Not all breakfast nooks of the past were created equal. Especially popular in the 1920’s, breakfast nooks retained their popularity in various forms for decades until finally devolving into the now-ubiquitous “breakfast bar” — a euphemism for an over-sized kitchen counter with some bar stools shoved under it.
Breakfast nooks as originally popularized consisted of a small square space enclosed on three sides, typically with a window on the wall opposite the open side. The open side was often cased with woodwork or given a shaped arch. Built-in benches flanked a built-in table. So practical, one can only mourn their omission from new construction. Though found in all kinds of twentieth century houses, breakfast nooks were more likely to appear in styled houses of the twenties and thirties.
One of the more charming versions of an already charming concept was that of the Breakfast Tower. I don’t think that the term is officially recognized as I just made it up to denote a rare but noteworthy quirk of residential design. An image search for the term yielded an assortment of culinary creations which are unfamiliar to my palate, yet none of the architectural images I was hoping for.
Breakfast Towers seem to be a product of the depression era years as they are found most commonly in house of the 1930’s. It must have been hard to stay depressed when eating in one of these magical spaces. Though rare, I was able to find a few vintage examples of this under-appreciated twist on a familiar concept. The following images are all from Zillow unless otherwise noted. Just putting this post together has made me hungry, so you might want to get a snack, or at least some coffee, for the tour:
For those whose budgets did not allow for a well-defined tower in which to dine, glorified bay windows could achieve the same kind of magic on the inside. This abbreviated form of a towered breakfast nook became more popular in the 1940’s but was also found before then:
In the 1950’s bay windows remained popular as a way to define a breakfast area or room and distinguish it from the rest of the kitchen.
These days few can afford to build new or buy an existing house. Fewer still can dedicate a room (or even a nook) to the art of breakfast in the manner once commonplace.
If it becomes too depressing to eat at home, you can always go out….
I’ve never heard of breakfast towers. although there are the ubiquitous breakfast nooks tucked in between the kitchen and dining room with built in bench seating during the same period. Interesting.
No one else has heard of them, either! It’s just a made-up term to acknowledge a rare quirk that I thought would be fun to call attention to. A breakfast tower is just a breakfast nook wrapped an a more interesting package. Bench seating optional!