Decorating How To

a brilliant breakfast nook

November 3, 2016

A few posts back I shared a tour of my parents Vermont farmhouse .  It continues to be a work in progress. Since my last visit a pergola and some outdoor benches built by my dad have been added, but the most exciting new addition is the cantilevered table in the breakfast nook. Temporarily, there was a small table and four rather uncomfortable metal chairs.

My parents enjoying some laughs and coffee...

Enjoying a coffee and laugh in the yet unfinished nook…

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Cute but uncomfortable table and chairs…

The idea was to have a booth with a table but the question was, what kind of table?  My parents have always had a white painted kitchen table. Very nice, but not always practical. The knots would eventually bleed through, certain foods would stain it, and newspaper would make an inky mess.  I came up with the idea of a metal topped table. The more it gets used, it will develop a lovely patina and better yet, be indestructible! While we were discussing this over dinner at our favorite Vermont pizza restaurant, Christo’s , it occurred to me that the booth table we were sitting at was held up by a cantilevered bracket. No awkward table legs to fuss around and bump your knees on! Brilliant!

A quick google search turned up tablebases.com and my dad ordered the commercial grade large cantilevered table base.  It comes in black only so of course my mom painted it white. My dad had to cut out the wall and spray foam insulation to attach the bracket…a 3 hour project.

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A bit of a mess…

The metal top turned out to be a bit of a hunt for my folks. They used two ¾” pieces of plywood with a smooth finish top. The first metal workers quoted a price of about $1000 which nearly gave my poor dad a heart attack!  Next they went to their local welders who do a lot of auto metal work, Monarch Sheet Metal. The quote to put a piece of 24″ gauge stainless steel  onto the existing plywood base was $143.  Sold!

I absolutely love the floating table. My mom and I  accessorized it  with some items she already owned and it is a perfect spot to eat a meal while gazing out at the field and mountains.  We are on the lookout for a small rug, and at some point will have 2 large bolster type cushions made for the back. But for now we are loving this cozy breakfast dining nook!

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The finished nook built by my mom and dad is the perfect spot to take in the view while sipping a cup of coffee…

 

 

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  • karen November 3, 2016 at 11:40 am

    what a great idea you had. looks fabulous.I love their place and especially the kitchen drawers from Ikea. I’m gonna have to copy that one. Visited Vermont a few years back…every grocery parking lot was filled with Subaru’s.You couldn’t help but notice them.

    • edbdesignssb November 3, 2016 at 7:00 pm

      Thanks, Karen. My parents couldn’t be happier with their IKEA kitchen and the money they saved. My dad was able to put the cabinets together and then had a carpenter help install them. Vermont is a great state. There are also lots of trucks and Jeeps along with the Subarus!

  • hairbyamywentzblog November 3, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Gorgeous!

    • edbdesignssb November 3, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      Thank you! I think so too. 🙂

  • Gerri November 3, 2016 at 1:43 pm

    This space looks so cozy and peaceful! It reminds me of our home in Dallas when I was young. My dad was an architect and designed the home. He included lovely built in seating in the kitchen. I have memories of all six of us sharing meals in that lovely space. Sadly, I don’t believe we have any pictures to show of it. Thank you for a lovely memory and hope you have enjoy that sweet serene spot often with your mom and dad!

    • edbdesignssb November 3, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      Thank you Gerri for taking the time to comment. I’m glad it brought back memories for you. It is amazing sitting at that table in the morning waiting for the sun to rise over the mountains. Lots of new memories being made. 🙂

  • Donna November 3, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Can I just say…I love your Mom and Dad! What a special and blessed home!

    • edbdesignssb November 3, 2016 at 4:52 pm

      Aw thanks so much, Donna. I love them too! So blessed to have them in my life.

  • evagabrielacontreras November 3, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    Love, love, love!!! What a brilliant idea to use a cantilever bracket with a metal top! It looks very cozy with a clean, modern edge…. Can’t wait to see more, Elizabeth

  • edbdesignssb November 3, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    I thought it turned out so cool! Love sitting there in the morning watching the sun come up over the mountains.

  • Linda March 6, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    just found this and love a kitchen nook – so well done.

