If you’re anything like me, you love the warmth and coziness of your kitchen on a cold winter morning. There’s not much better than the smell of muffins baking and coffee percolating as the winds howl outside! Why not tuck a breakfast nook into a corner of your kitchen so that you can savor the sensation along with your breakfast and the morning newspaper?

Breakfast nook sets come in several different designs. The traditional design uses high-backed, L-shaped benches positioned together at an angle, a trestle table and a third bench for additional seating on the other side of the table. What a perfect setting for informal family meals or game nights! Think, too, about sunny mornings spent sitting at your nook with a cup of tea while enjoying the garden view outside your window. This design comes with a bonus: storage space inside the benches. Lift up the seats and you will find deep wells suitable for storing dishes and linens and pots and pans when not in use.

Other breakfast nooks incorporate a pub look with high round tables and stools or two opposite-facing benches with a table in between. It all depends on your taste and the size of your nook. Even if you do not have a separate nook space in your kitchen, you can create a sense of separateness by laying down contrasting tiles or a rug in that area. Cushions and other accessories in the same contrasting color scheme complete the scene.

Breakfast nooks also come in a variety of wood types and finishes to suit just about any taste. Or, if you prefer, you can purchase an unfinished nook and complete the set with your own personal touch.

So, what do you think? Tired of family meals grabbed on the run or eaten in front of the TV? Add a breakfast nook to your kitchen and see what happens. Meal time can be family time once again.