My immediate reaction, and maybe its the angle of the picture, is that the chairs are way too big for that space, and the white on white on white doesn't work here because the shades of white are a little too different from each other.

I would get smaller chairs, and change your centerpiece bowl to something bright red or black or a color from the painting above the nook.

i think the chairs are too big, it looks cramped. and there's too much white. recover the bench padding with colorful fabric and add pillows and more art at varied heights.

The chairs are too bulky. The blank wall needs a large vertical piece. Colorful pillows propped up on the benches would help.

Those chairs seem monstrous and dwarf the table, I would recover the bench in a fabric reminisce of the painting and then stagger some art above and below it in a similar theme. If you don't want to get new chairs I would remove the two matching and place the one you currently have on the end in their place. A really colorful bowl in black or crackled pottery would really make the table pop as well.

eta: The chair on the end being for the little one and also, I didn't mean "monstrous" as in hideous they just appear massive because of the table.

Do you need to have all those chairs in there? I think the two matching chairs would look great, but having the third (is that a high chair? In that case, it's temporary so nm) makes them seem "too big." Also, you may want to keep the chairs pushed in to make the space seem bigger.

I would also take the leaning art off the shelf and hang it up. I agree with rlmesq that a lighter color fabric on the bench padding and a pillow or two would help soften up the space.

Your instincts on the art I agree with. It seems unbalanced. I'd try hanging it higher on the wall before giving up on it though. Good luck!

A thin bench or two low profile stools would be good instead of the chairs. The chairs are great, but need a new place in your house. They don't say "nook."

You need some colorful cushioning behind the banquette seating (bench). Rather than pillows, I suggest creating a cushioned that's attached to the wall. You could probably do it following instructions for a DIY upholstered headboard (which are all over the web & AT) just altering the measurments. If you're skilled or brave enough, try the mid century-style tufted type. Make the back at least as tall as your chairs and use something with a pattern.

Definitely get a light over your table. If there already is one higher up, then get a longer one and bring it about 30 inches above the surface of the table. Even if you don't have a hardwired fixture there, you can get the kind that plug in and just bring it along the wall (hide the cord with a cord concealer painted to match your walls from any hardware store.

Also, what is that white thing with the pictures on top? If it's not built in, I would move it because it makes the space look awkward and closed in.

I agree with the everyone. The two chairs are too big for the space. Maybe paint the bench one of the colors in the pictures (yellow or green) which will help make the table stand out.

I agree with the other comments. The chairs do look too large for the space AND the table. But in the meantime, if it were my place I like color, so I would paint the walls (perhaps just the wall with the longest bench.) I think a nice peacock blue/teal would look great and it's a color in your rectangular artwork with the circles. Can you get another piece of that artwork? Hang both of them together. Otherwise, yes, that piece is too small for the wall. I don't think recovering the bench is necessary, but add 2 pillows, coordinating in color (maybe some with yellows and blues or even red or orange.)

What is the thing holding the babys picture and leaning piece of art? Is it permanent? Getting rid of that would help. The fab white chairs need to find another place in your home. Art on the walls is difficult because people will lean against it. Perhaps a rug or some fabric piece to hang on the wall. Or paint something right on the wall.

The good news is that you’ve got lots of potential. Here’s what to change:

---Your art is too small, and it mimics the shape of the table. Go with something big, bold and square for high impact and instant brightening.

---The space is too white and harsh. Add some color via your art, and soften with textiles. A few simple throw pillows on the bench seat. The big and bold wall art suggested above could be fabric, too. Like a Marimekko piece.

---Too much plastic. Plastic table + plastic chairs = plastic overload. Move the pair of dining chairs to another room, or outdoors. Replace them with something wood, with or without upholstery. Keep the scale small as you don’t have much space.

---Declutter. Get rid of the stuff on the pony wall (shelves?).

