Archive

Author Archive

Pros and Cons of Breakfast Nook Benches

August 31st, 2009 No comments

There are many things to consider when picking out your kitchen furniture. First, you must consider how many people will be sitting at the table and how much room you have. Second, the interior design of your home and kitchen specifically should be considered. Thirdly, you want to make sure that your choice is comfortable so that people will want to spend time there.

If you choose chairs for seating, then your will be able to accommodate four to six people. An alternative seating arrangement is benches that easily can hold eight to nine people if you sit close. Another benefit of the bench option is that they take up less room than chairs.

The L-shaped bench is a very common option. The L-shaped bench is just as it sounds. An L-shaped bench sits in a corner with the table moved up to it. You can then fill in the rest of the seating with additional benches, or chairs in any combination. Using additional benches will provide more seating space because you can fit a bench for three in the same space occupied by two chairs.

In addition to providing more sitting space, benches also provide other space saving benefits. Most benches will come with storage compartments underneath where you can store small kitchen appliances, art supplies, games or linens. These storage compartments are very convenient if you have limited counter or cabinet space.

If you choose to use the L-shaped or parallel benches then you want to consider the image they portray. Benches are usually made of wood and have a country feel to the room. Perhaps this is because of the similarity to picnic tables and benches. Whatever the reason, benches are not very formal or contemporary.

Think of the breakfast nook as an extension of your kitchen. If you have decorated your kitchen with black marble and stainless steel appliances, then wooden benches will seem out of place. However, if your walls are decorated with homemade arts and crafts and you use checkered linen, then the benches will fit in nicely.

Since most families gather in their breakfast nook for more than just eating meals, the comfort level of the seating arrangements is important. Benches require you to sit very close to your neighbor. If it is just you and your family then that should not be much of an issue, but if you entertain that is a different story. Your guests might not be comfortable with the intimacy required to sit so close. A good compromise is to use the L-shaped bench with chairs around the rest of the table.

In addition, benches can be uncomfortable for people of larger size. The surface area of a chair is much larger than that of a bench. If a larger person is sitting at your table, they will definitely be more comfortable in a chair. Again, the combination of benches and chairs should keep all your guests comfortable without denying you of the extra storage or accommodations.

Ms. Malisa knows for sure that a well appointed breakfast nook table will bring a lot of versatility to a kitchen. She also gets a rush writing about breakfast nook sets.

Ideas for Decorating Your Breakfast Nook

August 27th, 2009 No comments

For some reason when people gather in your home, they will probably gravitate towards your kitchen or breakfast nook. For whatever reason, this is where you will spend a lot of your time. Therefore, you want this room to reflect your personal style and compliment the interior design of the rest of your home. Even though the room is small, you have several opportunities for decorating.

The centerpiece of your breakfast nook, the table and chairs, are the first step to creating the perfect look for this room. You can make a big decorating statement with the selection of your breakfast nook set. If you choose a set with benches and a wooden table, then it is obvious you are going for a more country style home. If you choose an aluminum table with a glass top and aluminum chairs then I would expect your home to be quite modern. Whatever furniture you decide on, make sure that it matches the rest of the dcor in your kitchen like cabinets and appliances.

Once you choose the overall style of your kitchen furniture, then you can add touches to it to enhance the aesthetics. Many wooden chairs can be have painted seats or backs that match the color scheme of your cabinets, appliances, and counters. You can order your table with a tile border that matches your kitchen backsplash or you can pain the table with stencils that math those on your cabinets. The stencils can be protected by finishing the table with a laminate.

If you choose not to dress up your furniture with color or design then you can add that splash of color with cushions or placemats. Both benches and chairs can hold cushions of various colors or textures. Placemats can be for everyday specialty use. Everyday placemats will usually be a solid color or texture like the cushions. Specialty placemats can help decorate your kitchen for any holiday.

If you are thinking about selling your home then you might think about decorating your breakfast nook with china. Many people will set up china in their formal dining room to add a touch of color. China often compliments the colors in your counter tops or other kitchen decorations and putting place setting on the table is a nice way to dress up the room.

Another way to add lines and color to your breakfast nook is with curtains. Breakfast nooks are usually equipped with lots of windows so the necessity of curtains gives you the opportunity to add character to the room. Designers will note that kitchens are usually very angular rooms with straight lines. A curved cornice or valence will help to soften the look of the room.

The windows will also help to provide with a natural decorating element, sunlight. Nevertheless, when the sun goes down, you need to think of alternative lighting options. Whether you choose an ornate chandelier or simple spot lights, the lighting fixtures are another opportunity to tie your breakfast nook into the interior design of the rest of the house.

Many homeowners think that the lack of solid wall surfaces means that you cannot hang art in your breakfast nook. This is absolutely not true. The windows provide a large surface where many different types of art can hang. Arts and crafts stores sell decals that you can put on glass and paints that are meant to be painted on glass and that allow light to shine through. In addition, many people hang stained glass art projects with suction cups to windows in order to take advantage of the natural light source.

Breakfast nooks may seem like they do not offer many decorating options, but in fact, they do. By using the elements that you need in the room for functional purpose as decorating tools, you can make quite a statement with your breakfast nook.

About the Author: