How To Choose The Right Banquette Seating For Your Space

Banquette seating is a versatile choice for a variety of environments, from hospitality settings to offices, and within the home. A type of fixed, bench-like seating, banquettes are usually custom-designed and upholstered to align with the interior design scheme. When it comes to choosing the right banquette seating for your own space, however, there are certain factors to consider. We look at how to incorporate this style of seating into different areas.

As well as being aesthetically pleasing, banquettes offer a clever space-saving solution for compact and awkward rooms. Typically, a banquette can be rectangular, L-shaped and U-shaped, and can be fitted along walls and as window seats. They can be shaped to fit within corners, recesses and nooks, or around architectural and decorative features. Banquettes can also be used to increase the number of covers within a restaurant, café or bar.

Banquette seating for the home

Enhancing dining experiences within the home has become a popular trend that’s set to continue. As modern, new-build houses and apartments are often smaller than older, more traditional homes, the creative use of space has become increasingly important. In London particularly, space comes at a premium. Designers are continually innovating when it comes to the use of space within both commercial and residential settings.

Banquettes are a useful way to create seating within the home for smaller dining rooms or kitchens. Usually designed for dining and kitchen areas, banquettes in the home need to fit the room shape and use. If the priority is family meals, for example - within a kitchen-diner, then storage can be incorporated underneath the seat. This allows you to free up cupboard space for kitchen utensils and gadgets. However, if the room is mainly used for entertaining, you might place a greater priority on comfort and aesthetics with more luxurious upholstery.

When we designed a banquette for a couple’s newly fitted kitchen, we had been initially asked to design this as an L-shape. But when our team assessed our client’s London-based home, it was agreed that a straight run with modern clean lines was a better solution. Our designers also built a discreet storage area beneath the luxurious, removable seat pads to maximise the use of space within this kitchen-diner.

Banquette seating for restaurants and bars

Within a restaurant, café or bar setting, banquette seating can provide both an efficient and stylish way to maximise the number of covers. Consider the number of people that you want to be seated within the intended space. A banquette can be designed to fit the exact dimensions of your room, including awkward corners, curves and straight lines.

When we designed seating for Nandos in Whitechapel, we looked at ways to alleviate the feeling of being overcrowded within a busy restaurant environment. As a result, we designed banquettes in different shapes and styles. Along the wall, we created straight banquettes with diamond-patterned stitching offering more open seating with freestanding chairs. We also designed curved booth-style banquettes to create more intimate dining zones.

 

Our designers also designed beautiful banquettes for The Terrace on the Isle of Wight. This family-run restaurant has a New England theme with cool greys and crisp whites to create a fresh, bright look to complement nearby Yarmouth Harbour. Banquettes were custom designed to echo this look and to create seating space. With fluted backs, textural upholstery and stained plinths, the banquettes appear to flow seamlessly around the walls.

When we designed banquette seating for The Oaksmere in Eye, we were respectful of the beautiful architectural features of this Grade 2 listed building. For this bar and fine-dining establishment, we designed a long, fluted-back banquette, upholstered in a mid-grey leather to complement the bold blue walls. The grey leather keys in with the granite tabletops, while the plinths tie in with the floor colour. At one end of the banquette, the floor-to-ceiling windows have doors facing a beautiful terrace and views of the well-tended grounds.

Think about how you want your customers or clientele to feel while they are dining or drinking at your establishment. Align the seating upholstery and materials to your design concept, room narrative, and interior décor scheme. You could choose an accent colour or contrasting shade for the upholstery to help define different eating or drinking areas. If you value sustainability, for example, you could incorporate recycled materials into the structure.

Bespoke upholstered dining bench seating

When designing a banquette for the home, office, or a hospitality setting, there needs to be a balance between comfort, function and aesthetics.

Banquettes within the home can be highly practical with built-in storage, designed to align with interior decorative schemes. Within commercial environments such as offices, this type of seating can be used to create breakout zones or visitor seating for reception areas. In hospitality settings, banquettes can increase the number of covers.

Custom-designed, upholstered dining benches can transform an awkward area into a useful yet beautiful space. Banquette seating can be designed to blend in seamlessly with the surroundings or as a statement piece of built-in furniture. Although banquettes can be custom-built, there are general size ranges when it comes to measurements and seat cushions. You need to allow for a comfortable level of movement and seating comfort.

Before you approach our designers to discuss your banquette, consider the purpose of the space and your objectives. We will visit you at home or at your premises to assess the intended space, offering advice and inspiration. We will discuss suitable styles and colours, which includes seasonal fabrics and trending materials. Banquettes are designed to reflect our clients’ exact requirements.

Craftwood can custom-design, manufacture and install beautiful banquette seating for your home, office, or hospitality setting. Contact us to discuss your requirements.