Here’s a real life situation: you purchased this house but the layout is weird and there’s a narrow space, not enough for a couch but still too big to be a closet. So what to do? Well, how about a breakfast nook? A place where you can quietly sit down and drink your morning coffee while reading the paper, without having to set the big dinner table.
Even if you have kids, it’s best to teach them to get organized and use this space every morning, not make a mess in the kitchen every time they wake up. The advantages are: you’ll fill in that empty space in a greatly creative way, doing it doesn’t require a lot of money (you can build two benches yourself and then add an old table between them), it will make your home look a lot chicer and all your friends will be intrigued by the initiative. Now let’s see what we can come up with:
1. Retro
Must Haves: Mint walls, retro posters, pastel colors, an old bread toaster
Description: The retro nook can be characterized by a wide array of pastel colors, retro music (we recommend Dinah Washington: What A Difference A Day Makes, for example), white drapery work, iron accents here and there (on the chairs, table, artwork on the walls etc.) and is perfect if your family’s style is retro as well: if you like putting on red lipstick and curling your hair, this is for you, girl! If you are a guy who’s absolutely in love with old Lincoln cars, the same goes for you! We added a few examples for every category to give you an idea of what the final result could look like:
2. Rustic
Must Haves: Wood work, burlap and thick lace, quirky artwork on the walls
Description: The rustic feel is probably the easiest to pull off: craft a couple of wooden benches, stain them, add an old bench, sand it and stain it as well and you are almost done. Add burlap and lace curtains, some wooden artwork, maybe a few pinecones in a big bowl, tinted bras accessories (a flower vase, salt and pepper cups and the list goes on). It goes perfectly with some good old country music (George Strait- Amarillo By Morning), home-baked biscuits and gravy, jam and red apples.
3. Minimalist
Must Haves: Clean lines, clean cuts, and multi-purpose items, abstract painting on the wall
Description: The minimalist look is for people who like to be modern, in touch with the newest technologies and don’t care much for embellishments. You probably enjoy today’s music more than anyone else (try Rudimental- Waiting All Night), wearing your hair short and putting on funky clothes. This kind of nook is perfect for a breakfast based on eco-products and low-calorie foods: salads, cereals, boiled eggs, salmon strips, olives and yogurt. Bon appetite!
4. Traditional
Must Haves: A nice tablecloth, great pottery items, a flower vase or planter, a flag
Description: Please note that only traditional food will be served here: toast and butter, homemade jam, pancakes, waffles and honey, warm milk, chocolate cookies, orange juice and cereal. If this is your favorite kind of nook, you’re probably very patriotic, watch baseball and football, can’t wait for the Independence Day and really have an opinion on today’s politics. Plus, you probably like to wear jerseys and jeans most of the time! The traditional nook needs to let the artwork speak for itself: flags, pieces of Americana history and so on. Don’t forget to add music to your nice breakfast hideaway: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros- Home.
5. Classic
Must Haves: Neutral tones, well-balanced meals, ivory benches and table
Description: The truth is that 5 out of 10 people would go for this look: it’s timeless, elegant, it doesn’t require a lot of work or cleaning to do, you can pretty much go for anything that’s either ivory or white and feel great about it. If this is your nook, eat fruits, vegetables, cereal, homemade bread, soups, grilled chicken and natural juices. Also, you probably enjoy light colors, the natural light coming through those big windows, good food and sophisticated brunches with your friends. Tune up some great music (Diana Krall- Temptation) and you’re all set!
6. Baroque
Must Haves: Intricate artwork and patterns, lots of gold and silver
Description: If you happen to run into hand carved chairs, buy them! Spray some gold paint on them after thoroughly sanding them first, add a round table, a tablecloth rich in colors, old china, paint your walls a rich red and don’t forget about the artwork: oil painting, intricate frames. In this nook you will only serve complicated dishes: somon fume, arugula salads, eclairs, choix a la crème and the list goes on. Maybe listen to Nouvelle Vague- Dance With Me. But if everything sounds like Chinese to you, you may want to go for another style.
7. Playful
Must Haves: Many colors, unicorns, hearts and stars, pretty much anything!
Description: If you have kids, this style will be perfect for them! As a matter of fact, you can add a chalkboard on the wall and let the little ones draw. Also, you can use it for your shopping lists, to leave your spouse a message etc. No idea what to listen to? Fortunately, there are so many cartoon theme songs to choose from, but our all-time favorite is Phineas And Ferb- Title Sequence. If you don’t know, this cartoon is very educational and fun, plus it’s so cleverly made even you can watch it!
8. Stripes
Must Haves: Well… stripes!
Description: You don’t necessarily have to go for two-tone stripes, although this is probably the most common technique. In fact, people tend to go for the black and white combo, with a little red here and there. If this appeals to you, it’s probably because you are a very confident person who knows what they want. You enjoy eating grilled meat, diary products and…pretty much anything else, you’re not picky as long as the food tastes great. Also, the lines make everything seem so clean and organized, which is all you could have hoped for! The perfect music to go with it? How about The White Stripes- I Fought Piranhas? Feel free to put together your own playlist!
9. Color Bonanza
Must Haves: bright colors- fuchsia, red, turquoise, yellow, orange
Description: If the rest of your house is quite neutral or if you just like color like nothing else, this style is for you! Go for colorful polka dots, stripes, cushions, chairs, tables, benches, artwork, window frames and so on! However, make sure not to turn everything into a mess: stick to a group of colors (pastels only, bright nuances only etc), don’t choose an intricate pattern for your walls and choose at least one thing that’s neutral (the china set, the napkins, the table cloth etc.). And of course, our musical recommendation for the day is Cyndi Lauper- True Colors. See what we did there?
10. Memories
Must Haves: Family pictures, photo albums.
Description: This style is focused on your family and on every happy moment you spent together. So, instead of splashing many colors on the wall of your breakfast nook, hang a bunch of old and new family photos to remind you of the dearest people in your life every day. Plus, this would be a great conversation piece, right? Plus, you can keep adding pictures as new memories are made, which is great! We have this great song that we really wanted to recommend: Brad Paisley- Who Needs Pictures. And obviously, we all do!
Not that you’ve seen all our ideas, which one would you go for? Leave a comment and let us know!
