Kitchen Banquettes We Love
Banquettes made their way into kitchens and homes as early as the 1900s, but they saw a resurgence with vinyl and some leather in the 1970s. Now, much more sophisticated in design, the banquette is having another moment.
We love finding spaces to design a banquette. It is often tucked away in otherwise unused space and offers ample seating in a more efficient footprint than a standard table and chairs. A banquette can help maximize seating and we love them in breakfast areas, especially when mixed with chairs for a variety of seating and materials.
Here, we have pulled together some of our favorite banquette designs that are modern, innovative, functional, and just plain cool.
This custom banquette was built in our project Tudor with a Twist. Durable leather from Moore and Giles was used for this custom bench built right into this breakfast nook. The wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries was the jumping-off point for the blue used in the kitchen itself.
This design by the famous Jeremiah Brent was designed in a DC row house. Brent said of the design that he “took a lot of inspiration from Europe” and “steered clear of any trends.” As you have seen in the past. I love the work of Brent and his partner Nate Berkus and this banquette with a modern, European flair is no exception.
We love the juxtaposition of materials in this modern kitchen – light and dark, hard and soft. The light wood used brightens up the space overall, while the black details give it a contemporary vibe. This L-shaped leather banquette is surrounded by light wood chairs, a rustic table, and an expanse of windows.
We love the mix of materials in this breakfast nook. The custom wicker bench lends a country homespun vibe yet there is a modern touch thanks to the mid-century table that pairs with it.
We love that this banquette is small but mighty. Combined with plenty of storage, this bench seat and table take an otherwise small unused space and turn it into a special moment in this design by Recast Homes.
We love that this banquette runs the full length of this kitchen, maximizing seating in this design by Imperfect Interiors. Between the chairs and the bench, this can easily seat 8-10 people. Bonus points for the glass French doors that open up to the backyard for a beautiful view.
This sexy and masculine banquette was designed by Artichoke in an apartment for a gentleman in West London. The built-in bench seat is covered in buffalo suede and illuminated from underneath. It includes clever customized storage that also houses subwoofers and equipment, electronics, and LED lighting, disguising some of the high-tech gadgetry needed for modern living.
This design by Isabey Interiors, is a dramatic before-and-after story. (If you have time, go check out her post on IG to see the transformation.) As its name implies, it is a mix of vintage and modern and we love how it is surrounded by windows and light. The cantilevered bench gives it a weightless quality, and the fixture above continues this dialog between angles.
This banquette from Lori Clarke Design is part of a project called Brownstone on Central. The high back and tufted leather is rich and luxurious, enveloping those who sit there. The mix of brown, black, and cream, and layered textures lend a global feel.
This feels like the modern version of our Tudor with a Twist banquette at the beginning of this post – and I love both equally! This design is by Studio Life/Style and utilizes a small space to its best advantage while offering high style and plenty of seating. We considered a channel tuft such as this for Tudor with a Twist, but ultimately felt that a tufted back was more in keeping with the age of the house.