This breakfast nook transformation came as a bit of a surprise to me. For one, I wasn’t necessarily looking for a massive change in this space, and two, it didn’t happen overnight. A while back, I decided to make our formal dining room my office. Once I made that switch, it had me reenvisioning our breakfast nook. I wanted to revitalize and maximize our breakfast nook, creating a modern breakfast nook with a twist. I share how this revelation came to be by adding a built-in bench, finding the perfect dining chairs, and a super-easy DIY creating a modern moss bowl. Take the journey and see how you can make your ordinary breakfast nook and turn it into a modern refreshed breakfast nook!
Before
Now that our breakfast nook would be our main eating space, I needed it not only to accommodate more people, I also wanted it to flow with the rest of our home, which would require a modern touch. Leading me to the idea of adding a built-in bench, and the rest is history! Let’s dive-in!
Designing a Built-In
Adding a built-in bench is pretty straight forward. Start by selecting and measuring your wall, settling on height, width, and length. The next decision was deciding if I wanted the bench to be dual purpose – this was an easy YES for me. The bench would serve as a place to sit and be additional storage in the way of pull-out drawers.
The extra storage would help declutter my pantry by storing extra serving platers, etc. To see how I ran with this extra space and reorganized our pantry, click here.
I opted to use the same paint color as our kitchen cabinets for the bench creating a seamless transition, using the same stain from our fireplace remodel for the top. Again, just keeping it streamlined and pleasing to the eye. The paint color was custom matched by SW. I simply brought a drawer in and had them create the color!
Maximizing Your Space
Does this table look familiar? Even before the built-in was complete, I knew our round table would no longer work in this space. I would need a more significant and long table. The round table went quicker than expected, and it was mid-winter. So, I opted to test our patio table in its place. Instantly I knew it was the perfect fit. The hard lines of the metal legs, mixed with the Elm Wood top, bring perfect balance to this space and blends well with the kitchen and living room aesthetics.
Before, we had a lot of unused space in this nook. Now, we have maximized this space with a larger table making the area feel more substantial.
Modern Gallery Wall
Have a blank wall and not quite sure what to display? That’s where I found myself. I wanted to add a gallery wall, but not in the conventional sense, looking to achieve a modern and minimalist vibe. Wanting more natural elements in our breakfast nook, I elected for a cutting board gallery wall. Cutting boards are all the rage with countless styles, colors, materials to choose you are sure to have a super unique wall. To begin the gallery, I started with the largest and seriously stunning board in the center and built from there. To learn more about the how-to’s of gallery walls, check out this past post!
Stunning Cutting Boards for Your Home Decor
Show-Stopping Dining Chairs
Dining chairs are an investment, and one you do not want to have buyer’s remorse after you purchase. It is imperative first to determine the overall vibe you want to achieve. Believe it or not, comfort and ease in cleaning are always my first criteria – again looking for longevity. Next, is uniqueness and I didn’t want a dining chair that I had already seen everywhere. Then came the Milano dining chair – SHOW-STOPPING. The woven back is a nod to the woven leather chairs in our living room. Again, playing off the hard/soft texture combination I love so much.
More Show-Stopping Dining Chairs
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DIY Moss Bowls
Quality and realistic moss bowls are hard to come by, and if you do, they tend to be very pricey. Don’t waste your time and energy searching for the perfect bowl/moss combo. Instead, take on a super easy DIY project that leaves you with polished moss bowls perfect for any room or atop any surface.
Regarding wood on wood – is this “ok” – it’s a question I get a lot. And the answer is yes, just make sure there are variations between the two, such as different color hues and different types of wood.
Step 1: Select Your Vessel
To start this project, you need a bowl; it does not have to be wood. When selecting your vessel – keep sizing in mind – big, small, or even multiple. For this project, I opted for 2 bowls instead of one longer base to achieve the coverage I needed.
Step 2: Fill Your Vessel with a Stuffer
Why do I do this? Adding filler not only cuts down the actual moss you will need saving you money. It also adds natural grooves and texture, creating a more realistic look. For stuffing, you can use newspaper, paper shavings, or even bubble wrap.
Step 3: Add the Moss
I utilized moss balls for this particular project. You could also use moss sheets. If you want to secure the moss, you can hot glue it to your filler. I don’t find this step necessary, but if you think you will be moving it around, it won’t hurt.
And voila, you are finished!
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Add Warmth to Your Nook
Utilizing industrial and modern furnishings can leave a room feeling a bit cold. To avoid that, you want to add finishing touches to warm the space. I incorporated beautiful textured pillows to the built-in bench. Not only are the throw pillows gorgeous, but they are also adding comfort for our dinner guests.
One of my go-to design tricks when finishing a revamped space is to borrow items from other places in our home that maybe I have grown a bit tired, but not where I want to get rid of them. The cow hid rug was formally in Nick’s office, but I knew it would bring perfect balance to this space and make it feel complete.
Shop My Modern Breakfast Nook
Just because a room has been used in a certain way for years doesn’t mean it has to stay status quo. I encourage you to keep pushing yourself in your home décor. Not settling on a space just because that is the way it has always been. Revision and reimagine. I wanted to create a modern breakfast nook that reflects my style, and I have no doubt you can do the same! I can’t wait to see your DIY moss bowls, share them with me #MRIDIY on Instagram!
