11 Dining Nook Ideas From AD PRO Directory Designers

By Alia Akkam

There’s no denying the magnetism of a formal dining room or feasting at a long table laid with crystal and china. But it’s the versatile dining nook that’s currently having its moment in the sun, particularly in homes short on space where an elaborate setup just isn’t practical for casual meals or everyday living. In the hours between unfussy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, these spaces can conveniently morph into a workspace, children’s arts and crafts zone, or home bar. One thing is for sure: These 11 multifunctional versions by designers listed on the AD PRO Directory invite all-day lingering.

Exposed brickwork helps establish an elegantly timeworn feel at this West Village breakfast nook by Ursino Interiors.

Built in 1899, the townhouse in New York’s West Village that Maureen Ursino spruced up for a young family flaunts plenty of original elements, like exposed ceiling beams and brick walls. The warmth from the brick was the starting point for the garden-level’s breakfast nook. “We felt it was important to select finishes that honored and enhanced the brick, being that it is such a key material in the space,” explains the Colts Neck, New Jersey–based designer. “The vintage ladderback chairs speak to the smoky charcoals, and the plaid back cushion introduced a graphic pattern that helps to pull you away from the wall.” Overhead, an Apparatus lighting fixture imbues the rugged brick with a contemporary sheen.

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A beachy vibe was Lindye Galloway’s goal for this dining nook in California.

A Newport Beach abode from the 1920s is the second project that Costa Mesa, California-based Lindye Galloway worked on for a family that she has come to know well over the years. The coastline isn’t far away, and to capitalize upon that proximity to the water, Galloway opted for a beachy vibe by pairing a white oak reeded banquette with earth-toned leather chairs and a snow-colored table grounded by a chunky geometric base. “We added a window to bring in natural light and then balanced the other side with a neutral painting. I love that this nook takes white walls to a new level,” she gushes. Such a configuration cleverly maximizes space, too, Galloway adds, with the “built-in against the wall becoming a feature moment of its own.”

Chartreuse-toned velvet upholstery juxtaposes the floral wallpaper chosen by Sarah Stacey for this dining nook in a studio space.

Tuscan furniture once filled the studio in Fredericksburg, Texas, that Austin designer Sarah Stacey set about elevating. Her desire to instill the beige box with romance and pattern appears unmistakably in the dining nook, which is backdropped by Zoffany’s Richmond Park wall covering. “The ceiling is quite low, and we wanted it to be moody, but not cave-like. This wallpaper has some metallic gold that shines through the foliage. It has a nice effect when it catches the light,” Stacey explains. Upholstered in chartreuse-hued velvet, the banquette meshes with Sherwin Williams’ Antiquity paint color on the ceiling and contrasts with the Farrow & Ball deep Hague Blue on the trim and wainscoting. The Khloe milk glass pendant from Ballard Designs and Meyda Lighting sconces play well with the botanical motif too.

Keeping it clean and simple, STADT Architecture chose statement pieces to give this seating area a bold presence.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Mayer Rus

By Katherine McLaughlin

A dining nook makes for a standout feature at STADT Architecture’s renovation of a prewar New York apartment, which looks over Abingdon Square Park in the West Village. A custom oak and silver leaf mirror graces the space, reflecting the treetops that peek in through the windows. So does a centerpiece Incas table by Angelo Mangiarotti. “With its trapezoidal sculptural base, the tabletop stretches horizontally, floating above the floor and creating a lightweight feeling,” says Christopher Kitterman, principal of the local firm. On one side, guests can sit on a custom wall-mounted leather bench festooned with Kvadrat-upholstered pillows; on another, they can retreat to the open-back walnut and mohair chairs from Egg Collective. “The seating arrangement reinforces the airy and open feeling,” Kitterman points out.

A corner underneath two windows provided a perfect spot for Chango & Co. to nestle an additional seating spot for this Austin kitchen.

Even though there’s an island lined with stools in the gut-renovated kitchen of this Austin Victorian home, the most sought-after space for settling in is the built-in banquette. “We wanted to provide our clients with the comfort of a back cushion without it looking super structured or too tailored,” explains Susana Simonpietri, creative director of Brooklyn-based Chango & Co., so “we created wall-hung back pillows that are supported by leather belted straps with cute hooks.” A Global Lighting pendant mixed with Scandinavian chairs and a vintage Italian travertine table infuse the nook with an attractive old-meets-new sensibility.

