Just steps from the gourmet kitchen and overlooking the lush courtyard, the breakfast nook in the HGTV Dream Home 2009 creates a cozy, inviting space, making it the perfect spot to gather with family or friends, read the morning paper or fuel up with a cup of coffee before the work day.

A welcoming table for four is set buffet-style for a breakfast feast. Rattan chairs with comfy seat cushions covered in a gray flannel fabric lend drama to the space when paired with a rustic pedestal table. “The nook needed a little warmth” interior designer Linda Woodrum explains, “so we found a hand-painted table in a great pumpkin color.”

The table is set with braided straw place mats, formal silverware, colorful cotton napkins and terra-cotta tableware from the Bobby Flay Dinnerware collection.

Rather than opt for a formal floral arrangement, Linda topped the breakfast table with a triple-tiered wicker tray filled with locally grown produce. Granny Smith apples, golden pears, and ripe and juicy persimmons round out the seasonal offerings.

Everyone gets a healthy serving of freshly squeezed California orange juice when served in oversized cut-glass tumblers, which Linda displayed in an antique-style metal serving tray.

The breakfast nook, surrounded by nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and sharing the kitchen’s soothing gray palette, boasts a spectacular view of the back courtyard. It also serves as the perfect staging area for outdoor parties.

Why pair primitive with ethnic chic? “The rustic round table and the modern rattan chairs speak to the combination of old and new that shows up throughout the house,” Linda says. “The mix is part of what makes it all interesting.”

The sun doesn’t always shine in Sonoma. Linda chose an eye-catching modern chandelier, complete with miniature lampshades, to illuminate the space on gray, cloudy days. “That is another great fixture and so much fun and so, so unexpected,” she adds. “I found myself looking at it all the time and loving it.”