 |
If you have been thinking about constructing a banquette in your kitchen I can tell you that it is the best home improvement project I ever did.It not only adds architectural detail to the room, but it creates more seating without the need for a lot of chairs, plus since the seating is right against the wall, the table can be pushed towards the wall making the room feel more spacious.There is no space allowance needed for chairs to be pulled back.
I originally saw a professional carpenter constructed custom bench with a slanted back that my friend had made for her kitchen.I loved how it looked, but knew I couldn’t afford a carpenter and would never be able to construct the back.After looking at it for awhile and seeing how it was made, I decided I didn’t need a back. The base was nothing more than a box with a top on it.Breaking it down in my mind like that, I realized I could probably make one with a little planning for my own kitchen.I didn’t have a pattern or directions to follow I just based it on the design my friend had.
Here is the finished banquette without anything on it. The top measures 23″ deep. The base 18″ deep. The difference in width allows you to kick your feet back for more comfortable seating. It is 18″ high.
View of the top. I rounded the corners to save everybody’s knees.
Side view – I added crown molding, baseboard, and quarter round as finishing trim.
Since I can only sew something simple, I had two cushions made to place on top. If you want to protect the fabric from spills you can send your fabric to a company that will laminate it before sewing. The company I used was Custom Laminations, Inc. It cost a little more then I wanted to spend but I figured with kids and food I would be saving money by having the fabric protected. My friend, Karen who made them told me with the lamination and the length of the cushions, she felt like she was sewing 2×4′s together. The lamination adds a slight sheen to the fabric.
Since I didn’t make a back for the banquette I covered six bed pillows ( I sewed them, really simple) in various colors of fabric to add cushioning and interest.
I can sit a lot of people around the table now. I used to entertain in my dining room, but this has become our go-to spot, as it is such a cozy conversational area. The table is 47-inches in diameter.
Without this handy little table saw I would not have been able to make the banquette myself. My husband and I found it when a home improvement store near us was going out of business. It cost us about $70.00. It was the best tool we ever bought. It is small and simple to use. Nothing complex about it to scare you from using it.
This is the only picture I have when I was constructing it.
How I Made the Base for the Kitchen Banquette
The base is nothing more than a frame of two by fours. The back wall has 2 – 2×4′s mounted to the wall. One on each side. They take most of the weight. The base is not attached to the floor at all.
I used plywood to cover the front and sides. There was an electrical outlet on the wall which I had my husband ( I don’t do anything electrical) move for me so that it could be mounted on the banquette. I created the hole for the outlet with a jigsaw. I added crown molding under the top and baseboard and quarter round to the bottom to finish it off.
Construction of the base frame.
My simple sketch to show how I mounted the 2 x4′s to the wall with lag bolt screws. The top of the the 2 x4 should be placed on the wall at 16 1/2″ from the floor. When the top which was 1- 1/2″ high was added the total height of the bench was 18″
How I Made the Top of The Banquette:
The hardest part of making this was the top. I made the top with 3/4″ poplar plywood. I didn’t want any warping so I got the best plywood the Home Depot had. I chose to angle the corner joint. You could also just make two square tops. That probably would have been easier. I wanted it to look as professional as possible so I made a decorative edge with 3/4″ thick piece of molding that was 1- 1/2″ high. I rounded the corners with a sander so they would not be so square and dig into someones knee.
Underside view of the top.
Bird’s eye view of the top joints.
Related Posts
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
can I bring you to my house, and have you re-do every room?? This is gorgeous!
No way, I have been dreaming of one for my kitchen. We have a bay window and I want to build into it. You inspire me, I think we may have been seperated at birth. I am keeping this info. for when we can try to do ours, your the best.
Cha Cha
Hi Dianna and Cha Cha-
If I ever move from this house, I know I will have to build a banquette in the next one. Sometimes when I am tired, I lay down and fall asleep on it. It is very comfortable. Trax, my cat and Schnizel, my dog – love laying on it too. It gets sun all day until about 2:00. Thanks for the nice comments.
Diane
How much did it cost to do the bench alone? Excluding cushions etc…
I am preparing to build one myself! Looove yours!
Fab.u.ous! I soooo want to build one of these for my dining room now that I have the kitchen nook table under control.
Thanks for the detailed how-to’s. I’ll be bookmarking this post for future reference :)
Glad you could Mi4M!
I have always wanted a bench seat, you did a fabulous job!!~
looks great! way to go
I love my chop saw too! Great job girl!
I love your banquette! How cool you shared all the details. If my huge deep freeze ever goes out I would like one there. Lezlee
wow! great job. It looks really nice. I love that you used bed pillows… probably a lot cheaper than the alternative! (foam) :)
thanks for sharing!
gail
holy cow!
you did an awesome job. you should be so proud. you are a pro! it looks like it was built-in with the rest of your room. everything matches perfectly.
what an inspiration piece for the home & YOU are an inspiration for doing it yourself.
