I perused the surprisingly up-to-date magazines at the doctor’s office this morning (just a check-up, nothing serious) and noticed the long banquette seating in a kitchen featured in this month’s Metropolitan Home. This magazine doesn’t usually make it to my nightstand because it’s geared toward an audience with a much larger budget. But I did enjoy this particular house tour. I’ve always had a fondness for banquettes, whether in kitchens or restaurants. They instantly bring a sense of coziness to the space, just like they have here…
Whether you have a built-in like the Metropolitan Home kitchen or one of Sarah Richardson’s free-standing banquettes, they create a more casual, loungy atmosphere. You can usually fit a few more people because you’ll find that we all willingly squeeze together just for a spot on the cushy chair. How many people do not “call” the booth at a restaurant? Another advantage of the banquette is that it usually frees up more room in your kitchen because you can tuck it in against the wall. Add a table, whether it be a round, rectangular, or square, with a couple of upholstered chairs on the other side and immediately you’ve created a restaurant feel.
Banquette Ideas:
1. Puritan bench from Harris Marcus
2. Church pew from eBay — this is becoming a popular idea for residential dining rooms. Love the black finish and the bargain price.
3. If you want the real thing, try 1stDibs for antique banquettes like this Louis XVI style banquette.
4. Sarah Richardson uses many banquettes in her dining rooms, including the Jude bench from her own collection.
And if you want to explore the casual dining experience further, take some cues from Carlos Suarez’s restaurant called Bobo in New York (I’m dying to go there!). Not only does his restaurant feature tufted blue velvet banquettes along the walls, but also a collection of mismatched chairs. His interior designer scored various french country chairs at local antique stores for between $50 - $75 each, gave them a coat of black paint, and upholstered the seat cushion in a coral and white floral print (via New York Magazine).
Enjoy your weekend!
Image credits: Firmdale Hotels, Metropolitan Home, eBay, New York Magazine, 1stDibs, Domino, & HGTV Canada.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Paige : Jul 18, 2008 at 1:00 pm
i love them too. i always prefer to sit on the banquette side of a table. i don’t know why. i love all of your images.
2 Jessie Cacciola : Jul 18, 2008 at 2:29 pm
i have always wanted one of these for my future home, and whenever i see one at at a restaurant, I secretly hope the hostess seats me there. enjoy your weekend, sweetie!
3 Fifi Flowers : Jul 18, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Love these banquettes! Pop over to this site to see another FAB banquette!
http://simplyseleta.typepad.com/simply_seleta/2008/06/fabulous-fifi.html
4 Paloma : Jul 18, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Great post, Kylie! I love banquettes as well. They add such a cozy feeling and make things a little less formal, but do so in a stylish way.
5 Krissy : Jul 18, 2008 at 7:57 pm
The church pew thing is so neat! There’s a bar here who was owned by someone who was into the Catholic faith- when his church was closed, they bought the furnishings and used it for seating in the bar. It’s called The Church Key. Haven’t been there yet, but it’s a neat idea.
http://www.thechurchkeystl.com/
Have a good weekend!
6 At Home Redesigns : Jul 19, 2008 at 9:02 am
I could not agree more…just using a bench or a sofa in a kitchen seating area or a dining room add a whole new dimension….Love the photos.
7 bandelle : Jul 19, 2008 at 9:08 am
Krissy — wow, I love the stained glass windows in that bar!
8 M&Co : Jul 20, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Gorgeous post, and I agree banquette seating makes the room so cosy! Reminds me of childhood, and after school snack time .-)
9 please sir : Jul 20, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Oh yes - this is a great round-up! Thanks so much for sharing!
10 Jennifer @ SmallTownShopaholic : Jul 22, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I love banquettes also, I would love to have a built in banquette in my breakfast nook. The top right photo is gorgeous! Love the colors and wall paper.
Thanks for the inspiration!
11 Jude : Jul 22, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’ve always loved the look and feel of banquette seating, but have never given a shot to making it work. And yes, I do love those mix match chairs at Bobo!
Every time I receive an e-mail from 1st Dibs I start to salivate. It could definitely be a one-stop shop for furnishing a home with one-of-a-kind pieces, but unfortunately everything I’ve ever found is way, way beyond my budget!!
12 Nicole Cantero : Jul 28, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Love Love Love those chairs.
13 Rachel Mallon : Jul 31, 2008 at 12:50 am
I love the idea of using different chairs but unifying them with fabric and color. By the way, I love your blog!
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