Kitchen Banquette Seating
The 5 Benefits of Banquette Seating in Your Kitchen
Kitchen banquette seating, or kitchen bench seating, is an alternative to dining tables and chairs. Instead of individual dining chairs, banquette seating is fitted against a wall and can be designed in a variety of configurations such as corner bench seats, and u-shape banquette.
Scroll Instagram, flip through an interiors magazine or browse kitchen designs online, and you will see a parade of kitchens with beautiful banquette seating in all shapes, styles, and sizes. The trend to create multipurpose kitchen spaces is here to stay, and as a result, our KCA design team is designing more and more kitchen living spaces with versatile and stunning banquette seating.
To help you decide whether banquette seating suits your new kitchen space, our designers have shared the 5 main benefits. Read on to learn more.
1. Unlock the Potential of Your Floor Plan
Banquette seating is an excellent solution for open-plan spaces with a large or small footprint. By including built in seating, you can close the gap between the kitchen and living spaces making the floor plan more compact whilst simultaneously making it feel more spacious.
If you have a large family or friendship group, banquette seating can provide plenty of comfortable seating in a smaller footprint than a separate dining table and chairs. A fitted kitchen bench is perfect for dividing and creating zones in more extensive open-plan kitchens as it can be used to block, divide and intersect a sizeable open space creating a comfortable nook between the kitchen and remaining space.
If you have an unconventional floor plan, a bespoke banquette seating solution can create functional seating where a standard dining room table cannot.
2. Bench Seat Storage
Banquette seating is the perfect opportunity to add additional storage to your kitchen. It’s important to consider what you want to store in order to design the storage appropriately.
Bench seats with storage are great for items you don’t frequently use, like seasonal dressings, special-occasion dinnerware, kitchen gadgets and larger children’s toys.
Storage can be configured with drawers or a lid, depending on your requirements and kitchen style.
3. Comfortable Dining and Lounging
Banquette seating is highly versatile. Integrated seating is designed to sit at table height, making it more comfortable than breakfast bar seating. When comparing banquette seating to a dining table and chairs, a banquette can seat more or fewer people as required. On bench seating, guests can squeeze up around the table to fit more people, which isn’t possible with a dining table with a fixed number of chairs.
Bench seating can be designed with comfortable bench cushions that make the seating the ideal space to lounge out after dinner, play a board game or even watch a movie.
4. Home Working & Homework
Fitted seating can create zones and add a sense of privacy in an open-plan space, which is excellent for home working. Designed for comfort but with a large work table, bench seating is great for laptop working, collaborative craft projects, school homework and video meetings. Comfy enough for a day’s work but close enough to the kitchen for coffee and lunch breaks.
Banquette seating has become the popular choice for family kitchens because it’s multifunctional and flexible, providing the central space for a family to socialise, work and prepare food side by side.
5. Banquette Seating Suits All Styles
Banquette seating isn’t defined by a particular style; it can look just as stunning in a cottage or a modern city apartment. The style is defined by the furniture, materials and upholstery, and these can all be personalised to suit your interior scheme and home. The possibilities are endless, from hand-painted shaker to contemporary flat panel lacquer.
The primary function of your fitted seating will define its form and the materials used. It could be soft foam and lined with soft scatter cushions for a relaxed lounge feel or firmer and finished in a highly durable and wipeable material similar to diner booth seating.
Kitchen Inspiration with Built In Bench Seating
These are just five reasons why bench seating can be the perfect addition to your kitchen. There are many ways to configure the design to suit your lifestyle, and a good designer will guide you.
At KCA, we can tailor your banquette design to you, along with the perfect table to fit the size of your kitchen design.
Contact our showroom to speak with a KCA expert about designing your perfect kitchen.