Wow! It looks really great!
awesome. excellant job. I have always wanted one myself. Hint to husband…lol…mishelle
Love this!!! I will put Husband on this project as I don’t like to know too much about this end of stuff- he has hobbies too. I will do the custom cushions. Just tonight, I had expressed an idea about tearing out some low bookshelves in the playroom and putting in a long window seat with lots of storage and new full sized bookcases on another wall. Wish you were in Dallas so you could give me your great ideas! I’d love to know what you think.
That looks so cozy!!
Visiting from Cottage Instincts!
This was the next thing on my to-do list… before we found out about the move.
I thought it would be a good place to sit and talk/blog while Hubby made dinner ;)
I looks so nice in your kitchen. You did a good job!
I’m glad I found your blog.
Talk to you soon ;)
Bunny Jean
This is a great use of space. I love this. My area would not allow for this or I would do it in a heart beat!
Wow, nice work! I’ve always wanted one of those!
Wow, I love it. What a great use of space.
Awesome project! I love it, it fits the space perfectly and lookds like plenty of seating room too!
This is Brilliant and so are you to tackle it. Way to go!
STUNNING! I’m so impressed, and it’s something that I’ve been wanting to do FOREVER in my house. You’ve totally inspired me! Great job.
Hi, all you wonderful commenters.
Thanks for all the blog love. I love reading all your comments and visiting each of you if you have a blog.
Ann- send me a picture- I would love to give you some ideas on your playroom shelf transformation.
Diane
You did an amazing job. IT looks great. Way to go!
Hi Diane, I stopped back this morning for a better look around. You are a very creative gal and I am totally impressed that you painted your kitchen cabinets. One question, do you remember the color of white you used and did you use semi or gloss paint? I’m considering doing mine they really need a touch up, unless you like that chippy look.
I have found that using a semi gloss on the ceilings is an amazing way to reflect the candlelight on the diningroom table around the room. The effect is amazing and I am considering repainting the livingroom and hall ceilings with a butter colored white in semi gloss but I really dislike doing ceilings.
Preparing for another 12″ of snow! See you after the storm.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
That is awesome and I had never thought of doing anything like this! This would solve my seating woes also. Thank you for sharing!
I have been so wanting one for my home. Will you please come and build me one? {smile}
It turned out fabulous! Thanks for the inspiration!
I left something for you over on my blog! Check it out:
http://www.confessionsofafitnessinstructor.com/2010/02/awards-code.html
Wow! I am really impressed with your building skills! This is awesome!
Oh wow, we need a banquette. I had no idea where to start. Now I do. I love yours, it’s perfect! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lynea
LOVE!
This is so wonderful!! We have a kitchen that is on the smaller side and I think a banquette would be perfect! I must tell the idea to my hubby! Plus we might be able to use the bottom for extra storage space…
I found your blog on a SITS list on Twitter of people who are attending the Bloggy Bootcamp in Baltimore! I just signed up as well. I wanted to come by and say Hi! Looking forward to meeting at camp!
Hi Mom, I’m taking a study break and visted your site. I made the picture of the kitchen table and bench my background for my laptop! It makes me feel closer to home! See you in two weeks! xo Mandy
You did a great job. I’ve been wanting to do this for some time. Maybe I can talk my husband into helping me with this project.
Thanks for the help.
you are so creative….thank you for posting this. I am now following you from friday follows have a great day.
Stopping by to say hello with Friday Follow. Hope you have an amazing weekend with your family and friends.
Felissa
Please stop by my new blog:
http://www.twolittlecavaliers.blogspot.com
and my business blog:
http://www.felissahadas.blogspot.com
Here From Friday Follow! This is a great idea!
I have been SEARCHING for a banquette that was cheap and pretty. FINALLY I found yours on link up page I think through DIY…anyways, Im so glad you made everything so detailed..I will be having my dad and my husband make this for me! I cant wait! We have a small house with a great room and there isnt alot of space for a table with 6 chairs so Im extatic about this! Thank you
lacey!
Wow!!! What a beautiful job! I have wanted to add a banquet to our new house and just haven’t been brave enough. You have inspired me and given me the best visual to show my husband! Looks fantastic!
Oh I love it! We also have a banquette with lots of room for storage. Please come see :)
Hi, following you from Friday Follow.
Have a nice day.
Come to visit my blogs:
http://www.santiagotwingirls.blogspot.com
http://www.palstiembroidery.blogspot
I’m LOVING you blog. I just went through every post.
I have been wanting to make a banquette corner seat ever since we moved in almost a year ago. It seemed so difficult, but you make it sound pretty simple. How much were supplies all together? That will be my decision maker. =) Sooo excieted.
