Banquette Seating Maximizes Efficiency and Comfort

Don't assume that an attractive design featured in a magazine can be applied only in a space of similar dimensions. Good ideas can often be adapted to rooms much larger or smaller than the original. Functional issues may have to be addressed; of course, trickier -- and crucial -- is the question of scale. A borrowed design will often have to be rescaled in order to be successful in a differently sized setting.

QUESTION: The kitchen/dining area in our new home is spacious enough to accommodate six people around a table. Can you suggest some ways to make this arrangement look more than purely functional? The space in question includes a corner and the kitchen has built-in cherry wood cabinetry. We like a comfortable and casual look -- as long as it's not modern or too rustic.

ANSWER: I'm glad you started by ruling out certain looks. That always saves time. The accompanying photo from the Taunton Press book "New Bungalow Kitchen" may inspire you to go in a direction you might not otherwise have considered. This isn't a particularly large space, as you can see, but the design can definitely be adapted to a bigger room -- or a smaller one too, for that matter.

Banquette seating wrapped around a corner wall makes more efficient use of space than does a set of chairs, allowing more diners to gather round a table. It's also an informal, relaxed way to eat with family and friends. These are the reasons why so many restaurants use banquettes.

With one-sided banquette seating, chairs can be placed around a square, rectangular or circular table. The shape and size of the table should be determined by the amount of available space and by the number of seats you'll be regularly using. In the example shown here from the book by Peter LaBau, the wood of the kitchen cabinetry was extended to form a bookcase as well as the back and the base of the banquette. The result is an integrated, multifunctional design. Shelving also allows for the display of books, collections and decorative objects, which enhances the casual, homey feel of this alcove.

Here's some practical information that can help you in choosing this or another option. Kitchen counters are generally 24 inches deep, and that depth has been maintained here for the banquette base. The standard height of a dining chair's seat is 18 inches, which is also the height of the cushioned banquette.

Lighting will be an important component of such a design. It's not possible to make specific recommendations, however, without knowing what sort of ambient and task lighting will be needed for a particular multipurpose space. I will say that appearance matters as much as function and that lighting choices must also be based on the aesthetics and function of the space.

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(Readers with general interior design questions for Rita St. Clair can e-mail her at rsca(at)ritastclair.com.)

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