---Replace that awful high chair (sorry)! It is plastic-y and takes up a ton of visual space. Swap it out for a Stokke, which is actually attractive, colorful, takes up less visual space, AND will grow with your kid. On the lower end, you could do a Keekaroo if the Stokke is out of your price range.

http://www.stokke.com/en-us/highchair.aspx

Nooks should be cozy and I think some color (i.e. paint) on the wall would make it more cheerful. And the black cushions are also not super cozy, maybe a patterned print (oooh, chevron print). As everyone else has said, the big chairs have to go and so does the big fruit bowl. I'd probably hang a cute chandelier or pendant over the table to help define that whole space as cozy, intimate, nook. And a rug. Ok, I guess that doesn't help much in terms of streamlining does it. ;)

Your ceilings look like they're pretty high (which I love), but even if they aren't, I'd reconsider that particular piece of art on the wall. I think the space could benefit from hanging a more vertically oriented piece there, and/or on the other wall too to get rid of the blank space and the huge gap above the piece currently hanging. Something long and more slender maybe (or even rotate that painting 90 degrees)? As it is now, the orientation of that painting brings the room down and looks a tad awkward.

And I second most of the sentiments about the chairs - a bit too bulky =)

I would warm up the space with a wood top instead of that whitish one. I am distracted by the color of the top vs. the other whites. I also agree that the two chairs are too big. There is too much bulk at the floor with the table pedestal PLUS the bench PLUS those chairs with the bulky bases. How many people are in your family? You may only need one chair + high chair on the side and have the end open, otherwise, keep the high chair on the end and get two smaller chairs on the side.

Needs color! Yes the art is too small. Is it also a tad too high? AT said recently that the center should be at 57" from the floor.

If you don't have anything bigger maybe do a big grouping of smaller things.

I agree with everyone else about the chairs being too big. but I actually don't like any of the furniture there.

The proportions are all wrong, and just because two things are the same color doesn't mean they match. The bench clearly doesn't go with the table and chairs.

Wrought iron chairs would be light, have a small profile, and you could get colorful cushions for the seats. Get a round table to contrast the angles.

If you can't paint, get a really large piece of art for that space - it's the first thing people see, so you need to make a dramatic statement.

@kd4300 - the 57" rule could normally apply, but since there is seating underneath, you need to hang the art high enough to make sure no one hits their head on the art or knocks the art down.

you need a round table... period

I agree that the Loretta Chairs take up too much space here, although I love the white on white and the various shades thereof. I also agree that the current artwork is a little underwhelming. I'd say, just add to what you have. Make a gallery wall building on what you have hung already. , maybe adding more color to offset the white. You've got a great base here and can do a lot (with little $). Good luck and happy decorating!

Ditch the Panton chairs and the tower thing adjacent to the l-shaped bench. The artwork is cool, but undersized for that wall. Try hanging it vertically on the small wall, and get something big and bright for the other wall.

Wall art...go big as many have suggested

I use mirrors to expand space..so assume you enter at the spot picture was taken?

I would have mirror cut for a frame you assemble on the blank wall..if that is the one
you see first when entering your nook.

Obviously you must work with highchair and that is the most appropriate spot. I would try for a
small chair..maybe French metal bistro chairs or cast off wooden chairs painted different colors.

I would limit yourself by covering the bench with a color, but rather some texture in another white, cream or gray tone...you can wrap the fabric? quilt, bedspread, anything that can be cut and wrapped and stapled.

Then on the wall behind the bench I would add
huge mass of different plates, large group of
food posters, wallpaper piece or fabric piece
with a molding, also to consider would be
chalk paint and then paint a faux frame around the large area of "chalk board"

I don't see all white as a problem at all--even the chairs if you cannot change them right now. Fill it with color that you can move around. Just use more white tones and textures.

It must be very awkward to try to enter the seat at the far end with that tall cabinet there - I'd remove that first off...
...and the chairs are too bulky for that tabletop - either replace the chairs w/ something smaller or get a larger tabletop.

Other than that - How about some upholstered panels around the wall to serve as a backrest for your banquette? You could go quite high with the panels which would make your space feel much more intimate and cozy, and still have space above for hanging artwork.

I think it's that one chair with it's back to us. Replace it with a stool or something backless. Also, the other chairs are too big for the space. Maybe a freestanding bench?

