Banquettes

Perfect in a cozy nook under the stairs. Ideal for a breakfast spot. At home inside or out. A banquette provides comfortable seating in a variety of settings. Cover a banquette in plastic-linen upholstery, a Sunbrella fabric or even faux-ostrich vinyl and enjoy meals at the kitchen table without fear of spills. Curve a banquette into a horseshoe shape to create a sociable perch for guests. Carve out storage space inside or underneath the banquette. There are so many options. Here is a sampling . . .   

"The breakfast room's banquette from the Verellen Home Collection is upholstered with a detachable button-tufted slipcover of Verellen's Sophisticated Linen in Sea Foam. Antique dining chairs are covered in Kravet's Cameo, a faux leather."

Interior design by Nancy Price, Nancy Price Interior Design.

Photography by Eric Piasecki.

"A Palette of Mississippi Blues" by Mimi Read.

House Beautiful (March 2008). 

"The breakfast area's wall of windows frames a view of the garden and backs a 10-foot-long banquette and century-old French pastry table." 

Home of antiques dealer Jeannette Whitson.

Interior design by Jeannette Whitson.

Photography by Simon Watson.

"A New Nashville House With an Old Soul" by Barbara King.

House Beautiful (June 2013).

"Les Ensembliers' Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal designed this kitchen with busy family life in mind. A banquette is an easy spot for kids to hang out while dinner is being prepared. A soft green fabric on the bench cushions and throw pillow adds a hit of color to the mostly white space, and dark window hardware adds country charm."

Interior design by Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal of Les Ensembliers

Photography by Andre Rider.

"Sunny Dining Nook"

Canadian House and Home (December 2009).

"[Lulu] de Kwiatkowski's twins, Francesco and Matteo, break in the kitchen nook's cushions. '[Those cushions] have so much character and are simply delicious,' says the designer."
Los Angeles home of Lulu de Kwiatkowski and her family.
Interior design by Lulu de Kwiatkowski, founder of the textile company Lulu DK.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
Written by Shawn Gauthier.
"Colorful Imagination"
Lonny (October - November 2010).

"Paint the interiors of glass-fronted cabinets for a hint of color that can easily be changed. A classic symmetrical design was used for this eat-in kitchen. The distressed table and gingham-upholstered antique chairs add rustic charm, while drawers beneath the banquette make full use of space."

Interior design by Halina Catherine.

Photography by Michael Graydon.

"Traditional Kitchen Banquette"

Canadian House and Home (March 2010). 

"A tufted banquette adds a sleek silhouette in the kitchen. Plastic-linen upholstery is from Great Plains. The table is from Crate and Barrel."

Banquette fabric: "Marrakesh"/Blue Smoke by Great Plains; Holly Hunt. Custom banquette by Eleanor Cummings.

1930s Houston, Texas, home of Mary Lynn and Dave Mannon.

Interior design by Eleanor Cummings, Eleanor Cummings Interior Design.

Architectural renovation by Kirby Mears, Murphy Mears Architects.

Photography by Fran Brennan.

Written by Jenny Bradley.

"Before and After: Remodeled Houston Home" produced by Helen Thompson.

Traditional Home.

"A melange of patterns enlivens the breakfast table's settee. 'If you're afraid to mix patterns into a space, try it with pillows first," [Jamie] Meares suggests."
Raleigh, North Carolina, home. 
Interior design by Jamie Meares, founder of Furbish Studio, a North Carolina Home furnishings boutique.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Personal Dynamism" written by Robert Leleux.
Lonny (May 2012).

" 'Make the most of children's artwork. I use terrific frames and paperweights from the Conran shop to showcase my sons' art,' " Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer tells Elle Decor.
"A Jeff Koons vase in the Manhattan kitchen; the chairs are by Artistic Frame, and the portraits are by Neil Winokur."
Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer's Manhattan kitchen.
Photography by Simon Upton.
"At Home with Stylesetter Aerin Lauder" by Kristina Stewart Ward.
Elle Decor (July - August 2009).

"An L-shaped window seat off the living room amps up the coziness quotient."

Southern California ranch of Ruthie Sommers and her family.

Interior design by Ruthie Sommers.

Photography by Coral von Zumwalt.

Production and fashion styling by Sarah Storms.

"Once Upon a Time in the West" written by Melissa Goldstein.

Lonny (December - January 2014).

"A Frenchy Pierre Frey print and a related border are wonderful with a Cowtan and Tout stripe on a banquette and chairs in this sunny breakfast area with a working wood fireplace. The antique refectory table is from Atelier Branca."

Interior design by Alessandra Branca.

"Romantic is Sensual" by Carol Prisant.

House Beautiful (November 2006).

