An informal alternative to the traditional dining room, a kitchen nook is a great space for casual and intimate meals. Whether you’re enjoying breakfast with the family or hosting an afternoon with friends, your kitchen nook can offer a cozy space for close conversations and shared moments. Use it as an opportunity to add some depth to an open-plan kitchen or get the most out of an awkward corner, creating a well-rounded space that’s both functional and social. Here’s how to do it.

The first step to creating a kitchen nook is to find seating that fits your space. Whether you’re using a corner or a recessed niche, a bench or banquette is probably the best starting point. Fit your bench along the wall or window ledge of your nook, so people can sit facing in towards your kitchen. Bench seating can be custom-made to fit any shape, and it maximizes the number of people you can fit into your nook. It can also double as a storage bench if you need extra space in your kitchen – it’s a win-win!

Once you’ve decided on your space and installed a bench or banquette for your nook, you can choose a table. Consider the amount of space you have, and how many people you want to fit comfortably around your table. A round table is great for a small corner, as it allows more people to dine around it without taking up too much space. If you’re working with a niche space, a long and narrow table might be best, in a dining booth set up.

Add some extra seating if needed, to finish off the staple dining pieces. A few individual chairs can round out your kitchen nook and close the space in, making it more secluded and cozy.

You’ll need to light your kitchen nook well, without overpowering it with overly bright lights. Go for a classic pendant fitting that hangs in a central position over your table, which will create a warm glow in the middle of the table for people to gather around. A hanging pendant that sits relatively low will create a more intimate feeling than a light that sits close to your ceiling.

Once you’ve got the basic principles in order, don’t forget to add your personality to it! Play with color schemes and patterns that you like, while remembering to create a nice flow from your main kitchen space. Pick up on accents already in your kitchen, maybe it’s some upholstery for your banquette that compliments your cabinets, or a rustic wooden tabletop that matches your kitchen shelves. Create texture and depth with a nice variety of materials (e.g. upholstery, wood, stone, metals, glass) and finish the space with some decor pieces like art or plants, without crowding your table too much.