I would change the chairs to the TOBIAS chairs from ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20115038

They wont take up nearly as much visual space and are the right size for your space, and will maintain that modern look you seem to be going for.

@champers - the chair with its back to the camera is a high chair for the baby, so I'm presuming that they can't replace that with something backless :)

I agree that the cream of the table top and the white of all of the chairs aren't playing well together. You also seem to be crowding the doorway with the large vertical piece next to the bench and the large chairs. Like most people, I think you should use smaller chairs or stools and remove that other thing.

I would suggest giving your bench more presence and appeal as a place to sit by adding a back cushion. I might raise the artwork, because it looks to be about head height. An accent wall on this wall would be very effective, and adding a pendant light would give the area more presence.

Also, you clearly need to create a solution somewhere nearby for a landing pad, since it is the place that purses get dropped, etc. On a completely related note, I'm guessing that you are calling this a kitchen nook because you have another dining area. You could re-evaluate how much you actually need a separate kitchen nook. What you may really need there is an entrance area, and a place to put the kiddo while you cook.

thanks for all your suggestions!! i completely agree with them... anyone in ny interested in purchasing the panton chairs (they are not authentic) so i can get new chairs??

the rest of the apartment is painted red/blue/yellow/stripes/etc so we tried to tone down this area with the gray hence the lack of color. i thought the artwork would add some color, but its obviously too small. willing to sell that also if anyone is interested, haha!

i agree the white cabinet at the end looks odd, but we have a small galley kitchen and use it to store our potatoes/onions/placemats etc so we can't ditch it. also, the items propped up are not staying there, they used to be on the wall (along with shelves) so i just propped them in the interim until we decide what to do with the walls.

guess ill start slow and replace the chairs and fruit bowl... then ill be on the lookout for a large piece of art!

i appreciate the comments, keep 'em coming!

It looks too crowded. That table would fit only the high chair and two or three grown-up chairs comfortably. It would be handy if the high chair stayed on a short side with a grown-up chair placed at each adjacent side and possibly a third at the opposite short side.

Can you reduce the seating so it's just enough comfortable chairs to seat the people eating together daily? I tried using a bench at the dining table and found it very uncomfortable. If new furniture is an option, then I recommend castered chairs and a table with rounded corners.

If you have a larger household than can eat together there comfortably, is there another place to eat so that you can give up eating in the kitchen breakfast nook? The benches could stay there to make it a mud room entry. If you must keep it as a breakfast nook, then remove everything except what you need in order to eat.

@baybgr41 - We keep potatoes in a hallway closet, so I hear you on the storage issue. I would still move it though.

not sure if anyone is still reading, but do you think any of these chairs will work?

http://tinyurl.com/2ctnpsk : love these, but have 4 victoria ghost chairs in another room -- too much acrylic?

http://tinyurl.com/29v7tch

http://tinyurl.com/25jwb9t : also comes in black base w/ white cushion

I love the Panton S chairs, but they just don't work in this application. I think something less visually bulky would help, I'd suggest clear Victoria chairs.

If you can't get rid of the cabinet, don't put any artwork on top of it. It makes your eye sort of circle the room for strange visual clutter, which is weird cause the room is really sparse. I think I'd get rid of the panton chairs, put a nice big piece of art opposite the high chair, find some smaller scale chairs and call it a day.

First off I don't think you should put ANOTHER bench around the table, that's not going to resolve anything. I love Panton chairs but you should move those and replace them with something airier: Eames plywood chairs with metal legs or Echo chairs from CB2, phantom chairs...it depends on what you like. I would move the artwork to the narrower wall across from the baby's high chair and hang it vertically.
Then on the longer wall hang a series of three ink drawings on a creamy colored paper. That will tie in the warmer white color of your table top.

