Given a choice, many restaurant patrons invariably choose a booth over a table. It’s not just because a booth with a wide, cushioned seat and a well-padded back is more comfortable than a restaurant chair. A booth is cozier, embracing its occupants and giving them a reassuring sense of enclosure and intimacy.
We would do well to apply those same psychological and emotional criteria to kitchen seating. But too often, despite our craving for kitchens that are gathering places for kith and kin, we put machinery and cabinets ahead of truly comfortable–and comforting–seating.
Cooking convenience is critical, of course, and we can’t be blamed for lusting after high-powered restaurant-caliber ranges, built-in refrigerators, dual dishwashers, warming drawers, wine coolers and all the rest. But a kitchen designed primarily for cooking is a missed opportunity to give a home a genuine emotional center where people can gather in a casual and hospitable setting.
Because family and friends inevitably gravitate to the kitchen, it makes sense to cater to their needs first–even at the expense of storage or whiz-bang appliances.
If we can make that shift in thinking and acknowledge the kitchen as the hub around which much of our lives revolve, then comfortable seating becomes a common-sense priority.
Naturally, the kind of seating you choose depends on your budget, the number of people you’d like to accommodate and the space available. But it also depends on your intentions, which may or may not have anything to do with eating.
Maybe you want a spot for family conferences or a place for the little ones to hang out while you cook. Maybe you need a place to thumb through a cookbook or to read the morning newspaper. Or perhaps all you need is a place to have a leisurely cup of coffee with a spouse or neighbor.
Creating intimacy
The traditional horseshoe-shaped built-in breakfast nook with upholstered benches arrayed around three sides of a table long has been a favorite. It provides the same sense of intimacy as a restaurant booth and defines a space that seems distinct from the kitchen.
Upholster the seat and back cushions with vinyl or a smooth chintz to make sliding in and out easier. Or choose a table with lockable wheels that can be rolled out while occupants take their seats. Build the benches with hinged seats that lift up to provide access to storage below or build drawers into the base.
As an alternative to a wrap-around banquette, two facing benches can sit on either side of a table. As with a horseshoe-shaped nook, there always will be a bit of inconvenience involved when those on the inside need to get up. But that’s a small price to pay for coziness.
If you lack the space or the need for two or three benches, consider a built-in window seat with a well-cushioned platform and throw pillows.
Pull up a stool
If all you really want is a place for spectators or to lounge with a cooking magazine, you can dispense with a kitchen table altogether.
You might want to consider furniture brought-ins rather than built-ins. Flanked by bookcases or china cabinets, a sofa or loveseat can bring living room-caliber comfort into the kitchen. They may not comprise an optional eating area, but if you already have an eating counter at the island or a peninsula, you may not need another option.
If there’s room for seating only on bar stools at a counter, at least make them comfortable bar stools with substantial padded seats, footrests and curved and sloped backs. If you can accommodate stools with arms, better yet.
In a one- or two-person household, a comfy pair of wingback chairs flanking a tea table might be just the ticket. Another option is a pair of old-fashioned rocking chairs.
If you have to go the table-and-four-chairs route, choose comfortable chairs, perhaps similar to executive office chairs with reclining backs and seats that swivel. Slightly smaller versions of conventional living room club chairs are also good choices.
Most kitchen chairs are too small and too hard to cater to long-term lingering. If your goal is to spend quality time with family and friends, then it’s imperative to provide them with comfortable places to sit. Thinking of the kitchen as a living room or family room–one that also just happens to have plumbing and appliances–may help you find ways to achieve that.