Wow! What a great job! It’s awesome! :) Thanks for sharing in the DIY Show & Tell (sorry I’m so late!)
~Roeshel
I have wanted a banquette in our bay window for years! You made it look like a project my husband could do. I am saving this to show my him. BTW…..You did a great job! Thanks for sharing!!
looks fantastic. did you bring the electrical outlet forward? Where is the table from? Great size. Thanks!
Hi Dahlia-
Yes, I did bring the electrical outlet forward as well as the heating vent. My husband helped me with that, but it was very easy. We bought what we needed at Home Depot. The vent is on the right side facing the kitchen cabinets. The outlet is about 6 inches from the corner of the bench. So many people have e-mailed me about the table. I got from the JC Penney catalog about 8 – 9 years ago.
Hi there,
Love the banquette. My wife and I are about to embark on the same project for our kitchen remodel. Do you have an idea of total cost for materials? And how hard was it to move the electrical outlet from the wall to the front of your banquette?
New follower here. Just wanted to say thank you for posting this. You’ve motivated me (well, not ME exactly) to do this in my breakfast room.
LOve Love LOVE.. its our project for this weekend. PERFECT, simple and beautiful.
I found an 8′x6′ “L” shaped seating bench at my local Habitat For Humanity Resale store for $148. It once was used in a local chain restaurant and they had donated a bunch of them when they remodeled. I had it reupholstered in a highend fabric that I found on clearance. Total cost was about $500 and it is fabulous. Added some throw pillows in unique colors and refurbished something headed for the land fill. My grandkids love sitting around the table for meals now. With my refurbished chandelier (from the same resale shop for $7) and booth seating they feel like they too can go to a five star restaurant.
I’m concerned with the height of the bench. Didn’t you find it too high for the table after you added the cushion
This is So helpful, Thank you!
Hi Susan-
The bench with the cushion is at perfect height. The cushion makes it 1″ higher than the chairs that are around the table – the chairs have no cushions. If I added store bought cushions for the chairs all the seating would be the same height around the table. When you sit down on the bench the cushion gives a bit also. The nice thing about building your own banquette is that you can customize it to your needs. If you are considering a banquette I would find out what the chair height you plan to use around the rest of the table is and use that as your measurement. What I find the most important measurement to consider is to provide enough space (4-5 inches at least from the outer edge of the top) for your legs to kick back. The base should be narrower then the top. Without this your bench won’t be comfortable to sit at.
I hope this helps.
Hi !
Your website is inspiring !!
I like you banquette and wanted to make one similar in my kitchen, but i’m wondering about the dimension. The wallspace I have is about 5′ x 6′ and I think that with the space needed for the knees I could sit only 3 persons on it…
Could you let me know what is the size of yours and how many people can sit ?
Thank you very much !
I have been dying to do just such a thing in my kitchen “nook.” Thank you thank you thank you for the inspiration and instructions and permission not to hire a contractor!
Maggie :)
I’m just wondering if you could post some more measurements–like how long each leg of the bench is and how wide your table is. You mentioned that you can seat 9 around the table–I can seat that there is seating for that many but is the table big enough? It seems like you would need a bigger table if 9 people were all going to sit here for a sit-down meal. I’m trying to design an in-kitchen eating space for 8 in a small kitchen and thought a banquette would be the most space efficient way to go. It will be the only dining area though so I don’t want it to be cramped. If I know what your measurements are then I can increase mine proportionately. Thanks! I like that this is simple and looks classy. Many others I’ve seen use fridge cabinets to make a bench but, as you mentioned, this doesn’t give you the calf room for the most comfort.
I’m curious about the top. You said that you used 3/4 poplar plywood, but then also say that it’s 1 1/2 inches tall. Did you double up the top?
Thanks Diane! Your article was so helpful in building my own. i attached the top from underneath (which wasn’t easy), but made it so there weren’t any nails or screws on the top. also, at the Home Depot, they have pre-rounded MDF strips that are 1 1/2 inches wide, which worked perfect for the edging. i had a router i was going to use, but happened to have the strips already, so that was easy.
here’s my flickr set that has pictures of what i’ve done. http://flic.kr/s/aHsjtNpnPY
Thanks again!
Hello Diane, my wife has been wanting me to build a banquette table since we have no room in our kitchen at all, I was wondering if you doubled up on the plywood for the top since you had said that it was 1 1/2 in thick I saw what Robert wrote but didn’t find a replay.
Michael,
What she did was reinforce the bottom with the 1x stock around the sides and middle. I didn’t get it at first, but she explained it to me, and then it made sense. this picture shows it: http://inmyownstyle.com/images/old/6a0120a5bbeb10970c0120a87094bf970b-500pi.gif
That picture is if you’re looking at the underside of the plywood top. It has the 1x edging, and braces connecting them. Once I did that, I put edging around the whole thing to make it look nicer. The thicker top feels a little better too.