Also can you hang a pendant over the table? I agree that you could change the cushions. If you bring in some more color the black will fit in better and stand out less. I think every room should have some black in it. Crate and Barrel is having a sale on sunbrella covered cushions

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/sale/outdoor-furniture/ventura-sunbrella-sunset-modular-chair-cushions/s443355

Grandinroad has some nice outdoor rugs that are easy to hose off outside when the baby makes a mess. An area rug under the table might help that space feel more cohesive.
http://www.grandinroad.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=20834&fromNewSearch=true&mercadoResultId=1&nrpAltSearch=false&altText=null

I think the white cabinet is really awkward but understand that you need it for storage. Could you hang it or something like it horizontally on the wall? It would have to be a little high so that anyone sitting on the end bench wouldn't hit it.

Or can you store that stuff underneath your benches? I think moving the cabinet and getting smaller, simpler chairs would help a lot.

To begin, take the artwork you have hung horizontally and hang it vertically on the other wall. I agree about the size of the chairs and the disparate whites. Bright, big patterned bench covers and pillows will help, as will another large, perhaps circular, piece of art on the large wall.

I would definitely:

- add a pendant light over the table.

- add some pretty throw pillows, you can also change the fabric on the cushion cover.

- I agree that the chairs should be replaced with something non-plastic. When you look at the floor, its all plastic plastic plastic! Chairs should be wood - or something not white.

- add a cozy rug.

- replace artwork with something that takes up more space - you can also look into mirrors.

- the high chair you can leave since it is a temporary situation, however the more streamlined stokke version mentioned above would look awesome.

- try to remove the cabinet. I hear you on the storage issue. maybe you can move the cabinet to another location? or use the space above kitchen cabinets to put storage baskets (assuming this is possible)?

you have to send in after photos!

Thanks baybgrl41 for posting this question. I have a very similar layout and I just removed the shelves on teh wall. I really opened up the space but now I have a storage issue. All the suggestions posted here apply to my breakfast nook as well, so thanks everyone!

i am considering a chalkboard wall for my dining room.
http://style-files.com/2010/11/03/another-chalkboard-wall/

I agree with all the comments above: too much white, too much plastic and the chairs are too big for the nook.
Suggestions:
1. Hang the picture that is leaning against the wall on the empty wall, then replace it with a large vase of flowers or a nice plant on the cabinet.
2. Personally I don't like the way the artwork looks on the wall, the colors, shape and texture don't work, try replacing it with something more cheerful and larger.
3. If you're trying to tone done colors in your house you could color these wall a light shade of gray. Then go for a palate combination of gray, white and another bright color such as yellow, orange or green.
4. Yes, cover the black bench seats with a different color fabric.
5. Light- either hang a nice pendant light above the table or you could put a side lamp on that cabinet.
6. Personally I don't like this table with its sharp edges and the cream doesn't work well for me either, you could try a map, a runner, or perhaps a round black lace place mat under the centerpiece, something to try to make it softer, then you could leave the centerpiece white if you wish.
7. The storage issue: so I understand you're storing potatoes and such in this cabinet, but it looks a bit out of place and uncomfortable, so you could try switching it with a different storage solution such as a few large hanging bowls that you can hang from the ceiling and put your potatoes and onions in them.
Also, what about those benches? Do they have storage place?
Another solution I thought of could be cutting the cabinet in half, lengthwise, to create two low cabinets that you could place on both sides of the benches.
Good luck, I'm sure you can make this nook look great :)

Sorry, I don'thtink the chairs you posted as alternatives would help the problem at all -- but I can see you have a style preference that is holding strong!

I have these chairs and they might work for you (similar MCM lines to your favorites, but wood or color choices and petite size): http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19380

I'd really try for a smaller high chair, too, if possible. That one is bulky and doesn't fit the space.

PLEASE move the storage cabinet. It looks like it might fit at the end of the longer bench, which at least would clear the way to the seating in the shorter one.

I agree with the ideas of padded seat backs for the benches, and larger, more square, more colorful art work. Not pillows -- they would be easy but the bench seats look too narrow for that.

It does look as though there might be storage under the bench seats, and if there is, I'd use it instead of the cabinet. Another substitute for the cabinet might be a chrome wire corner rack meant for bathroom use. Wall mount it in the corner of the nook above head height and store veggies in the shelves.

