Banquette Seating

I've always loved the look of banquette seating, or bench seating in a kitchen or dining room.  As long as the table isnt TOO long, and you're not having to scoot down 4 feet on a long bench, it's charming, and it makes a formal space more livable, and less stuffy.

Also a good option for kids (in my opinion)... they can scoot in on their own, and bench seating can sometimes be lower to the ground than chairs.

Not sure if you're sold??  Take a look at a few of these for inspiration - I guarantee you'll change your mind...

Traditional Kitchen by Alexandria General Contractors Harry Braswell Inc.

Traditional Dining Room by Hermosa Beach Interior Designers & Decorators GEORGE Interior Design

Modern Kitchen by San Francisco Architects & Designers John Maniscalco Architecture

Traditional Dining Room by Chicago Interior Designers & Decorators kim scodro interiors

Eclectic Spaces by Portland Media & Bloggers Janell Beals - House of Fifty Mag

Dining Room by Austin Interior Designers & Decorators Tracy Miller/Miller Greene Design Studio

Eclectic Dining Room by San Francisco Architects & Designers Redmond Aldrich Design

Traditional Kitchen by Alexandria General Contractors Harry Braswell Inc.

Contemporary Dining Room by Austin Design-Build Firms Premier Partners Homes

Traditional Kitchen by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Kim E Courtney Interiors & Design Inc

To me, a banquette seems like one of those things that you want to be really sturdy (and beautiful) but not something you want to spend a fortune on.  Can you imagine the horror of having food spilled on something really pricey or irreplaceable?

For most of us, bench seating might not be something we want to commit to indefinitely, (and for those of us who still rent, it's not even an option), so while a lot of these inspiration photos feature built in bench seating, I've pulled together some of my favorite non-built int banquette options.

Where to Buy:
  - 1. OYSTER HARPER BANQUETTE
  - 2. LUGANO BENCH
  - 3. SOURAV BENCH
  - 4. CONCRETE HAYDEN DINING BANQUETTE

Where to Buy:

  - 5. Valletta Velvet Tufted Bench
  - 6. Threshold™ Settee Bench
  - 7. Hudson Upholstered Settee Loveseat Bench
  - 8. Zig Zag Armless Settee

So what's your verdict - love it or hate it?

Would you ever go for built in seating, or would you stick with the furniture options?