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The tufted floral armchair in the corner of cookbook author Dan Pelosi’s Hudson Valley kitchen is more than just a great place to sit while waiting for dinner to be served. For Pelosi, the piece of furniture is a representation of family, and his Italian American heritage. Once upon a time, the chair belonged to his grandfather, Bimpy, and—as a part of Pelosi’s home makeover—now dons a textured botanical fabric from The Lawns and is situated next to a rattan floor lamp, vintage stool, and a painting by Jocelyn Ulevicus. All of the cooking action can be seen from this sun-drenched corner. It’s easily the best seat in the house.
When it comes to cozy reading nooks, why should the living room get to have all the snuggles? The kitchen is the perfect place to lounge around. Ahead, we rounded up seven more ideas for squeezing in extra seating.
Don’t Go Overboard with Furniture
Whether you have a whole corner to dedicate to a lounge zone or just a sliver of wall space, here are the essentials: An accent chair, a cocktail table, a floor lamp, and a work of art. Designer Laura Stephens pulled this arrangement off just next to the pantry in this London home. It’s a convenient spot to sit and snag bubbly water out of the beverage fridge
Cuddle Up by the Fire
In addition to windows, a fireplace is a natural spot to arrange your kitchen’s seating around. If you are lucky enough to have a wood burning stove like Alastair Coomer and David Breen, make the most of it by filling up a basket with magazines and cookbooks and hunkering down in a spindle-back chair for the evening.
Construct a Daybed
We bet interior designer Hannah Pemberton is never alone in her kitchen thanks to the built-in couch. Kids can plop down with their homework on the bench. Friends can sprawl out after dinner. By adding a library of shelves around the daybed, Pemberton created a true living room-like feel in her cooking zone.
Top It Off with Large-Scale Art
Buchanan Studio founders Charlotte and Angus Buchanan have concrete floors and stainless steel cabinets and yet their kitchen is the epitome of warmth. Why? In addition to plopping two traditional table lamps on top of their island, they parked their checkerboard velvet Studio Sofa across from the stools. By hanging a large photograph by Alex Bramall above the couch, it makes its placement in the kitchen feel purposeful and not like they just forgot to move it out of the room on move-in day.
Chase the Sunset
Just like a giant fiddle leaf fig tree needs proper sunlight to thrive indoors, so does your kitchen’s seating nook. In this deVOL-designed space, the addition of a simple footstool invites you to hangout for a little while.
Frame It with Lighting
No room for a floor lamp? Consider an articulating wall sconce instead. It doesn’t soak up any extra floor space and it helps delineate the seating zone, even if that just consists of a lightweight butterfly chair like the one in this Plain English kitchen.
Get Thrifty
Putting furniture in your kitchen that might be better suited to a living room or, say, your grandparents’ home will give it charm, says deVOL creative director Helen Parker. In her own space, she opted for a faded squishy chesterfield couch that isn’t so precious guests aren’t allowed to snack on it.