16 Banquette Seating Ideas By Interior Designers That Are a Lesson in Styling These Space-Saving, Cozy Built-Ins

Banquette seating is a great way to maximize space, add flexibility, and, of course, extra seating to a kitchen, dining, or living area, serving not only as a practical design decision but also an opportunity to show creative flair. Banquettes also improve flow and create a cozy, comforting vibe that makes a space feel instantly warmer and more inviting, often softening hard edges and corners.

While 'banquette' is defined as 'a long seat covered with cloth or similar material and put against a wall', these interior designer-styled spaces prove that you can get really creative with your banquette seating ideas, meaning you don't need a wall or corner to make them work hard. There are, however, many examples of cozy dining and breakfast nooks, which take full advantage of awkward corners and alcoves, too.

I had the pleasure of poring over the Livingetc articles to find the crème de la crème of banquette seating designs that are a masterclass in styling built-in seating. From using color, pattern, curves, and more, these projects show how you can add intimacy, versatility, and a whole host of style to your space. Here's how it's done.

1. Go Tone-on-Tone

In this mid-century holiday home designed by Michelle Boudreau Design, the banquette seating off the modern kitchen is a total wow factor. A custom MBD design, this curved banquette plays with geometric patterns and a tone-on-tone warm pink style. "She really wanted to feature the Palm Springs sunset tones and bring the outdoor landscape inside," Michelle Boudreau explains. "You can sit here, have your breakfast while enjoying tea and the vistas."

2. Bring It Into the Living Room

Interior designer Jessica Gersten reimagined this Tudor home, previously a Country Club, into a warm family retreat in Rye, New York, where wood tones and warm neutrals feature throughout the property with a strong sense of flow — which is why this corner banquette works so well. Not only does it add extra space for lounging in this modern living room, but it also improves circulation, allowing their kids to run freely through the space to other areas of the house. The owners are also particularly fond of how the 'cloud-soft' banquette works with the ceramic wave wall structure, which echoes its sinuous curves.

3. Style It in the Center

"Living in London taught me to embrace color, personality, and bold design choices," explains owner Giulia Felicani of this Parisian apartment designed by ARGIA Architecture. "London interiors are often less constrained by convention and more willing to take risks." This is evident in this dining space, as much as it is in the rest of the home, where the elegant curved banquette becomes a cocooning retreat in the center of the space — who says banquettes are only for corners?

4. Go Long

In this 5,000-square-foot Upper West Side pre-war penthouse in New York, the warm, neutral-toned banquette seating is a main event and is as functional as it is stylish. Designed by CA-based interior designer Lindye Galloway, the idea behind connecting the dining space to the kitchen island was to promote more intimacy within the large open-plan layout. "It also gave the great room two designated areas, which felt more appropriate for the size of the penthouse, versus lots of furniture floating in the middle," she explains.

5. Make It Black

The bold black banquette makes a statement in this space, acting as a wonderful contrast with the white walls and ceilings, while also being a practical choice for a family home. Fabricated by Archistoric, a local studio in Chicago, and upholstered in a Knoll fabric designed by David Adjaye, it adds texture and tones with the wood flooring. With no overhead lighting, designer Jennifer Kranitz improvised with this custom fixture, which begins at the half-wall behind the banquette and attaches to the ceiling for stability. "It pivots, allowing for directional lighting across the entire area”, she explains — and it finishes off the space perfectly.

6. Bring the Bar Vibes Homes

Yes, this is actually a home — and a magnificent one at that. Designed by award-winning Irish interior designer Róisín Lafferty, this penthouse in London's Embassy Gardens is a welcoming retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city below. And what better space to retreat to than this banquette seating area that's perfect for both lounging and hosting? The warm tones of the upholstery are part of a wider earthy color palette used throughout the home, bringing coziness and a wonderful layer of texture to the space.

7. Anchor the Space With Art

Crafted by Teerlink Cabinets, this corner banquette is both the client's and the designer's favorite space in this Utah mountain retreat, designed by Jennelle Butera of Park City-based Bloum Design. "It was actually added later in the building process, and I'm so grateful we made room for it," explains the client. "Every morning, I sit there with my coffee, work on my travel business, and look out over the sweeping views of Deer Valley. It's become my favorite ritual in this house." The cozy, characterful nook was created by repurposing exterior square footage from the original architectural plans and is anchored by a custom Greg Palombo table, an Urban Electric Dome Pendant, and art from the client's collection, which completes the space.

