Get This Look: Built-in Banquette Bench

I love dining banquettes, as you may have noticed. I think the thing I love most about banquettes is that they really can be adapted to fit almost any space. While many banquette benches traditionally wrap around a corner to form a nook, this open layout features a built-in window seat banquette bench and I love the look! If you’d love a window banquette in your home, read on for our seven tips for bringing this casual but classic design to life. (image via Better Homes and Gardens)

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Create a Classic Built-in Banquette with a Bench

1. Class It Up

One of the keys to this look is balancing the classic and casual elements so the room is polished but still comfortable and relaxed. Installing crown molding and thick molding around the doors and windows dresses up the room. Use caulk and my tips to make your moldings picture-perfect. Don’t have the budget, tools, or time for crown molding? Fake it with this technique that Hi Sugarplum shared with us.

2. Build It ALL In

A built-in window seat provides the best of both worlds, storage AND seating while looking classy. (Get some ideas for building in a banquette bench from our sunny corner banquette.) Enhance the custom and stylish look of the bench by building in a shelf on either side, following our plans for built-in bookshelves or a built-in corner bookshelf.

3. Open Up The Light

The openness of this light fixture complements and catches all the natural light pouring through the windows. The dark metal of the fixture draws attention and makes it a piece of art instead of just a light source. And, of course, you can DIY this part! See how Kristen from Lipstick and Sawdust pieced together hanging lanterns for her kitchen, and Mandi from Vintage Revivals created her own custom lights out of glass urns.

4. Regulate the Sunlight

Using louvered shutters like these allows you to quickly and easily control the amount of natural light you let in, so you can have bright cheery breakfasts without later being blinding by the afternoon sun. While shutters might be a bit pricier than other window treatments, they will be easier to adjust than blinds and keep up the clean, classic lines of the bookshelves and crown molding.

5. Bring In Nature

Remember, every room needs a touch of nature, and tall metal flower buckets are great for bringing in whatever you’ve grown in your flower garden… or the lifelike faux flowers you picked up at the store. Try buckets in white or shiny tin for a cleaner look, or aged zinc for a more casual look.

6. Make It Portable

A sturdy tray beneath the canisters and other centerpiece items makes it easy to clear the table and make way for delicious food. I love the carved handles and clean wood look of this bamboo butler’s tray.

7. Mix It Up

Help keep the room feeling cheerful and homey by mixing the furniture styles and adding a simple rug to define the space. The darker wood chairs are more fashionable but the curvy lighter wood table helps keep the room from feeling too formal.