Banquette seating in a kitchen

[belsize77]

Would this put you off or seem a bit strange in a private home?

I am redoing my kitchen (which has to have a dining table and chairs in it) and I am trying to work out if I can fit a comfortable chair or mini sofa in as we spend far more time here than in our other rooms with comfortable seats. I then though of banquette or some sort of built in upholstered bench seat for one side of the table. There are some nice ones on websites that normally do work for restaurants and bars. The kitchen is about 18 ft by 13 ft with units in an L shape and Edwardian french doors at the far end to the garden.

We can fit a chair or snugger in but it would look a bit cluttered with a table too if you know what I mean.

Thanks

I think it's a good idea, if properly executed.

I like the one <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.mikejonesfurniture.com/hpbimg//Banquette%2520Seating%25201_1.jpg&imgrefurl=mikejonesfurniture.com/productslink.html&usg=__T6OEmxNQV42qGxmhYd5EtlJ1HQc=&h=275&w=416&sz=26&hl=en&start=2&sig2=NoYDm-Xv4ycMcvD8NCrDlA&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=aAilFYWx2_KSXM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbanquette%2Bseating%2Bkitchen%2Bphotos%26hl%3Den%26cr%3DcountryUK%257CcountryGB%26sa%3DX%26tbs%3Dctr:countryUK%257CcountryGB%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&ei=z6OUTe30EouPswaC2qG1CA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here

Friends of ours have some church pews which they've had converted into seating in their kitchen which looks fantastic but may not give you the level of comfort you're looking for.

I am thinking of doing something similar with either gustavian type benches or reusing my church pew and painting with elephants breath F&B.I think in some rooms it is the best use of space tbw.In Ikea today oak worktop was used to create a seating bench in a kitchen diner which looked really cool.

We had it when I was a kid, in a sort of corner shape. It was lovely, got loads of kids squashed in there! I would love to do it but it won't work in our kitchen

I am glad that at least a few people people don't think it's an awful idea. I think the problem will be getting one that is comfortable enough that people would lounge around on it rather than just sitting on it to eat....

That's a great website House of Mirth. His stuff looks really nice.

Teta - I think I may have seen the Ikea display you mentioned - that and a photo in Homes and Gardens of a super expensive kitchen with a beautiful upholstered window seat was what gave me the idea originally.

There's one in the holiday house we've used a couple of times. Terrible idea imo. Table is long enough to sit 3 at a squeeze (which we need to do) and 1 on the end. (Is L-shaped and units come up to corner of table so everyone gets in and out from same end.) A right pain minute anyone wants to get out and you have to move the table to get in and out.

Was that the kitchen with the ivory coloured worktop and small amounts of green and striking orange globular lights?.That kitchen has really stuck in my imagination .

Hard to get the height/width so it's both comfortable to eat at table and to relax on though.
I'm having the same thought, our room is similar but only ten feet wide, I wondered about having a small cane sofa in front of the french window on the understanding that if the weather was nice enough to open them the sofa could be put outside!

I am not sure Teta - the article was years ago but I saw a photo of it reused not too long ago. It was a really traditional kitchen (Smallbone or Mark Wilkinson ish ) but the seat looked comfy with good storage underneath. It was at the end of a galley kitchen under a big window. Nothing at all like mine of course...