Hope that helps,
Robert
the nook
Hi, I was wondering what this project cost you, including all trim and wood. Thanks. :)
Hi Anne -
It was about 10 years ago that I made the banquette. I wasn’t blogging then and didn’t keep a record of it. The Poplar plywood was expensive – now a days it runs about $90 for a 4 x 8 sheet. I needed 2 sheets. It was a bit cheaper 10 years ago. You could use a lesser grade of plywood to save some $$$ and it would still look good. My dad helped me design it and he insisted that I use Poplar. :) The wood on the underside and outer edge was nominal. The molding I used from Ornamental Molding runs about $20 for an 8 ft section. I used 2. You could use much cheaper crown molding,also and save some $$$, but I like how beefy the Ornamental Molding brand is. Baseboard/ HVAC venting: $30 The primer/paint – $25.
Approx: $325 without the cushions.
Cushions I had made by a friend who does upholstery. The foam and labor are expensive. The fabric I got at a discount place for under $20. Total for the 2 cushions: $225 included fabric, foam, and labor. If you can sew- huge savings for you. :)
I hope this helps. Enjoy your weekend.
I am so impressed with what you have done and appreciate your well-written instructions and building tips. All I can say is “Wow”. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Hi Linda –
Thanks so much. It truly is the best home improvement project I have ever done.
Wonderful job!!! Just made this in our kitchen but having a hard time finding the right crown moulding. What size did you use?
Hi Kesha-
I used 4 1/2″ Ornamental Molding Brand crown molding. They sell it at Home Depot and I think Lowes has it too. It is a bit more decorative than regular crown molding. Here is the link:
http://www.homedepot.com/Lumber-Composites-Moulding-Millwork-Moulding/Ornamental-Mouldings/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbrfzZ2js/R-100043141/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
Diane,
I just came across your blog. This looks spectacular. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
We just purchased a 4 season cottage with a wonderful nook perfect for banquet seating. I *hope* I have enough height under the windows to do this as it would look spectacular in our space. You’ve inspired me.
Just wondering if your kitchen table is a 42″ or 48″ round.
Hi Kim – My table is 48″ round.
Diane,
this is truly a dream come true…
I have a “nook” area that would be so lovely with a banquette such as yours…but i have 4 drawbacks….3 low windows and a women who is not handy one little bit…
i am so in love with your design that i am racking my brain to try and figure out how to copy your design…
i just don’t see how i could overcome 3 obstacles and create a beautiful banquette such as yours…
can you help??
Maryjo
Hi Maryjo-
One of my friends made a banquette even with her low windows. It actually looks very nice. She has loose pillows along the window that can easily be removed. The bench hides a tiny bit of the bottom portion of the windows, but she can still open and close them easily. If you are not good with DIY, perhaps you can purchase some ready made kitchen cabinets from Home Depot or Lowes that will fit into your space and put a board on top of them. I have seen this done and it looks perfect. Not sure what your budget is, but you could ask around at Home Depot/Lowes to see if they know of anyone that would build one for you.
Beautiful job, Diane! You’ve made me want a table saw and given me the confidence to try making one for my mom’s kitchen. You’re one talented gal!
That’s it- I’m getting a table saw for my birthday in August…even if I have to buy it myself ;) This is amazing! I wish I had half of your creativity!
A table saw is one of, if not the most, dangerous tools in a shop (60,000 injuries and 3,000 amputations per year). Between the propensity to cut off fingers and kickback from a improperly secured workpiece (the blade spins back toward the operator), this is NOT a tool for the casual user. Please get some training before using one or at the least buy a book specifically geared toward table saws and study it very carefully.
ok I want one! I love it!
I had a professional build my banquette…I think you did a much better job. Dang, wish I had seen this a while ago.
I love this banquette idea!! (More than several others I’ve seen) When I had to completely restore my computer and lost the bookmark on this page, I hunted for this specific blog because I knew exactly how I wanted to build my kitchen seating piece. Thanks for posting such wonderful instructions!!
I visit this post regularly b/c it is just what my uncozy 1980s two story box needs to add some charm! My husband can now see what a transformation of our formal dining room into a comfortable sitting area could look like – and has the directions to get started. Thanks for sharing your ideas!!!
Hi Betsy – I used to do the same thing, but to my neighbors house – she had a carpenter make a banquette in her kitchen – that is where I got the idea to make mine. You are going to love it – it truly does add more interest to the room while giving you more floor space.
I. Love. Your. Site.
This is the first site I’ve been to that has answered ALL my DIY decorating questions without me asking a single one.
Not to mention given me some absolutely wonderful ideas.
I am moving to a new apartment and find that your wonderful…and cheeeeeeap… DIY’s are also applicable to renting.
Keep up the good work…!:-)
A New Fan
{ 9 trackbacks }