Breakfast Nook Reveal

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comYesterday I revealed the kitchen and today I’m excited to share even more! Take a peek at our newly renovated breakfast nook. I didn’t realize how much I would love and utilize this space until it was completely finished. Click through to see how we made use of our tiny dining area, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots in our home.

It’s always best to start with a before image, because let’s face it- our friends & fam thought we were nuts for buying this house. I love comparing the before & after images; it’s difficult to believe this room looked like this 6 months ago…

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comPretty crazy, right? We have so much more storage after shifting around the floor plan, yet it feels pretty open. I’m also happy to see a physical and aesthetic barrier (the small wall) that separates the dining area from the back entry in the laundry room. I was weirded out having a dining space so close in proximity to where people are constantly going in and out, tracking things in… mostly the dogs. As much as I love them, they can be dirty little creatures.

Want to see another before and after comparison? Let’s do one more. I snapped this photo the day we purchased the home and oddly enough- this was one of my favorite rooms in the house. The lighting, the window, the energy… it just felt right to me.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comFor a small eat-in dining space, it’s actually very comfortable! That was one of our top priorities and I think we achieved the level of comfort we were looking for. I designed the banquette, custom cushions (read all about those here), and scored a couple cantilever dining chairs. The modern chairs are actually very comfortable despite their industrial look. They have a nice bounce to them and obviously I love the way they look (hence our previous dining room). The chairs had original brown covers (see those in this post), but I had them reupholstered to match the banquette cushions for a more cohesive look.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comThe cushions turned out exactly as I had hoped and they fit perfectly! I love the subtle contrast welt and the fact that they’re super durable. I specified an outdoor fabric that is very cleanable and dog friendly, because I have to the face the facts- I know one of the boys will jump up here when we’re not looking. Cash has already started napping here during the day (eye roll). Does he think he’s a cat?

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comI capped the bench with two bolster cushions and I love the circular shape that is repeated throughout the breakfast nook. You’ll notice the occurrence in the dining table, artwork, as well as the pendant light. It’s a nice contrast to all of the square edges, sharp corners, and geometric floor tile. It adds a nice feminine touch.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comThe entire banquette is all functional storage space. The section shown above, or the end piece, is actually a super long pull out drawer. We have SO much closed storage now, we literally still have empty cabinets to fill. I’ve never had that problem in my entire life! It’s pretty nice.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comI fell in love with this dining table, but the round top wasn’t suited for our small space. It was just way too large. I ended up finding a thrifted dining table that had a similar geometric pedestal base, and then I had Emmett’s work cut a custom wood top. I designed the oval top to fit our dining area perfectly and maximize the traffic path around the breakfast nook. It was a far less expensive option that is custom made for the actual space.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comThis is the only dining area we have inside our home, but if you remember the veranda reveal, I added a large outdoor dining space. It makes entertaining much easier, but if I’m being honest- Emmett and I are perfectly happy and comfortable eating our meals right here. After all, we’ve been without a dining table altogether for almost two(!) years, so after hundreds of meals eaten on the sofa, this is a VERY nice change of pace. I finally feel like an adult again!

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comLiving in a small house certainly has challenges, but living in a tiny space while renovating is a totally different ballgame. Now that the entire kitchen area is complete, I feel like I can finally breathe again. It has been fantastic to make dinner and sit down at our table to enjoy it together, instead of what used to be the norm… carryout on the couch after working into the wee hours of the morning. I really don’t think I’ll ever take it for granted again. Even having a dining table to display fresh flowers is making me very happy as of lately. I’m rediscovering the little things and trying to appreciate the journey!

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comOf course with any renovation comes the unexpected… a couple weeks ago you most likely witnessed the lighting debacle on Instagram. I had to swap the fixture from my original plan and it was a bit of a scramble. Despite the fact that plans sometimes change, I rolled with it and am really happy with the end result. The new pendant looks perfectly sophisticated hanging from the classic ceiling medallion above the dining table.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.com

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comI think my one of my favorite things about the space is the view. There isn’t a bad view… whether looking out the window onto the veranda, into the laundry room (do you spy Finn in his crate?), or peering back at the kitchen, I’m content taking it all in. I’m incredibly proud of our renovation and the fact that we’ve done it all ourselves. That has to count for something.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comIf you’re into the artwork, catch that easy textile DIY in the post. I couldn’t decide what to hang here in the corner. I went from vintage motorcycle prints, to this charcoal piece I sketched in Italy, and then I nixed both and whipped up these graphic prints on linen I dyed with coffee. I love the warmth it adds to the space- it ties in the stained cabinetry and soft wood tones perfectly.

