The Underrated Furniture Item You Should Consider Adding To Your Kitchen

The kitchen is known more for fixtures and appliances rather than furniture, but that seems to be changing. The kitchen is the central part of the home where people gather — the heart, as some say — so it should be cozy and inviting. Gone are the days when the kitchen was purely operational, and everyone headed to the dining or living room to congregate. Since it's a hot spot, regardless of whether there's any food cooking, a sofa is the perfect furniture piece to make your kitchen feel super homey. The unexpected seating adds a cozy element and instantly elevates the room.

It sounds like we're stepping into living room territory, but a sofa in the kitchen isn't far-fetched. It's a modernization of popular kitchen benches and a twist on traditional banquettes. With a couch, you get the benefits of upholstered seats, a backrest, and an armrest to upgrade your kitchen's coziness with plush accents. The style works exceptionally well in open-concept layouts, where the living room, kitchen, and dining room are all in the same space but as distinct sections. By adding a couch to the kitchen, it'll expand the living space and create a more intimate area. When your kitchen table doubles as a craft station, work desk, and breakfast nook, it should be comfortable, and nothing's more relaxing than plopping down on the couch.

There are a few ways you can integrate a couch into the kitchen — place it back to back with the center island, prop it against the wall, or add it around the table. You can use the couch to form a nook within the kitchen to further define the room and create an intentional design. However you configure the comfy seating will lead to an authentic, homey atmosphere that becomes the perfect lounge area.

Of course, when anything enters the kitchen, you have to consider the mess that it may encounter. Grease and food spills are more likely to happen, so you want a sofa that can handle the elements of a busy kitchen. An outdoor couch made to endure harsh weather, like Natural Expressions' Patio Sofa, should survive in the kitchen. Leather, faux suede, and polyester are also sofa materials that are easy to clean. Protecting your kitchen couch with a slipcover is another way to guard it from messes.

The only other caveat with this design is that your kitchen has to be spacious. If a couch next to the island obstructs the walkway or the fridge door knocks into the armrest, then the couch will serve better elsewhere. You don't want to compromise functionality for style. The benefits aren't lucrative enough to sacrifice cabinet or counter space, either. If there's no room for a couch, then upgrade the kitchen seating you already have with chair pads and cushions for coziness. Armchairs, banquettes, and benches also pay into the snug vibe — it's whatever comfy seating works for your kitchen.