Beautiful Banquettes

Take this tour through a variety of cottage kitchens to see how you might incorporate this fun and fashionable design feature.

- LAURA SHIMKO

Cozy, cute and inviting, banquettes are a great addition to any cottage kitchen, invoking an Old World feel and brimming with charm. The term originates from the French word for an upholstered bench built into a wall. The French aristocracy made it fashionable to include this bench in dining areas to create an intimate, comfortable seating arrangement and the trend has been popular ever since.

There are many ways this design element can be implemented to complement cottage style. We asked several top-notch kitchen designers for some ideas and inspiration.

CLASSIC & CHIC

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENN VERRIER

• Designer: Annie Elliott

 • Location: Chevy Chase, Maryland

• Design Highlight: The Jonathan Adler Puzzle chandelier

Tip: "A corner banquette can create a cozy nook in a living room, for example, or a long banquette offers a lot of casual seating in a teenager's game room. Some people can sit and chat while others have a rousing game of air hockey or foosball!"

This banquette resulted from a kitchen renovation in this classical-style home. "Placing a banquette at the short end of the large island was a wonderful way to anchor the dining area in a tidy, space-saving way," designer Annie Elliott says. "To soften the charcoal gray cabinetry, we chose a happy red and beige floral fabric by Anna French for the cushions and pillows."

COZY VICTORIAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIP DAWKINS

• Designer: Annie Elliot

• Location: Downtown Washington D.C.

• Design Highlight: Incorporating the island into the banquette design.