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comFor a behind-the-scenes look at how the kitchen and dining area renovation unfolded, follow this Pinterest board! I shared images throughout the entire renovation and thought that was a fun way to document the journey. If you’re interested in sources, I’ll link everything in the roundup below!

01: ceiling medallion // 02: art DIY // 03: glass vase // 04: pendant light // 05: cabinetry pulls // 06: cabinetry knobs // 07: oval dining table (similar) // 08: trim & cabinet paint: custom mix, but it’s somewhere between… first star SW 7646 and big chill SW 7648// 09: cantilever dining chairs // 10: floor tile // 11: backsplash tile // 12: custom banquette cushions // 13: bolsters // 14: stone countertops // 15: espresso maker // 16: wall paint: alabaster SW 7008 // 17: pot filler

Breakfast Nook Reveal - roomfortuesday.comLet me know if you have any questions and as always- I love hearing your feedback in the comment section below! Thank you again for following our never-ending kitchen / dining room renovation. It’s a bit surreal that it is finally finished.

Tune into Instagram tonight at 8pm MT for a live tour and Q&A in the space! I’ll be chatting about the kitchen, breakfast nook, process, and all things renovation. 

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44 Comments

  1. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Your artist’s eye is so evident! The circular motifs; the subtle grades of gray; the hits of warmth from floor to ceiling (forgot to mention that beautiful range hood with the wood inset yesterday!); the welt detail on the cushions that’s echoed on the cabinets, and the slim backsplash tile and even the stripe in the floor! That table easily surpasses the inspiration and looks made for the space. (Ha.) All this is not to ignore your skill for space planning. This room feels like it functions! (Empty cabinets? Whoa.) You guys are impressive.
    (Now I can’t wait to see the hallway…who says that?😀)

    1. Peggi, I love seeing your comments everyday!! Thank you again for your kind words. It’s really fun to hear what people pick up on- and I have to say, you’re hitting all the points I hoped someone would notice :) The hallway is going to be another fun space to share. I’m excited your eager to follow along. xox

    2. I love the wood and stain color of your base cabinets! I love your whole kitchen design…it is gorgeous! Can you please share your wood type and stain choice process? I must have missed that!

      1. Thanks so much, Nancy! You can read more about those items in the kitchen reveal, but the wood type is clear alder and the stain is a custom color I mixed in the cabinetry shop. xox

  2. Sarah, your kitchen and dining space looks absolutely amazing! I love how it’s so “you”–I can see your touches and attention to detail in every corner of this space. You have an incredible eye and your space is so beautiful, thank you for sharing this with us, it’s amazing!

    1. Thank you, Emily! I really do think it feels like us and I’m so happy that shows. Loved reading your comment this morning :) xo

  3. You and Emmett knocked it out of the park again! This is truly my favorite kitchen/dining space out there right now. Cheers to you both.

    1. Thanks so much, Heather! I really ended up loving this little space. I thought the kitchen would be my favorite by far, but this is a close contender. I love looking toward the window at this vignette. xo

  4. Laurie Anne says:

    OMG!!! I LOVE IT!!! I cannot wait to snuggle up on there with cashy pooh!!!

  5. This. Is. My favorite. This seriously looks like a million dollars.

    1. Ahhhh thank you!!! xox

  6. Love your sweet little breakfast nook… I’m sure it has been worth the wait. It’s amazing to see what a little paint, hard work and a good design can produce… the windows, the cushions and the table… with your new kitchen – all the heart eyes!

    1. Thank you so much, Terri! It’s been a LONG wait, but it certainly feels worth it now that things have wrapped up. xox

  7. I absolutely LOVE your breakfast nook!! I have a similar space that we are in the process of renovating! The one thing that I noticed was that the table/chairs look really close to the cabinets. (If you’re looking out the window to the left) How much space is between the cabinets and table? I know that will be a somewhat dilemma for us! :)
    It looks GORGEOUS!

