photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Ta-da! DIY built in kitchen banquette seating! The key? Using kitchen cabinets – the ones typically reserved for use above a refrigerator.

For the above photo, the cabinets were simply strung together and secured with screws. Below is a slightly more sophisticated version of the same project from This Old House magazine.

photo courtesy of This Old House

Before you begin, here are a few points to consider:

Will your banquette interfere with the natural traffic flow of your kitchen? If so, then perhaps there are better options.

Will your banquette be also used as storage? If so, then you will want to incorporate working doors or drawers into your design. If not, then you are free to use plywood or veneered fronts.

Will your benches have backs to them? If so, this will increase both the cost and difficulty of the project.

Will your seats be cushioned? If so, you may wish to consider a way to attach the cushions so that they do not slip and slide every time someone sits down or slides over.

Built in kitchen banquette seating not only provides the perfect opportunity for creating a cozy, family space…it is a geat way to maximize your space!

Now that my friend has all of the photos she needs to get her hubby started, I can’t wait to photograph the end result and share it with all of you!

If you have a banquette in your kitchen…or have attempted this project on your own…let FDG know about!
For more small kitchen remodeling ideas, check out this article on display kitchens.
You can follow the link for the directions from This Old House to make your own built in kitchen banquette seating.
The DIY Network also has some teriffic videos showing how to construct built in kitchen banquette seating.

For more on making your own kitchen banquette, check out this article.