    • edbdesignssb March 6, 2017 at 10:32 pm

      Thank you, Linda. It turned out even better than I could have hoped for! 🙂

  • Cheryl Maccanico March 18, 2017 at 2:08 am

    Love this nook!!!! I also love the Summer House sign!! Where did they get that?? 😊

    • edbdesignssb March 18, 2017 at 4:09 am

      Hi Cheryl. I will ask them the next time I talk to them. 😉

  • LAURIE FITZGERALD March 20, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing the project and where you got the materials! So cute!

  • Laura March 31, 2017 at 9:01 pm

    Hello, I found an image of this nook on Pinterest and I just love it. Do you happen to have the dimensions? We have a very narrow off-kitchen space that seems comparable to this but I’d be curious to know how large this space actually is. Thank you!

    • edbdesignssb April 1, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      Hi Laura,

      This nook I should in my parents home in Vermont. As luck would have it they are there this week. I’m waiting for my Dad to e-mail me back with the dimensions 😉

    • edbdesignssb April 2, 2017 at 1:41 am

      Hi,
      The nook is 6′ wide and 4.6′ deep.

  • Corie April 1, 2017 at 5:08 am

    Hi- would you please let me know the dimensions of the nook please

    • edbdesignssb April 2, 2017 at 1:42 am

      Hi Corie,
      The nook is 6′ wide and 4.5′ deep. 🙂

      • Laura Kuhlemann April 3, 2017 at 5:45 pm

        Thank you so much! I really appreciate you responding. Just love this space!

        • edbdesignssb April 3, 2017 at 6:14 pm

          You’re so welcome. My parents designed and built most of the house themselves. It’s one of my favorites they’ve built over the years. 🙂

  • Ian Lloyd April 15, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    Love the white pendant lamps? Where did you get them?

    • edbdesignssb April 16, 2017 at 1:58 am

      They are from a local Manchester, VT shop called Green Peak Elements. Brad Andres who owns the shop also is on Etsy and if you contact him can find just what you are looking for at reasonable prices. 🙂

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  • Lizzie July 12, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    Did your Dad build the booth seats as well? Any tips or instructions for that? I love this idea, and have been thinking about doing it in our current kitchen, but not sure how much it would cost, so this is quite helpful. Looks great, thanks for sharing!

    • edbdesignssb July 12, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      Hi Lizzie. Yes, my dad built the seats himself. He was a contractor and is quite adept at building all sorts of furniture. He’s working on a dining table right now. I don’t know the specifics only that he designed them himself. I’m sure any builder or handyman could do the same for your home 🙂

  • Siana September 5, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    This is so cute!
    I love the “Summer House” sign also, where did you get this? My Dad has built a Summer house in his garden which is his pride and joy! Sign would suit well!

    • edbdesignssb September 5, 2017 at 9:56 pm

      My parents bought the sign a few years ago from Pottery Barn if you can believe it!

  • Charlotte McKamie September 24, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Can you find out the dimensions of the space and the benches? I’m trying to figure out if a space I have is large enough.

    • edbdesignssb September 26, 2017 at 10:41 pm

      Hi Charlotte. The benches are 19″H x 20.75″D x 55″L. The nook is 6′ x 4.6′.

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  • Dee October 14, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    Hi,
    This is absolutely stunning! Would you happen to have the measurements of how wide the space is? I have a similar nook in my house, but it is quite small.

    • edbdesignssb October 14, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      The nook is 6’ deep and 4.6’ wide. It’s a wonderful spot! 🙂

  • Ali Valverde December 7, 2017 at 2:53 am

    What color did your mom use to paint the booth? The view is amazing by the way.

    • edbdesignssb December 7, 2017 at 3:35 am

      Hi. The view really is amazing. The paint color through out the farmhouse is Benjamin Moore Super White.

  • Bridget March 5, 2018 at 4:43 pm

    This space is so beautiful!! Thank you so much for sharing and including resources and measurements! Some breakfast nooks seem to recommend putting the bench seating and backs at an incline for comfort. Do y’all notice any discomfort without the inclines?

    • edbdesignssb March 5, 2018 at 5:05 pm

      Hi Bridget. We don’t find any problem with the straight back, especially with pillows. My mom liked the look of the straight back better so it was a personal choice. 🙂