26 Banquette Seating Ideas to Dramatically Elevate Your Dining Nook
Add a little intimacy to every meal.
Banquette seating is the surest way to add polish and comfort to a dining room, eat-in kitchen, studio, breakfast nook, game room, or really any place with a table that could benefit from extra seating and a custom touch. So what differentiates a banquette from just a normal bench or built-in? A banquette is a bench meant to provide extra table-adjacent seating, and it's usually upholstered. If you're someone who has always preferred the intimacy and comfort of a restaurant booth instead of sitting in regular old chairs, then it's high time you treat yourself to a banquette at home. Ahead, discover 26 banquette seating ideas in designer spaces of all styles and spaces for cozier days ahead.
Statement Waves
This banquette booth featuring a bold cobalt border punctuates the all-white kitchen designed by Hilary Matt. Modern and playful, the banquette is the perfect statement piece for the modern space, and seats a surprisingly large number of people.
Asymmetry
Lynn Kloythanomsup, founder of Landed Interiors, had this banquette upholstered in a William Morris fabric for tea in the morning and wine in the evening. In an effort to not block the windows and view beyond, Kloythanomsup ditched the back on that side of the banquette. It also adds some nice asymmetrical intrigue.
Bolster-Inspired Backing
Channel the whimsy of a circus tent with fabric that features thick, bold red and white stripes. 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. Paired with moody and provocative framed photographs, casual rattan table, and modern dove gray walls, the playful banquette takes on a unique and versatile persona.
Curves and Angles
This dining nook by Heidi Caillier is all about balance. The banquette seating features angular turns, following the parameter of the bay window, while the scalloped borders of the armchair, circular pendant, and oval table bring add nice rounded contrast. Then dark wood furnishings are softened up by dainty trims, from the long tassels lining the bottom of the dusty lavender bench to the scalloped edges bordering the chairs.
Performance Fabric
In this breakfast room designed by Elaine Santos, storage under the bench and performance fabric by David Sutherland are essential for a family with kids and dogs.
Coordinating Paint
High gloss walls in Benjamin Moore VanBruen Brown and a coordinating Schumacher fabric set a sophisticated scene in this dining room designed by CeCe Barfield Thompson.
Custom Curves
In this space by Osklo Studio, a custom sofa follows the curves of the quirkily shaped room. The table and chair can also 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.
Punchy Colors
Two chairs and a corner banquette 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 this vivacious dining room nook designed by Ariene Bethea, the matching table and chair set creates just the right dose of cohesion.
360 Views
This window nook overlooks the San Francisco Bay, so designer Heather K. Bernstein knew she needed to emphasize the view. A simple, extra-long banquette creates the perfect area for daydreaming, meals, homework, and reading.
Loose Cushions
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 the 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.
Built Into the Architecture
"What I really wanted was a kitchen that felt like a library,” says designer Brittany Bromley of this space. The dark wood stain create and inky black banquette a moody English countryside feel. The windows allow for plenty of light though, so it doesn't end up feeling dark and damp. Pro tip: If you want to build a banquette by a window, work around the existing frame instead of blocking light or messing too much with the bones of the space.
Matching Cushions
Custom back cushions that match the seat cushions on the built-in banquette create both cohesion and comfort. The wooden wall paneling warms up the darker elements and also reflects the more casual chairs across the table in this breakfast nook designed by Studio Shamshiri.
Mudroom Meets Dining Nook
Allow your banquette to serve two purposes with smart furnishings. In this home designed by Heidi Caillier, the mudroom right off the kitchen, so she optimized it for use as a mudroom and a casual dining space. The warm materials and built-in seating feel cozy and polished enough for homework sessions and casual meals, but the stone floor tiles and storage bench make it durable enough to function as a mudroom.
Pet-Friendly Haven
Take note from this dining nook by Emily Henderson and design with your furry friends in mind. This custom banquette features a little doorway for the occupants cats. Though it was initially going to contain extra storage space, they decided a "kitty cave" was a lot more fun. The top folds up when you remove the cushion just in case the cats need help finding another exit.
Under the Stairs
Cameron Schwabenton's update of a 1770s guesthouse in Charleston is a testament to the power of preservation. The walls were stripped down to the original brick and plaster. In the dining nook, the table is reclaimed pine and the custom banquette is in Prince of Wales plaid fabric by de Le Cuona.
Simple Sectional
How could you possibly not have a good morning in this sun-drenched breakfast nook? Designer and occupant Fitz Pullins removed the French doors connecting the kitchen to this bonus space, enhancing flow and sunlight the bright yet neutral and calming colors along with the laidback materials that reflects the his own own warmth as well as the Florida landscape. And the best part? No building necessary—the banquette seating here is just the right-sized sofa.
Custom Sizing
These single-seat banquettes and built-in metal table in a kitchen by GRT Architects are reminiscent of a classic midcentury diner right off the highway—perfect for this inky and sophisticated kitchen in a midcentury modern home New York's Hudson Valley.
Extended Kitchen Island
Dallas-based designer Jean Liu had to strike a balance between a formal dining room and a casual kitchen since they shared the same space. So, she opted for super sleek cabinets with understated hardware complements the pendants over the dining table perfectly. The caramel leather banquette cushion is both polished and approachable and adds just enough contrast with the black dining chairs and attached gray island.
Matching Upholstery
Designed by Tiffany Brooks for the House Beautiful 202o Whole home concept, this nook carves out a place for guests to eat in their very own little apartment within the larger home. Pink upholstery on the banquette ties in nicely with the window treatments and accents throughout, like the chair cushions.
Multifunctional
Designed by Corey Jenkins, this little nook is another great example of a small but impactful banquette that can play a few different roles, from breakfast perch to shoe-lacing spot, reading nook and beyond.
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