I love banquettes! They are cozy and comfortable which are 2 of my favorite things. When I moved into this home, there were more things about it that I didn't like than I liked, so I set about making changes. The breakfast area was very strange. It had a set of low cabinets on one side which meant the table had to float in the middle of the room. Ordinarily that wouldn't bother me, but that meant you had to walk around the table to get into the playroom. It interrupted the flow. I really didn't need the cabinets because my kitchen is loaded with them, so I decided to take them out and make a banquette. Here's how I did it:
original cabinet area
The first step was to take off the countertop and save it because it was going to be the seat. Next, the cabinets were removed but the drawers stayed because they are perfect for linen storage. The tile was removed and the countertop was put back on top of the drawers. I painted the edge of the countertop dark so that the old formica wouldn't show under the cushion.
Now for the fun stuff. I had a seat cushion made for the bottom and I made some pillows for the back. added a few accessories and a table and chairs and it's just right!
By moving the table to the banquette, I was able to add a seating area to the room and the traffic flow is uninterrupted. The lesson here is you don't have to keep the things you don't like about your home. There was no major construction with this job and it made the room so much more useful and comfortable, not to mention cute!
I'll keep you posted...
Lynn
