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Banquettes

July 18th, 2008 · 22 Comments

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…

Banquettes in Bobo New York, Brumus restaurant, and Metropolitan Home

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.

Banquettes in Bobo New York, Brumus restaurant, and Metropolitan Home
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).

Dining chairs at Bobo New York

Enjoy your weekend!

Image credits: Firmdale Hotels, Metropolitan Home, eBay, New York Magazine, 1stDibs, Domino, & HGTV Canada.

Tags: For The Home

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