Get This Look: Art Gallery Corner Banquette
Banquettes have long been a space-saving way to have plenty of seating in a dining area or breakfast nook, and thankfully, there are so many ways to style a banquette! We have two great banquette looks in our Get This Look library already (see Sunny Corner Banquette and Built-in Banquette Bench) and today we’re adding a third… Placing the banquette bench in the corner helps conserve space, and adding bright colors and lovely artwork makes it so homey. We’ve got 7 tips for making this look come to life in your home. (image via Better Homes and Gardens)
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7 Tips For Designing an Art Gallery Corner Banquette
1. Surround Yourself With Moldings
I’ve mentioned it before, but I love being surrounded by beautiful thick moldings and wainscoting, so this banquette feels like home! Choose your wainscot style from our gallery of over 25 styles and tutorials, and extend it almost to the top of the wall, leaving just enough space for a set of 8-to-12 inch square frames. And don’t forget the crown molding! 🙂
2. Add Bright Colorful Art
The key to having so many pieces of art in a row without the room feeling overwhelming is to let the art be an accent, not the main attraction. Using simple white frames with thick white mats (pick up similar frames at IKEA or here on Amazon) lets the art stand for itself without any fighting between the pieces.
Shop your house for small art prints to fill the frames. Or, make a gallery full of love and memories by using your children’s artwork, like I did in my holiday gold gallery wall here, or using Instagram-style photos — or make them watercolors by using Waterlogue, an app I love. Or try using calendar pictures, picture book pages (photocopied if the book is precious), or pages from old art books and maps. And if none of that fits your style, pay a visit to The Graphics Fairy’s printable image collection and you’re sure to find something that suits you!
3. Swag the Light
If you’re going for a simple style like our inspiration image, a solid white drum pendant fits the bill! For other styles (like those below), a different light makes a statement about the banquette. Do what you love and what fits the feeling that you want for the room.
4. Hang a Mirror
Mirrors are perfect for making spaces look larger and brighter. I had looked at this inspiration image several times before I realized that it was a mirror on the wall and not another window! A large mirror opens up the room and enhances the airy feeling created by the whites and bright colors.
5. Don’t Forget the Banquette!
You can build a banquette with a back cushion or without, in any shape imagineable, from scratch or from existing furniture — if you can dream it, you can do it! Core 77 shows you how to build a curved banquette like the one pictured. No matter what bench you install, be sure to put on a nice cushy cushion and a few colorful throw pillows!
6. Bring in Additional Seating
The corner banquette bench is perfect for fitting everyone around the table, but don’t forget extra chairs for the other side(s) of the table, too! It’s hard to go wrong with the clear acrylic “ghost” style chair (at least in my eyes!). You can pick up a chair or two for a reasonable price on Amazon — either with arms or without.
7. Keep the Color Grounded
The deeper color of the wood flooring (herringbone style!) help to ground all of the life going on in the room’s style. Help prevent all of the color from becoming frenetic by letting calm neutrals — in this case, white and griege — and simple, clean lines — like the basic drum shade and simple pedestal table — reign the space’s design.
More beautiful corner banquettes with art galleries:
Need more home inspiration? Try these other Get This Look articles:
 Mudroom Under the Stairs |
 Shared Bedroom Symmetry |
 Double White Bathroom |