"The relaxed charm of the sitting room proves [Alessandra] Branca's theory that the best luxury is comfort. Plumping up the bay window, a banquette she designed is covered in Gretchen Bellinger linen velvet; the custom ottoman is casually draped in Rogers and Goffigon striped ticking. Floral linen pillows are a Travers print, the blue velvet are Fonthill. The red swing-arm lamps were found at Nicholas Antiques; japanned brackets and tole tray came from Atelier Branca."

Interior design by Alessandra Branca.

"Romantic is Sensual" by Carol Prisant.

House Beautiful (November 2006).

"The dining area, with its mirrored sconces and custom banquette, conveys a painterly mood."
Jaime King's home in the penthouse of New York's Gramercy Park Hotel.
Photography by Melanie Acevedo.
Fashion styling by Annie Ladino.
Prop styling by Kaylei McGaw.
"Pajama Party" written by Sean Santiago.
Lonny (June 2013).

"In the dining room, a tufted banquette is 'the perfect perch for cocktails and after-dinner drinks.' It's done in Stroheim's Angora Mohair Velvet in Lemongrass. Lillibette lantern by the Urban Electric Co."

Fayetteville, Arkansas, house.

Interior design by Tobi Fairley.

Photography by Francesco Lagnese.

"Glamorous Blue Decorating" by Tobi Fairley.

House Beautiful.

"An awkward space underneath the foyer's stairway became a surprisingly cozy nook once [Melissa] Rufty added a velvet banquette and a vintage faux-bamboo coffee table."

New Orleans home of designer Melissa Rufty.

Interior design by Melissa Rufty.

Photography by Francesco Lagnese.

"A Romantic Victorian Home in New Orleans" by Mimi Read.

House Beautiful (October 2010).

"A rough-hewn wood coffee table, leather poufs and a collection of artifacts lend an earthy exotic edge to this room. 'Cozy banquette seating looks inviting and comfortable,' says HGTV designer Montana Burnett. Greenery makes the space feel homey."

Interior design by Jessica Helgerson.

"Earthy Living Room"

Canadian House and Home.

" 'I built that window seat where there used to be a balcony to make a banquette nook in the kitchen. If you have a balcony or just a little extra space, you should always try to add a window seat where you hadn't necessarily thought of it - even in your bedroom, if you have a little niche. It brings a nice feeling to any place where you're going to want to sit and get cozy.' " Mary McDonald said to Veranda.
Interior design by Mary McDonald.
Photography by Tim Street-Porter.
"Well-Advised: Mary McDonald" by Stephen Singerman.
Veranda.

"A cushioned banquette with neutral-tone pillow fits the contours of a bay window at a 1920s house in Beverly Hills, California, decorated by Waldo Fernandez. A pair of Windsor chairs and a traditional English gateleg table add rustic charm."

Interior design by Waldo Fernandez.

Photography by Firooz Zahedi.

"Great Ideas: Stylish Sunrooms" by Laura Regensdorf.

Elle Decor.

"A custom-made banquette surrounds a teak-and-steel lava-rock fire pit."
Malibu, California, home of actress Courteney Cox.
Renovation by architect Michael Kovac.
Design by Trip Haenisch.
Photography by Simon Upton.
"Courteney Cox's Private Retreat" by David Sokol.
Elle Decor (July - August 2011).

"Just beyond a fire pit, the horseshoe-shaped banquette is covered in Canvas Weave and Coral Reef in Tropical Stripe outdoor fabric, both by Perennials."

Outdoor kitchen created by architect Michael Layne.

Photography by David Duncan Livingston.

"Adventurous Style in Calistoga, California" by Christine Pittel.

House Beautiful (July 2007).

"The seat of this bench lifts up to reveal space beneath for chairs, pillows and outdoor serveware. In a small backyard in the city, storage space is invaluable. The loose seat cushion was made about 20 inches shorter than the banquette to allow room for potted plants."

Schumacher pillow fabrics.

Architect/designer: Gillian Green.

Photography by Michael Graydon.

"Practical Bench Storage"

Canadian House and Home.

"The stone-top bronze table in a corner of the dining area is 19th century, and the banquette's cushion is covered in a linen by Castel; the shades are of a de Le Cuona linen, and the walls are painted in a custom color, with the windows trimmed in Pratt and Lambert's Anubis.

Pied-a-terre at New York's Plaza Hotel.

Interior design by Steve Gambrel, S. R. Gambrel, Inc..

Photography by Eric Piasecki.

Text by Celia Barbour.

"Panache at the Plaza" produced by Anita Sarsidi.

Elle Decor.

