Kitchen Banquette Seating: Ideas, Benefits & Design Guide
Kitchen banquette seating is a built-in bench that replaces some or all of your dining chairs. It is fitted against a wall, wrapped around a corner or built into a kitchen island. It can be designed as a straight bench, an L-shape, a U-shape or a curve.
Browse Instagram, an interiors magazine or any kitchen gallery and you’ll see banquettes in every shape and style. The move towards multipurpose, open-plan kitchens is here to stay. As a result, our KCA design team now designs more kitchen living spaces with built-in bench seating than ever.
In this guide, our designers explain the five main benefits of banquette seating and share ideas from KCA kitchens. We also cover how to size a banquette and what to think about before you commit, so you can decide whether it suits your new kitchen.
The Benefits of Banquette Seating in Your Kitchen
Make Better Use of Your Floor Plan
Banquette seating suits open-plan kitchens of any size. Because the bench sits against a wall or island, it needs less floor space than a table with chairs pulled out on every side. A large family or group of friends can sit comfortably in a smaller footprint.
In larger open-plan spaces, a fitted bench creates zones. It can divide the kitchen from the living area and form a cosy dining nook between the two. In rooms with an awkward layout, such as sloping ceilings, alcoves or a bay window, a bespoke banquette gives you seating where a standard dining table won’t fit.
Built-in Bench Seat Storage
A banquette is a chance to add storage without adding cabinets. Start with what you want to store, because that decides how the storage should be designed.
Bench seat storage works best for things you don’t use every day, such as seasonal decorations, special-occasion tableware, larger kitchen gadgets and children’s toys. It can be built with deep drawers for easy access or lift-up lids, depending on your needs and your kitchen’s style.
Comfortable Dining and Lounging
Built-in seating sits at table height, so it is more comfortable for long meals than breakfast bar stools. It is also more flexible than chairs. Guests can shuffle up to fit an extra person, which a table with a fixed set of chairs can’t do.
Add a padded seat, a back cushion and a few scatter cushions, and the banquette becomes somewhere to relax after dinner, play a board game or watch a film.
A Place for Working From Home and Homework
Fitted seating adds a sense of privacy in an open-plan room, which makes it a good spot to work from home. With a generous table, a banquette works for laptop work, video calls, homework and craft projects. It is comfortable enough for a full working day and close to the kettle for breaks.
This flexibility is why banquette seating has become so popular in family kitchens. It gives everyone one central space to eat, work and socialise while dinner is being made.
Banquette Seating Suits Every Kitchen Style
Banquette seating isn’t tied to one look. It works as well in a country cottage as in a modern city apartment. The cabinetry, materials and upholstery set the style, and all of them can be matched to the rest of your kitchen, from hand-painted Shaker to contemporary flat-panel lacquer.
How you’ll use the seating shapes its design. For a relaxed, lounge feel, choose soft foam seats and plenty of scatter cushions. For busy family dining, choose firmer seats in a hard-wearing, wipe-clean fabric, closer to a restaurant booth.
Kitchen Banquette Seating Ideas from KCA Projects
In this eucalyptus green kitchen, fitted bench seating creates a dedicated dining area within the open-plan space. We build the bench storage into the design so that the dining zone feels like part of the kitchen rather than an afterthought.
In this monochrome kitchen with a darker scheme, a soft fitted bench seat adds comfort and texture. Upholstery brings warmth to a sleek black kitchen and turns the dining area into a space people want to relax in after dinner.
This modern white KCA kitchen uses an L-shaped banquette design to create corner seating. This banquette seating fits more people than chairs in the same space.
In this multi-functional family kitchen, it gives everyone a place to gather, watch a movie or work from home.
This kitchen design builds the banquette into the island, combining preparation space and dining in one piece of furniture. In this open-plan family home, an L-shaped bench wraps around the end of the island, creating a sociable spot right next to the cooking.
Banquettes suit traditional kitchens just as well. Here, the fitted banquette seat is built into a Shaker island, with the same detailing as the cabinetry, so it looks like it belongs in the room.
In this rustic country kitchen, the bench seat hides storage underneath. It is ideal for keeping table linen, extra tableware or children’s toys close at hand but out of sight.
Rather than banquette dining, we designed this seating as a comfortable place to take in views of the garden.
Banquette Table Planning and Sizing
Comfort comes down to a few key measurements. These are the typical starting points our designers work from, before tailoring them to your table, your room and the people using it.
Measurement | Typical size | Seat height (including cushion) | 450–460mm |
|---|---|
Seat depth | 450–500mm |
Back height from the floor | 760–900mm |
Table height | 710–760mm |
Width per person | Around 600mm |
Walkway behind a table or chairs | 900mm minimum |
A few practical details can make a big difference to how well banquette seating works in a kitchen. The configuration should suit the space: a straight bench works well along a single wall, an L-shape makes good use of a corner, while a U-shape or curved design can create more of a true booth feel. The table matters too, as a pedestal or tulip base generally makes it easier to slide in and out than a table with four legs.
Comfort and usability also need careful thought. If you’re adding cushions, their thickness should be factored into the overall seat height so the finished seat doesn’t sit too high in relation to the table. Access is another consideration, particularly on longer benches where someone sitting in the middle may need others to move before they can get out. Curved seating and pedestal tables can help make this easier.
For family kitchens, the upholstery should be able to cope with everyday spills and wear, so performance fabrics, wipe-clean finishes or removable covers are often sensible choices. Storage can also be built into the seating: drawers are generally easier to access day to day, while lift-up lids can be a more economical option but require cushions to be moved first.
It’s also worth remembering that a built-in banquette creates a fixed layout, unlike loose dining chairs that can easily be moved or rearranged. For this reason, many clients choose to combine a banquette on one or two sides of the table with loose chairs on the others, giving them the space-saving benefits and comfort of fitted seating with a little more flexibility.
Kitchen Banquette Seating FAQs
What is banquette seating in a kitchen?
Banquette seating is a built-in bench used for dining instead of, or alongside, freestanding chairs. It is usually fixed to a wall, set into a corner or built into a kitchen island, and is often upholstered.
How much space do you need for banquette seating?
As a guide, allow around 600mm of bench length per person and a seat depth of 450–500mm. Because a banquette sits against a wall or island, it needs no space behind it for chairs to pull out. That makes it a good choice for smaller kitchens.
Is banquette seating comfortable?
Yes, when it is designed properly. The seat height, depth and back angle all need to suit your table, and a good seat cushion makes a big difference. A bespoke banquette is built to those measurements rather than to a standard size.
Is a banquette better than a dining table and chairs?
It depends on your space and how you live. A banquette seats more people in less space and can add storage. Chairs are easier to move and to get in and out of. Many kitchens use a mix of both.
Can you add storage to a kitchen bench seat?
Yes. Bench seats can be built with drawers or lift-up lids. They are ideal for items you don’t use every day, such as seasonal tableware, linen and children’s toys.