  8. Your kitchen nook is fabulous! Is there anything you two can’t do? 😉 The Design And DIY power couple of the year for sure. I love how beautifully it all ties together in the kitchen and laundry/mud room entrance. You’ve thought of everything! Awesome work and the fact you completed all that work yourselves is well “crazy” in an amazing kinda way!

    1. Colleen- that’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about us. Haha! Thank you so much! xox

  9. I can totally see myself sitting in your nook, drinking coffee for hours (hopefully with Cash on the cushion by me – hee hee!). Since I’m since a huge fan of organization, I’m so excited that you made the banquette a functional storage space. I’d love to see a post on that! Ah, your kitchen is drool-worthy!

    1. Yesss!! That sounds perfect. I need to make time to do that. The banquette has SO much storage- we don’t know what to do with all of it. I’ll add a storage post to the calendar. xox

  10. Wow just wow, everything feels so fresh and new but also super classic and timeless! Must feel like a total dream eating and cooking in such a beautiful space! I’m so glad I found your blog this year!

    1. So happy you’re here, Ash! It definitely feels amazing to eat and cook in our newly finished space :)

  11. Kimmyintx says:

    So beautiful Sarah! I love the dining chairs so much!!! Now enjoy all your hard work!

    1. Thank you so much! I’m into vintage dining chairs and couldn’t say no to those… I love them in here! xo

  12. The space really came together! I love how the windows look in the after– how did you do the divided light look at the top? Is it an exterior screen? What did you use to paint the frames (I found with some of my windows that nothing would stick except garage door acrylic)?

    1. Thank you, Lori! The division in the window is actually an interior mullion… so the line lives inside two panes of glass. We actually didn’t paint the window- we replaced them, I ordered it in black. xo

      1. I had no idea you could do that! It looks fantastic. :D

  13. Gosh! Speechless! I hope to see your place featured in a magazine, so beautiful. You two rock!

    1. Thank you so much! That would be a dream come true. xo

  14. Your kitchen and nook look phenomenal, Sarah and Emmett. You two can be very proud of your skills and choices. It all came together beautifully. Cheers, Ardith (Meanwhile, we are in the midst of settling into our new home and working to make it functionally and stylishly our own.)

    1. Thank you so much, Ardith!! Wishing you the best of luck settling into your new home- that’s SO exciting. Congratulations!! xox

  15. julie mcfadden says:

    Good Lord this is amazing ! So beautifully done. PERFECTION.
    That table, where did you find that ?

    1. Ha! Thank you SO much Julie! The table is kind of a hacked up custom job… I thrifted the table, but hated the way it looked- so I kept the base, had a top made, and painted the entire thing. Sorry! I wish I had an easy link to share. xox

  16. I have a question. Did you have to cut the hole in the ceiling medallion to make it bigger? The one you linked to says it has a 3 and 1/2 inch inner diameter. The canopy of the light you used is 5.25 inches wide. Was it difficult to cut the ceiling medallion? I find it hard to find one with the correct inner diameter for my 5.25 light canopy. Thanks.

    1. I honestly can’t remember, but I don’t think we ended up having to cut it! Sometimes you can still wire it up, even if the canopy is larger… it just covers a bit of the medallion (which is perfectly fine!).

      1. Ohhh. That makes sense. I wouldn’t have thought of that. Thanks for your reply! Very helpful.

        1. Of course!! Happy to help :)

  17. Tim Schulace says:

    Was there anything special about the long pull out drawer in your banquet seating? Was it a pull out (the rail on the bottom) or a drawer (rails on the side)? How did you adhere the door to the pull out? Thanks in advance. Looks great.

    1. Hi Tim! It was a drawer. There were rails on both sides. Hope this helps :)

  18. Fabulous! Do you have the link to the vent hood? It’s so beautiful!

    1. Thanks, Ana! I don’t have a link, I’m sorry. I had that custom made.

  19. Eve Lewis says:

    Would you please give me your oval table dimensions please? Lovely space 💜

    1. Sarah Gibson says:

      Hi Eve! I wish I had the dimensions, but we moved 4-5 years ago and the table stayed with the house (otherwise I’d go measure for you). Sorry!