In each video of Diza Real Estate Consultants there is a moment that is almost a gag architectural. The salesman opens the door of a closet, shows a small space with wooden shelves and a coffee maker and says: “The breakfast nook would go here.” The networks have done the rest. The most unremarkable piece of furniture in the kitchen has become a viral icon, object of desire and meme at the same time. Where once there was a nondescript corner with a toaster, now there is a whole philosophy of life: hyggeminimalism and well-being concentrated between two folding doors.
What began as a functional gesture—bringing together the coffee maker, cups and bread in one place—has ended up becoming the symbol of the aspirational home. Influencers like Ariane Hoyos have popularized it under the concept of “my cafeteria at home”, while Almu Carrión talks about its coffee corner. On TikTok and Instagram, videos tagged with #desayunador exceed one hundred thousand references. But what is behind this aesthetic fever? When did a piece of furniture designed to hide the toaster become a cult object?
¿What is a breakfast room? In the words of design studios, a breakfast nook is a kitchen module dedicated to storing and organizing everything necessary for the first meal of the day. According to Himera Estudio, its function is clear: “hide small appliances, maintain visual order and free up the countertop.” Typically, it includes a small interior work surface, shelves for cups and integrated sockets for daily use of the coffee maker or toaster.
Beyond the technical definition, interior design media present it as a perfect example of how modern design seeks to balance functionality and aesthetics. The breakfast cabinet has ceased to be a decorative whim and has become a key piece in functional and modern kitchens, both for its practicality and its aesthetic value.
From utility to trend. The phenomenon was not born in nothing. According to a report in El País, this trend arose from the desire to reproduce at home the coffee and tea stations so popular in hotel buffets. “Having a breakfast area in the kitchen is fashionable, and its demand is growing because it allows you to leave the countertop free and improve the aesthetics of the set,” the Mobalpa firm explains to the same medium.
This mix of utility and visual pleasure has made the breakfast nook a symbol of everyday well-being. The architect Emma Guillén details it simply: “It is the secret to starting the day in order and peace.” He recommends placing it near the microwave to speed up morning routines and providing it with indirect lighting that creates a warm and functional atmosphere: “An LED strip under the shelves transforms the space and helps differentiate it from the rest of the kitchen,” he points out.
In short, you can see how the attraction lies in the promise of calm. Gathering everything you need for breakfast in the same space will allow you to enjoy more relaxed and stress-free mornings. Interior designers agree that this corner functions as a domestic refuge: a small sanctuary where the morning chaos stops for a moment to grind coffee, heat milk or open a jar of jam without rushing.
Fashion or necessity? The answer, as almost always, depends on space and budget. But, as interior designer Mireia Torruella explains to El País, the breakfast nook is above all an aspirational phenomenon: “On social networks everything is presented perfectly, but in real life these elements complicate maintenance and detract from practicality. The breakfast nook is promoted as a mustwhen in reality it responds more to the aesthetics of a photo than to the true experience in the kitchen.
Along the same lines, Himera Estudio remembers that many times it is enough to “extend the countertop or install a small office” to fulfill the same function without making the renovation more expensive. Of course, they recognize its charm: “Visual cleanliness in a kitchen is basic. When the countertops are free of appliances, the space appears larger, more orderly, more zen.”
A contemporary ritual. The success of the breakfast nook reveals something profound about our relationship with home. As Guillén points out, having everything you need together in one corner avoids comings and goings and provides a more orderly start to the day. That order, he says, “translates into well-being.”
Perhaps that is why the furniture triumphs: because it promises calm. A space where coffee is not prepared in a hurry, but as a small domestic ritual. A corner that summarizes our aspirations for an aesthetic, efficient and controlled life. And, of course, also because it looks very good on video.
Image | Diza Real Estate Consultants
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