"A 10-by-3-foot horseshoe banquette makes the living room of a Long Island, New York, house. Markham Roberts designed it for the bay window and covered it in a fresh, bright green, Brasilia (in Anis) by Manuel Canovas. His pillows are simply inspired."

Interior design by Markham Roberts.

Photography by Christopher Baker.

"A Traditional Design in Long Island" by Lisa Cregan.

House Beautiful.

"On the screened porch, which overlooks the studio, a custom-made banquette is covered in a Hable Construction outdoor fabric, the table is Indonesian, and the antique chairs were found at the Brimfield flea market; the floors are painted in Farrow and Ball's Studio Green."

Athens, Georgia, home of textile designer and artist Susan Hable Smith and her family.

Photography by Richard Powers.

Text by Ingrid Abramovitch.

"Georgian Revival: Susan Hable Smith at Home" produced by Anita Sarsidi.

Elle Decor.

"In the kitchen dining area, the table by Paul Evans is accompanied by a Pamplemousse Design banquette, upholstered in Holly Hunt fabric, and Erwine and Estelle Laverne chairs; the pendant light is by Tom Dixon for Swarovski, and the marble floor is by Exquisite Surfaces."

Six-story townhouse in Manhattan.

Interior design by Delphine Krakoff, Pamplemousse Design Inc.

Gut renovation by Oliver Cope Architect.

Photography by Bjorn Wallander.

Text by David Colman.

"Uncommon Vision" produced by Robert Rufino.

Architectural Digest (July 2013).

"In a breakfast room, the '60s Lightolier pendant lamp and the table, a '60s teak partners desk by Florence Knoll, are both from Wyeth; the banquette is covered in a Lee Jofa linen, and the Knoll Saarinen chairs, from Design Within Reach, are upholstered in a Manuel Canovas chenile from Cowtan and Tout."

 New York City apartment of Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan and their children.

Interior design by Mariette Himes Gomez and her daughter Brooke Gomez, Gomez Associates Inc.

Photography by William Abranowicz.

Text by Jesse Kornbluth.

"Family Wise" produced by Robert Rufino.

Architectural Digest (December 2012).

"The new kitchen. A utilitarian recess was incorporated into the space. Kohler sink. Chicago Faucets fittings. Robert Allen banquette and chair trim."

Late-1920s Neoclassical-style home on Chicago's North Shore.

Interior architecture and design by Tigerman McCurry.

After photography by Richard Mandelkorn.

Text by Susan Sheehan.

"As Time Goes By"

Architectural Digest (February 2005).

"[Francis] D'Haene designed the banquette and table for the breakfast area, which showcases one of Christopher Wool's signature text-based works."

New York apartment of art dealer Amy Gold and auction broker Brett Gorvy.

Renovation by Francis D'Haene, D'Apostrophe Design.

Photography by Thomas Loof.

Text by Julie L. Belcove.

"Collected Wisdom" produced by Howard Christian.

Architectural Digest (December 2013). 

"Homeowner and emerging designer Sarah Callanan stained the maple tops of the banquettes and the floors the same ebony for a practical and tailored look. The oversized pendant accentuates the ceiling height, while the shapely Saarinen pedestal table and modern-classic Ghost chairs keep the corner open. Pink and olive throw pillow jazz up the black and white scheme."

Interior design by Sarah Callanan.

Photography by Virginia Macdonald.

"Contemporary Banquette Dining Area"

Canadian House and Home (September 2011).

"The kitchen banquette is covered in a Holly Hunt linen, the table is custom made, and the armchairs are by Lucca Studio; the chandelier is from Kristen Buckingham, the shades are of a linen by Raoul Textiles, and the beams and ceiling are reclaimed barn wood."

Dana Point, California, home overlooking Salt Creek Beach and the Pacific Ocean.

Interior design by Mary Lynn Turner and Marie Turner Carson of M. Elle Design.

Architect: Bob  White of Forest Studio.

Photography by William Abranowicz.

Text by Julie L. Belcove.

"Riding the Waves" produced by Anita Sarsidi.

Elle Decor.

"Family-friendly materials include faux-ostrich vinyl on the banquette and a custom-laminated linen seat on the rattan chair. Nicholas Coley's school-bus oil painting appeals to kids and grown-ups alike, thanks to subject and technique."

Custom banquette by Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design and Decoration. Banquette fabric: "Senna" #101; Kravet.

San Francisco Edwardian house owned by Anna and Mason Morfit and their children.

Interior design by Melissa Warner, Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design and Decoration.

Architectural renovation by Rob Stiles and Charlie Barnett, Charlie Barnett Associates.

Photography by Werner Straube. 

"Colorful and Stylish Family Home" written and produced by Sabine Rothman.

Traditional Home.