Photo by Nicole Roegner Mixing red into your plate palette can liven a space.

With the right ideas, you can cook up a great dining nook or make your kitchen the ultimate gathering place.

Even fancy pants foodies and gluttonous gourmands know that fabulous dining is not all about eating out. The love of food preparation and consumption is reinvigorating American kitchens. In fact, as builders downsize homes – often eliminating the formal dining room from floor plans – local interior designers are noticing a trend toward in-kitchen dining and entertaining.

“Kitchens are changing,” says Tempe interior designer Theresa Jilek, ASID. “It’s almost like the dining room has come knocking on the kitchen door.” That makes the breakfast nook worth a look. Once a spot reserved just for casual family meals, the nook – a small space located near or just off of the kitchen – is becoming a focal point for entertaining and daily dining.

Here’s how to kick your nook up a notch.

Furniture
For a formal-yet-functional vibe, try a round dining table with a curved, upholstered love seat accented by two chairs. Outdoor furniture fabric or even leather-looking vinyl can create durability and comfort.

If cozy, casual and kids drive your taste, maybe it’s time to revisit the banquette. The seatbox/bench and tabletop design of a banquette makes it a natural fit for a corner, and in-bench storage maximizes space.

A great Generation Y grouping can include a 36-inch high stainless or wood pub table, also called a gathering table. “This is really growing in popularity,” Jilek says. “People in this group really like going to wine bars and jazz bars, and they’re bringing this feel into their homes.”

For Gen Y’ers, Michelle “Mitch” Phillips of Modern Living Environments in Phoenix also suggests an antique table surrounded by acrylic chairs. “It’s a unique mix of new and old, but it makes your dining area different and unexpected,” she says.

Colors
Fruits and vegetables shouldn’t be the only kitchen items bringing color to the table. Make a splash with your backsplash. Mix it up with your fabrics, perhaps upholstering your chairs with colors that work with the color palette of your kitchen. And get ready for red.

“Red is becoming very popular. This doesn’t mean the walls are fire engine red. But cabinets or even a little bit of red in dishes can be pepper red or gypsy red,” Jilek says, also noting a trend toward more feminine hues. “You’re seeing this with pinks. It’s a warmer pink, but you do see pink making a comeback.”

Photo courtesy Pillars of Design Circular track lighting and blue art glass pendants, plus a steel backsplash and blue quartz countertop lend this kitchen a fluid, watery feel.

Lighting
Lighting can almost single-handedly make a room feel inviting or revolting. Start with these rules of thumb: To avoid being too large, your light fixture should be two-thirds of the width of the table. It should hang two-and-a-half to three feet above the table.

As for styles, one of Jilek’s top recommendations, especially for kitchen nooks, is the light fixture with a big, 24-inch rounded shade. (Think pillbox.) Another nice touch over a kitchen bar or island is an undulating light fixture, which can create a continuous ribbon-like effect, almost like waves over water. Pendant lights can help define seating areas over islands or pub tables. Even a well-placed chandelier can make its mark over an in-kitchen island.

 

Odds and Ends
Whether your kitchen nook showcases a sleek pub table, drop-leaf table or a fixed island, the options you can add for ambience are almost limitless. Consider:

Moveable glass wall systems. Not just for resorts anymore, these floor-to-ceiling glass walls move like folding doors to create a clear wall when closed and a dramatic open-air entrance to backyard patios.

Mixed materials. “Try changing out the countertop to a surface that’s different than the rest of the kitchen,” Phillips says. For example, marble works for modern and traditional – it adds visual interest, and it complements almost any cabinetry. Unfinished concrete might work well for the gutsy Gen Y’er. Over time, a collection of wine spots, olive oil drips, water glass sweat rings and a multitude of scratches will create a well-worn, modern look.

Accessories. Woven placements from chain stores, attractive dinnerware and funky napkin rings – touched off by fresh cut flowers or fresh fruit in a bowl – can create a cozy, homey ensemble on a dime.
In the end, Jilek and Phillips suggest that you should set up your kitchen according to how you’ll use it 90 percent of the time.

“You can incorporate living, food preparation and eating all together,” Jilek says. “It’s almost like there are no barriers anymore. You don’t have to have titles attached to rooms. The kitchen becomes more of a gathering room than just a kitchen.”

RESOURCES
Modern Living Environments
Phoenix, 480-206-8543
azmle.com

Pillars of Design
Tempe, 480-895-3224
pillarsofdesign.com