It's time to get cozy.
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Your kitchen table handles meal times, games nights, and homework hours, but after awhile a dining chair can start to feel pretty uncomfortable. An easy way to upgrade your seating options is with a banquette. Whether it's freestanding or built in, a banquette can help you fit more people into your favorite room. It's a great option for a breakfast nook, studio apartment living room, or outdoor entertaining zone where a full dining table wouldn't work too.
Banquettes are most often seen in traditional and farmhouse-style interiors, but they can work in any space no matter what design aesthetic you prefer. As evidenced by the 34 stunning banquette ideas below, the best way to spruce up this kitchen seating is with throw pillows; be sure to pick ones in a great performance fabric to withstand any spill. Just because your seating needs to be functional, that doesn't mean it can't also be intentional. A banquette is the ideal solution.
So, what exactly makes a banquette different from a normal bench or built-in seat? A banquette is a type of bench that's designed to provide extra seating at a table, and it's usually plush and upholstered. If you're someone who always prefers a restaurant booth to a regular old table and chairs or loves a window seat, then it's high time to treat yourself to a banquette. Ahead, discover banquette seating ideas from some of our favorite designers—they'll inspire you to get cozy.
There's nothing worse than sitting on a scratchy or too-hot chair in shorts, so build a banquette into your deck or patio instead of filling it with traditional outdoor furniture. Los Angeles designer Linda Hayslett created this setup for House Beautiful's 2021 Whole Home in Texas. It's time to expand your annual barbecue's invite list.
Banquettes are traditionally upholstered, but if that doesn't suit your style, throw out the rule book. Studio Diaa opted for a sleek wooden bench to complement this floating home's minimal kitchen.
In this family getaway by Los Angeles designer Matt O'Dorisio, a secret, game-ready banquette awaits under the stairs. Drawers built into the frame create extra storage for games, cards, and other vacation entertainment must-haves.
To bring a bit of pizzazz to this otherwise traditional dining setup, Ellie Cullman created an accent wall of gilded, custom-cut stone. It coordinates perfectly with the brass accents on the table pedestals and the cabinetry hardware; don't miss the way the metallic border runs along the top of the built-in shelving too. The subdued black upholstery of the sleek banquette allows the true focal point to shine that much brighter.
In this Marin County, California, home, Mark. D. Sikes expertly fulfilled the family's wish for a colorful yet timeless interior. This breakfast nook is the first thing you see when you enter the home, so Sikes set it off with a sophisticated palette of blues and greens.
Banquettes aren't just for kitchens and dining rooms. Shon Parker brought the functionality of a banquette into this Atlanta library. The extra seating is great for family gatherings, and a floor lamp makes it the perfect reading corner.
Built-in banquettes, while spectacular, aren't exactly rental friendly. Take a note from Benjamin Vandiver's treatment of this Brooklyn townhome's kitchen. A banquette like this one requires no installation, meaning your security deposit will be safe when it's time to move it out.
For a futuristic take on the traditional banquette, let go of the legs entirely. Susannah Charbin of The Beaux Arts chose to float the banquette in her Long Island home's dining nook to make the people seated in it feel like they're at one with the fields outside.
Sliding into a U-shaped banquette, whether you're at home or at a restaurant, can be awkward. And forget about getting up gracefully in the middle of the meal. To combat that problem, Michael Ellison chose to build two custom L-shaped fixtures instead to give this Nantucket dining room an air of informality.
The bold cobalt border of this banquette makes waves in an otherwise all-white kitchen by Hilary Matt. Modern and playful, the banquette is the perfect statement piece for a young family's New York City apartment, and it seats a surprisingly large number of people.
To avoid blocking the windows and the view beyond, Landed Interiors & Homes founder Lynn Kloythanomsup ditched the back on the long side of this L-shaped banquette, adding some nice asymmetrical intrigue in the process. Upholstered in a classic William Morris print, it's an ideal perch for tea in the morning and wine in the evening.
And instead of upholstering the wall behind your banquette the classic way (mimicking the back of a sofa), recreate this bolster-inspired take designed by Tamsin Johnson. We love how she channeled the whimsy of a circus tent with the bold red-and-white-striped fabric. Paired with moody and provocative framed photographs, a casual rattan table, and modern dove gray walls, the playful banquette takes on a unique and versatile persona.
This dining nook by Heidi Caillier is all about balance. The banquette follows the angular lines of the bay window, while the circular pendant and oval table add nice rounded contrast. The dark wood furnishings are softened up by dainty trim, from the long fringe lining the bottom of the dusty lavender bench to the scalloped edges bordering the chairs.
In this breakfast room by Elaine Santos, storage under the bench and performance fabric by David Sutherland make life easier for a family with kids and dogs.
High-gloss walls in Benjamin Moore Van Buren Brown and matching Schumacher upholstery set a sophisticated scene in this dining room slash library by CeCe Barfield Thompson.
In the L.A. home of Studio Osklo cofounders Michael and Arya Martin, a custom sofa follows the curves of the quirky room. The table and chair can move aside when the space needs to serve as a more formal sitting room, but they're narrow enough to allow for an open walkway between the adjoining kitchen and living room on either side.
A corner banquette plus two chairs is a classic combo. Together, they transform a bare corner into an elegant eating space, but they also make a great backdrop for meetings and work. In the vivacious dining nook of Ariene Bethea's home, the matching table and chairs have just the right dose of cohesion.
This window nook overlooks San Francisco Bay, so Heather K. Bernstein knew she needed to emphasize the view. A simple, extra-long banquette is perfect for daydreaming, meals, homework, and reading.
Custom banquettes are most popular in dining spaces, but they can also be great additions to any room that needs a little extra seating and built-in flair. Here, Patrick McGrath balances edgy and preppy design in a cozy bench with loose cushions covered in classic floral and stripe prints. A scalloped border along the bottom of the bench adds a punch of cheekiness and movement to the room.
"What I really wanted was a kitchen that felt like a library,” says Brittany Bromley of this space in her Bedford, New York, home. The dark wood stain and inky banquette give it a moody, English countryside feel. The windows allow for plenty of light, though, so it doesn't feel dark or damp. Pro tip: If you want to build a banquette by a window, work around the existing frame the way she did instead of messing with the bones of the space.
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