Banquettes, Part 2

So, the carpenters came and went...approximately 9:30 - 1:00.  And they gave me a simple banquette.  I had a momentary freak-out about how far the legs were set in, but apparently that was a structural decision and done is better than perfect.

Not blowing anyone away, but overall it is so nice to have an "eat in" kitchen.  And no, this is not blog styling--I had house guests, hence the flowers :)  The legs are off the rack from Lowes, and the top is 1/2" plywood framed out with 1" molding.  They added the quarter round on the top because my walls are not very straight.....Incase it is helpful, here are the measurements:

Turns out 18" is plenty deep enough for me, and we went 17" high to allow for a dense, 2" cushion.  

So done?  Of course not.  Obviously, we need to prime and paint.  Cushion?  Good question.  And a new table (or table top) is needed, unfortunately.  The kitchen is going to be painted a warm lavender soon (well, soonish), so the finishing will take place after the color is finalized.

I got a couple questions about other options for a banquette....

Using off-the-shelf kitchen cabinets is the favorite DIY/hack for built in benches, in the kitchen or elsewhere.  Lowes, Habitat restore, Ikea...they all work.  Chair height is 18", so that is the height you will need (or less, with a cushion).  Kitchen cabinets need to be raised up a bit, otherwise the doors don't work.

via Aubrey & Lindsey's blog

via This Old House, with full instructions, 

And, if you don't want built-ins, or want to test out the bench-seating waters first, try furniture...

1/2/3/4

(I read OneNote makes easy collages for blogs....but apparently, they look kinda crappy--sorry).

or, hack some Ikea Expedits.  I think this and this are the most often sited/pinned Expedit-banquette hacks, but interestingly both are flat on the floor.  For a window bench, that works but it might be a little short for a table.  My sister, Mary, added feet to her Expedit hack to bring it up to 18", so naturally I demanded she text me pictures from Portland:  

She reports that it is very functional, and sufficiently deep for dining.  PS--those cushions are from Ikea also--square chair cushion with a velcro strap.  

Now that Project Banquette is semi-complete, my attention is full-on nursery...oh, and throwing up kids (those are terribly distracting), Easter eggs, gardening, house guests, first communion party.....#thirdkidcomplex.  But I am trying to pay attention and do my homework in photography class, which ends the week I am due.  Those pics were all shot on manual--how 'bout them apples?

PS--If you are near Indianapolis, I highly recommend the Robert Indiana show at the IMA....even the kids liked it.

A Banquette, part 1

After hemming and hawing over adding a built in banquette to our kitchen for the last 5+ years, I finally just asked a friendly carpenter what it would cost.  And its just under $400 to build something similar to these two inspiration pics, in an L-shape in the corner of my kitchen:

From Domino and Martha Stewart Living Organizing

Nope, no closed off storage or cabinetry look.   But I settled on the above examples when I thought I was building it myself--messing around with old house baseboards is not for me.  But since I (a) still don't own any powertools, despite a successful run in the Power Tools for Sissies class, and (b) get tired walking through a grocery store, I figured I might as well see what having someone else build the super simple design would cost.  And the price was right.

We will settle on the final design next Saturday morning and then he will stay and build it..and around 5 hrs later I'll have a banquette.  That simple.  Or so I hope.  

So what goes into a banquette design?  Here is what my research yielded:

• It should be chair height (18"), and you should allow for cushions (at their compessed height)
• It needs to be deep enough to lean back a little; I won't have cushions on the back (it is going to be tight as is) but allow for that if you like.  18" seems to be minimum depth....
• Don't forget to have some overhang for feet kickback (bigger issue if bottom is closed in).

Better Homes and Gardens has a good article on measurements:

"For banquettes, the standard height for the table is 30 inches and for the benches is 18 inches, leaving 12 inches from the top of the bench to the table surface. Let the table overlap the benches by 3 or 4 inches on each side. For more legroom, set the benches back a few inches and add a "heel kick" on the floor below the table overlap.  Allow a minimum of 21 inches of table and seating width per person. Also allow 18 inches of seating depth, not counting the back support."

This post shared building plans, and had a 23" depth.  Ana White's free-standing bench seating is 24" (but has a big back cushion).  If you can't tell, I'm totally nervous about depth as I want it to be comfortable and awesome, but it is the pathway from the backdoor to the rest of the house and I don't want a permanently bruised hip (or, for the shorties, bruised heads) from the peninsula. 

But enough practicality.  Let's look at some dreamy kitchen banquettes that will not resemble my own.

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Next week I'll chat about other DIY options, fabric and pedestal tables.  And hopefully have a completed picture....and hopefully not have to tell you that the exposed leg version is not a good option.