| Oh, how I ADORE a great banquette. What a great way to add architecture and a sense of coziness to a home. |  |
A banquette can be sophisticated like this one.
source
Or perfectly kid-friendly, like this one.
If you upholster your banquette seating, make sure it’s outdoor fabric or scotchgarded so crumbs and spills can be wiped up easily.
You can do dual benches, or one bench with chairs on the opposite side. The banquette is a major space saver in a small kitchen!
Or you can even do an L-shaped bench in a corner, then finish it out with a couple of chairs.
Great place to do homework while Momma’s making dinner!
I’ve always been a fan of the nostalgic breakfast nook, like this one here:
source
Which is why I designed this one for my own home a few years back. I’ll feature the befores and afters in a post sometime soon.
The Decorologist
You have 2 days left to sign up for The Decorologist’s Free Virtual Design for any room in your home! Make it happen by clicking here.
Love the yellow in the first image! I love the idea of a banquette but have always been a little nervous to do one myself in my own home. It feels like such a commitment. But its one of the things i love most about your home. 🙂
Thanks, Heather! I think you have a PERFECT area for a banquette.
Great ideas…I’ve never considered it as a viable feature…love the pic with the two kids..kind of art deco influenced…that would look great in my house if I had the space…on the other hand a more padded variety with the table and chairs would be a good idea too!
Carol, the great thing about banquettes is that they take up less space than the conventional eat-in kitchen scenario. We have so much more functional space in our kitchen since we installed ours. Do you have an eat-in kitchen?
Love these photos. I’ve always wanted a banquette, but never had the right space for one. Thanks for your comments about Hurricane Camille. I can’t believe that your dad had a connection there. Small world! You’re one of my favorite “blog friends”–wish we could go to lunch! Ha!
Warmly, Michelle
I would SO love to go to lunch with you, too!!! Maybe someday we will meet “for real.” Have a great day, Michelle 🙂
Some of my favorite memories were of dining at my grandmother’s banquette just like yours! Thanks for recalling that for me. I LOVED the one with the red stripes and the black klismos chairs!
LaJuana, I’ve always loved those breakfast nooks in 1920-1940’s era Tudor-style homes. A lot of memories are made in kitchens!
LOVE the banquettes, esp the one in your home! Wish I could talk the hub into doing that!
I am a huge fan of the banquette but have never had one in my own house. Next house…famous last words:)
My new home is perfect for a banquette but I don’t know where to start? How do you build one? I’d love one that had cabinets as seats for extra storage. Can I buy cabinets a my local home improvement and put cushions on top?
Yes, you can use stock cabinets to create your own banquet.