Compact, convenient and adaptable, a breakfast cupboard is a crucial component when it comes to essential kitchen cabinetry.
The countertop breakfast cupboard has become something of a kitchen staple in recent years, often used to store all those morning essentials, from tea and coffee, jams and spreads to cereals and bread, plus the relevant appliances, all in one neat and tidy unit. KBB journo Charlotte Luxford has talked to the experts and compiled top tips for creating a pretty and practical design…
Sola Kitchens designed this breakfast cabinet with reeded glass to give the tall unit a lighter feel, while still keeping the items inside partially concealed. Sola Kitchens start from £54,000.“A bi-fold breakfast pantry can be designed to incorporate your entire morning routine, from a professional coffee machine, toaster, storage for everyday crockery, and a whole host of cereal options for the kids,” says Tom Howley, creative design director at the eponymous kitchen brand. The Butler collection in Stormy Sky, from £25,000, Tom Howley.
The location of your breakfast cupboard
The joy of a breakfast cupboard is that it can be hidden behind pocket or bi-folding doors when not in use – a bonus in a hectic multifunctional kitchen-living space. “Essentially, the breakfast cupboard saves on lots of moving around in the busy kitchen, particularly in the mornings with the rush to school and work making things frantic enough,” says Daniel Bowler, director for Eggersmann UK.
For this reason, Daniel points out that the location of the breakfast cupboard is the key to its success – it’s important to avoid high-traffic areas of the kitchen, but still position it close enough to the fridge and tap, unless you’ve got the luxury of integrating a separate boiling water tap and undercounter fridge.
The breakfast nook in this kitchen includes adjustable shelves, plug sockets and a worktop, making it the perfect place to keep a kettle, coffee maker and toaster. Brockwell Moss cabinetry with Sweet Chestnut handles; Pluck kitchens start from £25,000. Photography: Malcolm Menzies.To the left of the sink run facing the island is a tall breakfast cupboard and appliance garage with European Oak internal shelving and bi-fold doors. Modern bespoke Shaker kitchen by Higham Furniture painted in Lamp Black by Little Greene. Kitchens start from £35,000. Photography: Paul Craig.
If your kitchen is on the smaller side, a tall, slimline breakfast cabinet can make use of an otherwise awkward corner, with a slide-out base making your appliances more accessible when in use.
The pull-out coffee station in this bespoke larder allows easy access to the coffee machine, with the sink and boiling water tap close by Middleton Country cabinetry in Middleton Marsh. Kitchens start from £35,000.
A multi-functional solution
It’s often the case that a breakfast cupboard will have a dual purpose due to space. It may also masquerade as a home bar in the evenings, stashed with glasses, barware, a wine rack and maybe even a wine cooler. Or perhaps it will double up as a mini kitchen pantry, with more frequently used ingredients immediately to hand, if you don’t have space for a separate larder.
Storage was key in this design, and included two Fulham pantries; the pictured one houses dry foods and small electricals. Classic framed cabinets in Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White. Roundhouse kitchens start from £35,000.This pantry cupboard includes all breakfast must-haves. It has an in-built microwave and an extra-deep shelf for making breakfast and for using the toaster. Davonport Tillingham kitchen prices start from £40,000. Photography: Darren Chung.Effortlessly prepare breakfast in the morning with a practical cabinet equipped with all your essentials. Nakuru kitchen by Wood Works Brighton.
The finishing touches
When it comes to the finer details, Simon Taylor, managing director of Simon Taylor Furniture recommends integrating LED strip lighting or downlights into your cupboard – particularly helpful on those darker mornings, or acting as mood lighting in the evening.
Kitchen Bee worked with interior designer Sacha Berger on this design, where a breakfast cupboard with contrasting timber-effect finish adds warmth and texture to the space. The integrated marble work surface ties in with the rest of the kitchen, while internal lighting keeps the cabinet bright. Handleless matt lacquer kitchen in Little Greene’s Dock Blue. Kitchen Bee kitchens start from £20,000. Photography: Anna Stathaki.
It’s also important to figure out how many appliances you anticipate housing in your breakfast cupboard, and therefore how many sockets you might require, which is something you need to decide quite early on when the electrical plans are being drawn up.
With such a practical and aesthetically pleasing storage solution, your morning routine will be a breeze.
Piqu installed clever pocket doors that slide right back to hide a second preparation sink and Quooker boiler tap, plus an integrated coffee machine, making this the perfect tea and coffee station for the morning rush. Piqu kitchens start from £35,000. Photography: Chris Snook.With space for a built-in microwave, this cupboard combines storage with a working area, which can be hidden out of sight when not in use. Rowan collection breakfast dresser in colour-matched Warm Orange, LochAnna Kitchens.
