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.
Enjoying a coffee and laugh in the yet unfinished nook…
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.
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!
The finished nook built by my mom and dad is the perfect spot to take in the view while sipping a cup of coffee…
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.
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!
Gorgeous!
Thank you! I think so too. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
Can I just say…I love your Mom and Dad! What a special and blessed home!
Aw thanks so much, Donna. I love them too! So blessed to have them in my life.
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
I thought it turned out so cool! Love sitting there in the morning watching the sun come up over the mountains.
just found this and love a kitchen nook – so well done.
Thank you, Linda. It turned out even better than I could have hoped for! 🙂
Love this nook!!!! I also love the Summer House sign!! Where did they get that?? 😊
Hi Cheryl. I will ask them the next time I talk to them. 😉
Thank you so much for sharing the project and where you got the materials! So cute!
Thank you, Laurie!
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!
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 😉
Hi,
The nook is 6′ wide and 4.6′ deep.
Hi- would you please let me know the dimensions of the nook please
Hi Corie,
The nook is 6′ wide and 4.5′ deep. 🙂
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you responding. Just love this space!
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. 🙂
Love the white pendant lamps? Where did you get them?
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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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!
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 🙂
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!
My parents bought the sign a few years ago from Pottery Barn if you can believe it!
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.
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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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.
The nook is 6’ deep and 4.6’ wide. It’s a wonderful spot! 🙂
What color did your mom use to paint the booth? The view is amazing by the way.
Hi. The view really is amazing. The paint color through out the farmhouse is Benjamin Moore Super White.
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?
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. 🙂