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The breakfast bar is an excellent way to put some extra living space inside your kitchen.
It’s that place where you have your morning coffee while looking at the latest headlines on your tablet.
Even the smallest of breakfast bars can accommodate one if you plan them well.
They’re also the ideal spots for anything from sorting the mail to resting your back and feet while you’re keeping an eye of the food you’re cooking at the moment.
Image source: Rosewood Custom Builders
If you’re after that vibe of a coffee shop, but at home, all you need is a skinny ledge and a couple of stools. And, suddenly, your kitchen feels more like a sociable hangout and not just some place to cook or stack your dishwasher.
Image source: Sarah Fortescue Design
Not everyone has something like a kitchen island breakfast bar, or any other kitchen breakfast bar for that matter, so you should consider yourself lucky if you do!
Image source: Bulthaup by Kitchen Architecture
But, obviously, you’ll need more than just kitchen breakfast bar stools if you want one. There are plenty of breakfast bar ideas you can come up with, and you will find some of them below – take a look if you want that perfect breakfast bar.
Add some interesting breakfast bar stools
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Even the tiniest breakfast nook can be perked up by an attractive set of stools. Stools come in a wide variety of styles, so rushing your decision when planning isn’t something you should do, but take your time instead. And, don’t forget to sit on them before you get them, they should be comfortable for you, and high enough.
Image source: Mulcahy Ralphs Architects
Now, this is something that isn’t said often enough – plain, wooden, boring stools won’t cut it in the style department. Get stools, or any other kind of tall, comfortable chairs that have personality. Regardless of whether that personality is shape, color or design – it should fit your vision.
Image source: Harvey Jones Kitchens
As far as the height, measure how high your breakfast bar table or counter is. You’ll need between 9 and 13 inches between the seat and the counter if you want comfort, so keep that in mind.
- A chair stool is generally around 18” from the floor to the seat, and is best paired with a table or counter that is 28” to 30” high.
- A counter stool is around 24” to 26” high, and is best paired with a counter or table from 36” to 39” in height.
- Bar stool heights are in the 28” to 30” range, and the most suitable table is 40”-42” in height.
Make it bright
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If you want to add something special, get some light fixtures. If you highlight the space, it’ll be much more than just light bulbs and regular lampshades, and that extra bit of light will be great if you want to decorate on the extra counter tops.
Display your home on it
Image source: Studio 3 kitchens
If you want a welcoming, warm space, you can add some family photos. This can be an excellent place to display some of your favorite memories, as well as add some punch to a tabletop that is commonly bare and doesn’t really have a lot of personality.
That feast you’ll be having on it doesn’t have to be built-in – make it movable. A freestanding wooden butcher’s block is a great way to display this, as it can double as a place for a sandwich and glass of wine, or a cup of morning coffee and a sandwich. Add some wooden stools to add to that warm, country effect.
Add colors
Image source: Saint Dizier Design
When you’re having breakfast, you want to smell that coffee and wake up. Adding some color to the space will certainly help. A breakfast bar is associated with morning time, obviously, and it should absolutely reflect that. You should make those colors pop, and keep them cheerful.
Image source: Bulthaup by Kitchen Architecture
If you think it looks old and has become outdated, it might be time to clean it up. If it’s wooden, sand and refinish it, that will get rid of small indentations in the space, which are the key place for dust and food particles to get stuck.
Add a fresh coat of paint that matches your kitchen décor to breathe in some new life into it.
Flowers can be good
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Flowers will add a happy atmosphere and some colors too, but they’re also very good for your health. Fresh flowers will keep things bright, and your spirit along with them.
Having a vase full of your favorites is a good idea. If you don’t have any fresh ones, silk or plastic ones are also an option, but you should remember to wash them often, or they’ll look faded and dirty.
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You can also hang some plants as well. This is a pretty unique idea, and you get both the plants, and all that comes with them, along with the space on your bar top.
Image source: Roundhouse
Hanging them can be done from the ceiling, for example, in whatever arrangement pleases you. If you have a window by the side, add a touch of green by placing potted plants on the window.
You can also put some other kitchen items you use daily, such as a rolling pin, or a food processor, on the bar, but make sure the space is still clutter-free. You can make an attractive arrangement with canisters which have breakfast cereals and dry spices as well.
Image source: Paul Moon Design
And, if you’re the proud owner of a coffee machine, there’s no better place to keep it on than the breakfast bar. For quick and easy access, you can add jars of creamer, sugar and other coffee-related things as well.
Image source: Sustainable Kitchens
The breakfast bar is also a great place where you can show off things that you have collected over the years. The best option are ones that are easy to clean, and unbreakable, especially if you have kids.
If your bar is against a wall, you can turn the wall into an accent wall, or accentuate it with a collage of photo frames. One more option would be to hang a framed painting, and make it a focus point of that wall.
Image source: Dillard-Jones Builders, LLC
And, if you’re a wine lover, arranging those vintage bottles on the breakfast bar is a great idea. If you’re lacking space, you can always get a wine rack that can be either hung on the wall, or from the ceiling, or one that you can affix below the bar.
Image source: Charnwood Kitchens & Interiors Ltd
If you have guests, your wine glasses and ice bucket can be placed over the top, it will undoubtedly impress your guests.
Another interesting option is to add a basket of fruits on the bar. However, you should have a variety of fruits, and you should remember to replace them regularly. They’ll not only look colourful and fresh, but people will want to eat them all after a single look at them.
Style should be a focus point
Image source: Wyant Architecture
Do you want more discreet seating, or do you want to make a design statement? Do those stools you want actually work with the space you have? The answers to those questions may very well help you with choosing the style of stools that work for your kitchen and ensure a relaxing morning meal.
What kind of leather to use for upholstering?
Image source: Alex Maguire Photography
If you’re using your stools at a place where food is served, going for metal, wood or leather is a good option since those are low-maintenance materials. Upholstered stools are an option, but go with microfiber that you can wipe clean easily.
Ending thoughts on the breakfast bar
Decorating a breakfast bar is easy, isn’t it? A breakfast bar, especially coupled with a kitchen island, is a key part to any kitchen everywhere. This is especially true with families that have busy schedules and can’t really find time to sit down for a meal together.
A breakfast bar is the perfect solution to this. You can come up with creative themes and ideas to transform your breakfast bar into a beautiful and inviting place.
Regardless of whether the style is rustic, contemporary or traditional, you can get stools to complement it. You don’t have to make everything match. For example, if you have a dining room that’s adjacent to your kitchen, matching the style of seating isn’t really necessary.
And, if you have a lot of wood, you can mix things up by using metal stools. Keeping an open mind is the key to getting the right look for your kitchen.