In Washington, DC, Byron Risdon created a versatile area for entertaining in a niche that overlooks a terrace.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Mayer Rus

By Katherine McLaughlin

When a divorcé was downsizing from a bungalow to a small apartment in the Capitol Hill section of Washington, DC, he wasn’t ready to give up all the fine trappings of a house just yet. “In many ways, his mind was still in a bigger space because he wanted a sofa large enough to stretch out on and a dining area for entertaining,” remembers local designer Byron Risdon. “The nook was kind of a no-brainer since it allowed for a space to tuck away the table but also looked out onto the terrace when seated.” Risdon mingled a West Elm swing-arm lamp—a classy alternative to a ceiling fixture—with neutral-hued Four Hands chairs and mobile custom-made furniture. The table, bench, and shelves can all instantly disappear when more space is required.

In this Chicago kitchen, Emily Frank created a family hub around an oval table and a built-in bench.

As she revamped the kitchen of a single-family home in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, Wisconsin-based designer Emily Frank knew she wanted the dining nook to “function as the hub—a cozy, magnetic spot that provides fuel and comfort for the day. The moment you slide in, you’re transported to your own personal kid-friendly chef’s table,” she says. Pillows, artwork, and florals add colorful flourishes to the oval Arhaus table and the surrounding white walls. Frank was also keen to weave in unexpected details, like a tambour reeded accent wall and hanging straps on the custom banquette, which were crafted by a Montana leathersmith.

Both family meals and dinner parties take place at this dining nook, designed by Lark + Palm for a California ranch home.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Mayer Rus

By Katherine McLaughlin

To modernize a 1950s ranch in Kentfield, California, Sausalito studio Lark + Palm did everything from raising ceilings to extending the primary suite. “While we did add square footage, we were still working with a petite footprint, so every inch mattered,” recalls cofounder Ansley Majit. Take the dining nook, with its Noir chairs that complement the table’s rounded edges. Cofounder Stephanie Waskins says that “we wanted to continue the feeling of lightness, a soft, neutral foundation that allowed for layering in texture and touches of color.” In such a high-traffic environment, light-colored upholstery would have been a disaster. The solution? Enveloping the bench in a Holly Hunt vinyl that resembles chunky woven linen.

Durability was Latham Interiors’ priority for this family dining area in Idaho.

When overseeing a family getaway in Ketchum, Idaho, local designer Sarah Latham prioritized durability. “We needed it to withstand three young boys and ski gear, and still be something the owners could relax in after a long day of playing on the mountains,” Latham says. She achieved that harmonious atmosphere by combining custom, locally made pieces with items from some of her go-to vendors, including Schumacher, Cowtan & Tout, Kufri, and Roll & Hill. Adorned with wood, jolts of plaid, and a candle pendant, the dining nook conveys that rustic, calming aesthetic while serving “as a natural gathering space for family and friends to have a cup of coffee, play a board game, or share a delicious meal,” Latham muses. “Dining nooks create intimacy and invite conversation that suggests neighbors snuggle up closer to get everyone in.”

A sky blue banquette wraps around the bay window of this Seattle home, remodeled by Massucco Warner Interior Design.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Mayer Rus

By Katherine McLaughlin

A tufted banquette and lighting from The Urban Electric Co. anchor a welcoming dining nook inside a Seattle residence remodeled by Massucco Warner Interior Design. “A wipeable banquette is a must in a space used day in and day out by a family, and the blue of this one is so cheerful,” says founder Julie Massucco Kleiner. The Los Angeles–based designer gave great thought to elements like the tabletop’s cut corners, which allow diners to easily glide in and out of seats. She also enlivened the vignette with bursts of color, such as the red tape trim gussying up the green Roman shades. “It shows that the same attention to detail was paid to this space as the rest of the house,” she adds.

The dining nook that Mimi & Hill added to this New Jersey kitchen helps to visually connect the space to the outdoors.

Design studio Mimi & Hill knew just what to do when a Westfield, New Jersey, kitchen needed a refresh. A door was removed to make way for a sofa-like custom banquette; the island enlarged to yield more countertop space; and infusions of natural, textural materials like quartz, cerused oak, leather, and steel connect the room to the outdoors. In bringing the dining nook to life, “the biggest challenge was the angled seat. We worked closely with our upholsterer to make sure the angles were perfect when producing the cushion,” recalls partner Miriam Silver Verga. The duo also carefully weighed table options. “We went with an oval shape,” adds partner Hillary Kaplan, “to allow plenty of table space without having the harsh edges of a rectangle.”

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