A Kid-Friendly Serena & Lily Breakfast Nook

This post is sponsored by Serena & Lily.

We recently converted our formal dining room into a living space, which means our breakfast nook is now one of our most used spaces in our home. When prepping for a breakfast nook with children, it’s important to be ready for spills and messy spaces. I selected an indoor-outdoor rug, extendable dining table, easy to clean chairs, and more family-friendly options for this space.

Our new Serena & Lily breakfast nook is complete with Coastal style woven chairs and a gorgeous wood table.

What is a breakfast nook?

You might be asking, what is a breakfast nook? For us, it’s a small area that’s located right off of our kitchen. This is our only place to eat in our home. It’s a place where our kids color and work on art while we cook dinner. It’s our space for entertaining when we have company. For us, a functioning breakfast nook is key and here are a few things to consider while designing this extra space in the kitchen.

Gorgeous woven wicker chairs in our newly updated Serena & Lily breakfast nook.

What to consider before designing a breakfast nook?

Are you confused about what to include in your breakfast nook? Is it an awkward space and you’re not sure how to furnish it? Here are a few things to consider, along with my favorite kid-friendly dining options from Serena & Lily.

Will the space be comfortable? How often are you using this space for your family? If you’re using it for dining, school activities, entertaining, and more, you will need a comfortable space.
How durable is the decor? Will children use this space? Ask yourself if it’s going to be used frequently and require constant cleaning. Consider your expectations for the items to hold up to wear and tear, cleaning solutions, and more.
Does my design suit the needs for my family? We all love a beautiful space, but you need to think about function above all else. Think about how many seats you will potentially need over the years. Also consider an expanding table for entertaining guests.
Do I have enough space for the furnishings? Before you start designing any project, you will need to figure out how much space you have. Make sure you also consider the table height and how much room you will have for chairs to fit underneath. Consider if they will comfortably scoot under the table and sit out of the way.
Is this design cohesive with the rest of my home? We have an open floor plan and it’s important to incorporate a design that fits in with the rest of the space. Think about the kitchen lighting, rugs in nearby areas, and your other furnishings when selecting the breakfast nook furniture.

Are you still worried about making design decisions for your dining area? I recommend the free design services at Serena & Lily. They have helped me put together designs in the past. It is free and fast with one-on-one professional help via phone, email, or chat!

Kid-Friendly Dining Room Furniture

When designing this makeover, my biggest goal was to make it kid-friendly. We’ve owned dining chairs that were spot clean only and it was a disaster. It only took a few days for spilled milk and ketchup hands to ruin the chairs. We’ve also tried a variety of rugs and for the longest time, I gave up and swore that I would never have a rug under the table. Then I tried the Willomere Rug and I love that it’s hand-knotted so it is more durable.

A closer look at the new woven bamboo chairs in our Serena & Lily breakfast nook, with white woven wood and bamboo legs.

How to Furnish a Stylish Coastal Breakfast Nook

Round Dining Tables

A stunning coastal style round dining room table, blue woven wood chairs overlooking a coastal scene. — Beach House Table

A white round dining room chair surrounded by white woven wood dining room chairs. — Beach House Table

Rectangle Dining Tables

A lovely dining room set up with a white dining room table, surrounded by white woven wood chairs and a woven wood bench for seating. — California Table

A long white rectangular dining room table surrounded by a long bench and chairs for seating. — California Table

Washable Chairs

Spills happen! The Riviera Dining Chair is easy to clean, I simply wipe the spills away. Worried about play-doh and crumbs? You can scrub the chairs with a brush and vacuum!

Tan Riviera Dining Chair from Serena & Lily.

Coastal Blue Riviera Dining Chair from Serena & Lily.

Natural | Coastal Blue | White

The Riviera Dining Chair is a classic Parisian bistro chair with bent and shaped rattan. The seats are woven from the finest quality rattan and lightweight resin, making them fabulously family-friendly and great for dining spaces.

Durable Rugs

The Serena & Lily Corsica rug is the perfect coastal blue rug for a dining room or breakfast nook.

The Serna & Lily Hillsborough rug is a gorgeous coastal blue with white pattern.

Corsica | Hillsborough | Willomere

Hand-knotted rugs are super durable and a great option with children. There are specific care suggestions for these rugs, but we have had the best luck with a light power wash and spraying with a hose. The hand-knotted design with the high-traffic durability makes these our favorite go-anywhere rugs.

Our Serena & Lily Breakfast Nook: Before and After!

I’m so excited to reveal this breezy and coastal space. It is so light and airy, with beautiful blues and gorgeous views. I love the mix of natural textures like the Shore Dining Chair with the Malibu Bead Chandelier. We have tried several round tables here and we just did not have enough space for our family. We have big plans for a large kitchen renovation in the near future, so I selected these items based of that design. Once the renovation is complete, we will be able to pull the table out and extend it for daily use.