea for a beautiful open plan home renovated by YAMAMAR, a full service architecture firm out of San Francisco. A kitchen, a built-in single bench nook, an oval table and a trio of funky chairs, all white and on a white oak floor, plus the large windows … the entire ensemble makes this modern space really light and welcoming. We love it!
Small and Tiny Breakfast Nooks
Often, there is just not enough room available to incorporate a fairly large breakfast nook but the desire to have one is an overwhelming one. In such cases, a small or a tiny nook is still possible to build, just have to come up with a creative idea.
Here’s one tiny corner nook built right next to the door, with only little space to pull up a chair. Still, it looks like it belongs there, such a cute contemporary design and a useful addition to the small kitchen. Your breakfast will be celebrated daily! Our guess is that this is a made-to-size upholstered bench. For more info, contact the architecture firm Design Development NYC (they completed this renovation) or the interior designer Alexander Doherty. Photograped by Trevor Tondro. Source: Sketch42.
The corner nook above is a totally minimalist, Zen-like design idea, realized in what appears to be concrete. Having minimal decoration for this small nook is in line with the overall interior style. Source.
