Love the table and bench!! Is that baseboard heating where you plan to put the banquette? I'd be concerned about blocking that. I do love the look of the banquette but also wonder if it might overpower the space. How tall is it and how much of the window would it cover?

I'm not against the look your going for. I think they make a space seem homey and cozy. Could you try one of the long pieces on the opposite side of the bench?

The bench height goes to about an inch above the window sill. The sill is 31.5 inches off the ground and the bench 33 inches high. I was planning on pulling the bench off the wall a couple inches because of the baseboard heat. We actually have too many heaters in our first floor so if I needed to turn those off for the winter it wouldn't be a big deal. It's not electric so I'm not worried about fire. I taped out the dimensions in the space before I had the table parts made.
Thank you for the response and the kind words. I tried to ask my family about this but they looked at me like I have 3 heads. They couldn't care less. I figured gardenweb was my best hope for honest opinions.

Your table and bench are very cool. I also love your space with the nice window. Look at the options you already have! A mix of bench and chairs, the ability to rotate the table, etc. I would nix the banquette and embrace the good looks and versatility of what you have without it.

I LOVE dining nooks -- and your ideas are wonderful! :)

Here's a link to a pin board full of inspiration photos (and ideas and information) for dining nooks .... hope this helps!!! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinterest -- pins with dining nooks

I think banquettes can be terrific especially comfortable ones like you pictured. I would be a little worried that all kinds of things will be dropped behind them in the space between the wall and the back of the banquette because of your heater placement, but at least the version you showed could be moved somewhat easily. Where will you put a booster seat if you only have a bench and a banquette? I assume the end space will be for a high chair?

I like your table and bench, but Im not sure how they will look w the banquette. I don't think the legs work.

IMHO a second matching bench would look best, but adults arent happy on benches for long ... So maybe if you did that, put upholstered chairs (Ballard slippers maybe) at the heads of the table?

fyi see link for the typical pairing of corner banquettes with pedestal tables

Here is a link that might be useful: banquettes w tables

Love the table and bench. I think the banquette would look great. Might be kind of a pain as far as cleaning goes.

I would change out the chandy, though. I don't think that one works there at all.

How cleanable is that banquette? Unless anything beads right off, I'd be worried , and not only with little ones.

Thank you for all of the responses. You've made some good points. Many if which I'm thinking about now which is why I'm having doubts. Thanks for the links. When I look at ballards photos they don't show too many rectangle tables. This has been a worry of mine. It was nice to see so many rectangle tables in the Pinterest link.
The seat opposite the window would be my chair for a booster when the time comes. The fabric I chose is Sunbrella which is supposed to be quite durable. Ballards has pretty choices but durability was key with a family of boys. Someone mentioned that the legs wouldn't work. Is that because of looks or function? When I chose legs I went with a shape that I thought would be comfortable for those sitting. The x shape and the fact that they aren't so close to the edge makes it so people can just slide their legs in. I originally was going to use a parsons style table and bench but changed that so people can slide in easily. I do worry though because I know that these were my amateur choices and I realize that in reality they might not work. I had to decide on the dimensions for the table legs and top. And I also had to decide where to mount them together. I spent a lot of time debating this stuff but God knows I'm not a furniture designer. Lol.
Also, the chandelier is wrought iron and Crystal. They match a lot of the decor I have on my 1st floor and also several other light fixtures. I am open for suggestions if it isn't working in the space.
I recently painted the room. I changed the light over the table. I removed a big heavy shelf that was on the wall behind the table and took down Levelor wood blinds. I changed the molding around the window and added molding elsewhere in the room. I'm trying to keep it bright which is why I used lace instead of full curtains although my neighbor said the lace is "granny".

I am sorry...I am going to be the desenter here. My SIL built a banquette into her kitchen/dining area....L shaped like you want to do. Looked good BUT the people setting in the middle back just cannot get out without all the other people sitting beside them getting up also. My DIL had one also, when the grands were little, but kept it for only a short time for just the same reason. I like the chairs best.

I really like your table with the bench & chairs.

I can recommend one based on our experience since receiving the Ballard 3pc banquette in January. Here's a shot of mine, pre-kitchen reno (the rooms are now open & integrated.) I've also added a slightly ridiculous chandelier that I love, and all the extraneous furniture has been replaced by a cabinet run.

Fwiw, we use the banquette all the time. As in, I'm sitting there right now, ostensibly working from home. Kids do homework there, surf the ipad, eat meals daily. The Sunbrella has held up well but I am considering just putting a beach towel under my 5yo.

A couple of considerations: If it's not a massive Ballard sale right now, you may want to wait - I got mine at (I think) a 25percent off sale, which was higher than I'd seen before, but they do routinely run 15 or 20 percent off sales.

Also, definitely get fabric samples - I had a pile but wound up picking one off the screen for fear of the sale ending (since learned they often extend them) - it's a bit lighter than I expected.

