Dezeen Magazine

Dollis Hill Avenue by Thomas-McBrien

Ten social kitchen interiors with built-in seating nooks

For our latest lookbook, we've rounded up ten kitchens that integrated seating – from window seats with garden views to benches that double up as vinyl storage.

Dezeen's lookbook series provides curated visual inspiration from our image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing textured plaster walls, sculptural staircases and basement conversions.


Reading nook in Birkedal by urlaubsarchitektur

Birkedal, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen

On the Danish island of Møn, architect Jan Henrik Jansen designed a cluster of nine cylindrical holiday homes covered in spruce logs in the hopes of bringing guests closer to their rural environment.

Here, windows seats are nestled into the curvature of each cabin while pebbles collected from a nearby beach line the floors.

Find out more about Birkedal ›


Seating nook in Grove Park by O'Sullivan Skoufoglou

Grove Park, England, by O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects

O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects added a huge picture window to the kitchen of this gardeners' home to provide varied views of the greenery and the wild woodland outside.

A comfy seating nook is integrated into its deep-set frame, finished in the same pale ash veneer that panels the rest of the interior.

Find out more about Grove Park ›


AR Residence, England, DeDraft

AR Residence, England, DeDraft

A concrete bench seat sits opposite the dining table in this London home, measuring just high enough to store the owner's collection of vinyl records underneath.

Materials throughout the interior follow a muted natural palette, featuring large-format concrete tiles, exposed Douglas fir roof joists and lacquered-pine window mullions.

Find out more about AR Residence ›


Reading nook in Sea Ranch by Malcolm Davis Architecture

Coastal Retreat, USA, by Malcolm Davis Architecture

Plywood covers the double-height interior of this holiday home, forming a seating nook with integrated shelving that connects the elevated kitchen to the living space beyond.

Set in California's Sea Ranch community, which is celebrated as one of the best collections of modernist architecture on America's West Coast, the house was arranged around views of the rugged coastline.

Find out more about Coastal Retreat ›


Window seat inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London

Low Energy House, England, by Architecture for London

Original Edwardian details including structural masonry walls and timber roof beams were retained and exposed in this renovation and extension project in London.

This is complemented by a windows seat made from chunky limestone, which is placed opposite a kitchen counter honed out of the same material to make cooking a more social and communal experience.

Find out more about Low Energy House ›


Reading nook in Flitch House by Oliver Chapman Architects

Flitch House, Scotland, by Oliver Chapman Architects

Timber steps with an integrated bench seat lead up to the kitchen and dining area in this garden room extension, which Oliver Chapman Architects added to a 19th century, Arts and Crafts-style home in Edinburgh.

To the right of the steps, a sofa and bookshelf help to round off the reading nook with views over the Firth of Forth estuary.

Find out more about Flitch House ›


Mo-tel House, England, by Office S&M 

Mo-tel House, England, by Office S&M

A pink timber volume shaped to look like a house works triple duty as a dining bench, seating nook and storage unit in this open-plan kitchen designed by Office S&M.

The interior brims with bright colours and recycled materials, including lampshades made from crushed bricks and bathroom counters made of melted milk bottles and chopping boards.

Find out more about Mo-tel House ›


Landaburu Borda by Jordi Hidalgo Tané

Landaburu Borda, Spain, by Jordi Hidalgo Tané

Spanish studio Jordi Hidalgo Tané nestled this underground house extension into a hillside in the Navarra mountains so as not to disrupt its dramatic setting.

A deep concrete sill covered with potted plants runs along the length of the structure and doubles as a seating area for admiring the views.

Find out more about Landaburu Borda ›


Dollis Hill Avenue by Thomas-McBrien

Dollis Hill Avenue, England, by Thomas-McBrien

Thomas-McBrien inserted an oak-panelled volume into this London house extension, which hides a utility room behind a secret door as well as accomodating a small seating area with views over the garden.

"The insertion of a deep seating alcove in the joinery offers a comfortable, sheltered enclosure – a perfect place to read and relax," the studio explained.

Find out more about Dollis Hill Avenue ›


Reading nook in Victorian terraced house, England, Matthew Giles Architects

Victorian terraced house, England, Matthew Giles Architects

White oak joinery and varied floor levels break up the open-plan ground floor of this Victorian terraced house renovated by Matthew Giles Architects.

The owners now enter their sunken kitchen through a reading area with a built-in bookcase and a bench seat surrounded by railings.

Find out more about this terraced house ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing textured plaster walls, sculptural staircases and basement conversions.