Since the space is so small, I would also consider a round table -- maybe just replacing the tabletopyou have with a round one on that base would work??

Good luck!

I think an oval table would really make a difference, if you can locate one that fits in the space. You already know that you need different chairs. I echo the comments of others to limit the seating to what is actually needed on a regular basis. Your little one will be out of that high chair in no time (and besides, there are many other less bulky options if you are interested in reconsidering...) I would think about an option that would include only two chairs in addition to the built-in bench.

Agree with all about the chairs and suggest getting "ghost" acrylic chairs as they would not "eat" up more space visually. Larger art piece as suggested and a more interesting centerpiece and pillows. Need some good color in there in the art and pillows, something warm and bright.

Not sure what the tall piece at the end of the seating is (it has a picture on top) but if possible, remove it and the stuff on top - it adds to a cluttered look and has the appearance of being a dumping ground for things.

An oval table would soften the look of everything and add 'air' to the space.

The problem with your eating nook is that it looks dreadfully uncomfortable. That is why it is not welcoming.

In order to solve your dilemma, you have to address both comfort *and* design. (Good design should always be comfortable -- it is a key component of what makes a design "good").

First off, the bench seating is uncomfortable.

The seat is too narrow and that bottom of the cabinet is the same depth as the seat -- good benches allow the seated individual to pull their legs back a bit. And there is no back -- if the seating were deeper, you could add pillows, but there is no room.

There is no way, with your narrow little tower of potatoes and onions (which should never be stored together btw -- they make each other deteriorate faster) teetering on the end, the narrowness of the benches and the narrow sharp edged of the table -- that an adult could never squeeze through there and be comfortable. And moreover, just the thought of it makes one uncomfortable...

I think that this arrangement (with a few little modifications) would work very well in your home if you are committed to keeping all that underseat storage. It wouldn't take much to have this custom-built, either by yourselves (my husband could easily make this, so could anyone in your family if handy with tools) or a carpenter. Putting the tower storage on the door end helps better define the entrance and eating areas. The Eames chairs would add nice lightness to your space too.

http://www.cococozy.com/2010/07/lucite-dining-table-leads-me-to-fab-nyc.html

As well, I'd suggest going with an oval table, which will make getting into those corners easier. An oval Saarinen table in white or marble would be ideal. But you need to change out that pointy table top...

And I too had the thought that you should get a Stokke highchair instead.

If you are not committed to the underseat storage, I would suggest finding an antique bench or settee. They fit more with an entrance, and so would be particularly fitting. (you'd need to store your potatoes and onions elsewhere)

Something like this would give your space a dynamic texture and depth, and would work nicely with a white table and chairs, especially if you have different materials, like a white marble (don't overwhelm it with pillows though):

http://vintagepollyanna.blogspot.com/2010/09/little-friday-love-for-my-antique-bench.html

This one probably has underseat storage, and a nice depth. It would look stunning with an oval Saarinen table:

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=467639

Here is a piece in current production. There are chairs to coordinate with it (I think a combination of both types of chairs would look stunning):

http://www.margarethowell.co.uk/home-products/vintage/furniture#/home-products/new/furniture

If you have the headroom, and it looks from the photo like you have great high ceilings, i would suggest this chandelier, which is both a drum pendant and a chandelier; it makes the space more dramatic, which I think is nice from the entrance aspect.

http://www.furniturefile.co.uk/retail-33.htm

I've seen Debbie Travis do a knock-off, so you might want to check that out.

Oh, and some huge artwork behind the bench -- perhaps an oversized vintage movie poster.

Good luck!

The chairs are wayyyyyyy too big. There looks like a long bench for seating - you might be able to do without any chairs at all. If not, try just a couple smaller ones. I'd move the small art to the other wall and find a bigger piece of art. I wouldn't do shelves over anywhere someone is sitting.

The chairs are just too much. Go for a more streamlined look.

Get a table thats a little longer, and go for bench style seating.

Also, replace that art with a mirror, or a larger piece of art. Maybe even some floating shelves.

Good Luck!