8. Opt for a Bold Pop of Color

Appropriately named Joy Haus, this Australian home is full of personality, character, and playful energy. Realized by interior designer Ruby Shields, the key to this joyful project is color, which was a carefully choreographed detail in the home's storytelling, helping not just to add visual interest but also to define spaces, as the beautiful burgundy of this corner banquette shows. The playful pop of color cocoons the dining area while working in perfect harmony with the rest of the space. As Ruby explains, "Function and beauty are never opposing ideas."

9. Lean Into Texture

“The dining seating was initially more neutral, but the client encouraged us to make it bolder,” says interior designer Juliette Arent, co-founder of Arent & Pyke, who designed this inner-city Sydney apartment. Upholstered in Pierre Frey ‘Palladio’ fabric, the vibrant turmeric-hued banquette adds softness, warmth and tactility to the space, as well as an extra seating area for guests within the wider living area, for the owners who entertain family and friends often.

10. Anchor the Space With a Pendant

"Without a doubt, the breakfast nook is my favorite vignette in the whole project," says Kathryn Porter, the Belfast-based interior designer who designed this London family home. "We wanted to create an intimate everyday dining space that was both beautiful and family-friendly," explains Kathryn. "We used this stunning botanical print from Pierre Frey that is reminiscent of an old French tapestry to wrap the curved backrest, along with a washable linen union for the seat cover, which is perfect for sticky hands. I love how the plaster pendant really anchors the space and provides a sculptural element."

11. Choose a Statement Wallpaper

Effortlessly layered, emotive, and inviting, this dining area is an entertaining lovers' dream. The expressive wallpaper makes a statement without overwhelming the space or detracting from its architectural beauty, and the earthy neutrals and moss greens pay homage to the desert landscape. "Inspired by the Arizona desert and Bali, balanced with an effortless California ease, these colors create a home that feels grounded, warm, and naturally inviting," explains Dvira Ovadia of Dvira Interiors.

12. Embrace Curves

Flexibility was key in this London home designed by Uncanny Studio's French duo Églantine Sicat and Pauline Dellemotte, and seating areas like this dining nook are a perfect example of a flexible space for clients who "cook and host often, and hold wine tasting sessions," says Dellemotte. "The shape of the apartment is very geometrical with sharp angles," Sicat explains. "We wanted to bring some curves." Embrace curves, and the curves will embrace you, softening harsh lines and angles, and creating a more comforting, forgiving space.

13. Incorporate Integrated Storage

One of Livingetc's Unlocked homes, this elegant Clapham residence was designed by couple Charlie and Josh Karlsen for entertaining. Running luxury catering company Opus 11, with a roster of clients including rock stars, they were no strangers to hosting. “We actually designed the house around the kitchen table to prioritize hosting friends and family," explains owner Charlie. With a wall-to-wall built-in bench that packs a punch for extra home storage, never mind extra seating, this space-saving design is the epitome of functionality that doesn’t compromise on style.

14. Carve It Into an Island

Curated by design icon Bryan O'Sullivan, this kitchen dining area in an Art Deco riverside apartment in London’s Embassy Gardens is a lesson in restraint with the perfect amount of quiet drama. "Our intention with the banquette was to maximize the space and carve out a dining area without disrupting the kitchen's flow, forming a comfortable, convivial corner where people would naturally linger," says Bryan. Cleverly zoned, this cozy seating area is a great way to break up an open plan space and to bring the party to the kitchen when cooking for guests.

15. Opt for a Sculptural Design

"Built in 1956, the house naturally guided us toward midcentury architectural gestures and furniture silhouettes," says Staver Gray, one half of NYC-based design firm Ward + Gray with Christie Ward, who designed this LA home. "It was such a golden age for design in Los Angeles, and we found endless inspiration in that spirit — embracing clean lines, sculptural forms, and a sense of effortless living." And no space says this more than the banquette seating area. With its plump, sculptural cushioned seating and relaxed elegance, it’s a space that is as much about feeling as function.

16. Break Up a Wall

You don't need a nook or alcove to create a statement-making banquette seating area, as this space in an 1865 Brownstone in Boston shows. Designed by Cara Fineman, owner and principal of DAG Design, the dining area sits within a compact open-plan kitchen and living area, serving as a space of quiet repose or warm gatherings, and is defined by color and pattern. Using a banquette in this way helps to maximize space and improves flow in a small footprint.

As we increasingly seek spaces that are comforting, personal, and encourage human interaction, it's understandable that banquette seating has continued to gain popularity in recent years. It is, however, worth knowing what not to do when planning one of these built-ins for your home, as these banquette seating design mistakes show.

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