Finally, and this is a big one for your potential use, the pieces do not connect - you could probably jerryrig something but if they're not against a wall, they will move because they're relatively lightweight.

I think it would work just fine with your table - which is stunning btw. With our round table, I find I'm pushing it in for meals and pulling it out to clean quite frequently. The rectangular base might entail less of that.

I've also included a link for GW user gooster's kitchen, you'll see her Ballard banquette with a rectangular table with a similar X-base to your own. Seeing hers helped me pull the trigger on the purchase (and I think I may have posted here to get her feedback, so you can try googling for that too.)

Here is a link that might be useful: @gooster's gorgeous kitchen & ballard banquette

I love your lace curtains.
Re: the chandelier: I think it's too formal looking for that table and too big. Maybe hang that one in a foyer, or somewhere like that, and find another, a bit more simple, for your breakfast nook?

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 17:00

Again, thank you for the comments. I hadn't thought about the bench sliding. I have a modular sectional in my family room so I know it can be a pain of it's not firmly against a wall. I did get fabric samples from ballards. I'm glad I did because the one I thought I wanted is not the one I am going to use. I am hoping a sale comes soon. It's the reason I haven't pulled the trigger yet.
I am so torn. I do like the look with chairs there. I'm redecorating my house little by little and I'm trying to keep things simple and uncluttered. The table does look simple with the chairs. As far as climbing in and out...that's a big concern. Guests don't usually sit there. We use the dining room if guests are over. But will my sons hate having the back seat?
Another consideration, and this is the reason I started thinking about doing a banquette, is that I was thinking about knocking the wall down between the kitchen and dining room. Our kitchen only has one window because our family room is an addition that was built in front of the other kitchen window. We do not have a lot of natural light. The dining room has a big bay window. I'm thinking if I take down the wall I could have so much more natural light. Much needed.
Now, a table (the kitchen table) right next to another table (the dining room table) would look stupid but I really don't want to lose this seating area in the kitchen. I was thinking that by putting that ballards bench there it would make a sort of divider and it wouldn't look bad. After much consideration we decided to leave the wall a half wall bc then I won't have to patch the wood floor and the heater and lower electricity can stay. I was thinking to add a shelf/counter type on top of the half wall and we can use that to put serving dishes on when we have holidays and eat in the dining room.
The pics show the dining room. The wall that would be cut in half is the one next to the water cooler to give you an idea.
Is this a stupid idea?
Thanks for the advice about the light. I will take that into consideration. I'm still shopping for a dining room light so I will keep my eye out for another option for the nook area. Ugh, decisions decisions.
Thank you so much to everyone that has given me opinions and advice so far.

I'd try turning the table so that it is in line with the window, and while the banquet seating looks really nice it is a pain to get into and out of ,and I think function, in this case, probably should trump fashion, so I'd go with chairs. But turn the table.

A couple of follow-ups: you're right to think hard about the comfort levels, but fwiw my 2 boys - one of whom is 10yo and 5ft tall - loooove the banquette. Fight over who gets to sit where. When we have dinner parties we pack a bunch of kids in there; otherwise we usually only have 2 people sitting on either wing (and usually 3 by the end of the meal as the other boy joins his brother.) I have also used it as a spot for drinks and snacks during a party - guests will perch there and can talk to whomever is cooking or cleaning up.

I also struggled over whether it made sense for us to even have a kitchen table since we have a small house and a proper dining room already. But there was no way to put other seating in the kitchen (it's a galley) and the corner booth just flows perfectly. I wanted it to be a place that was just another comfortable living space, and that's pretty much how it functions.

I love the photos that @nosoccermom posted. I would have loved to find a corner banquette with exposed legs for all kinds of reasons. Arhaus has several, but they were well beyond my budget. They are having a sale now, though!

Here is a link that might be useful: Arhaus banquettes & benches

Here's the odd thing -- I think I have a substantially similar table base from Etsy (with a Carrara marble top) and the Ballard Designs corner banquette. Mine is powdercoated grey and they've modified the top to handle the heavier material. (It has a vertical cross bar as well and yours is a bit thicker). Love your wood top. The BD fabric is the Trilby Basketweave -- a very rugged linen textured blend.

One view with an end chair removed:

View with chairs in place:

Too funny, eh? GW strikes again. A different take on the same pieces however. I see mtnredux's point about the styles -- I used the chairs to bridge the two. I intentionally searched everywhere for a trestle base and found this one, which they were able to modify.

One word of caution -- the trestle base can get in way of legs, if your overhang is not sufficient. I was limited in my overhang due to the weight of the marble.

This post was edited by gooster on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 22:46

Thank you again for the replies and photos. Gooster, how much overhang do you have? Your table base does look a lot like mine. Beautful kitchen you have! I just love Etsy lately. Found a lot of cool customizable stuff. I think I'm going to order the 48 inch bench first and try it opposite the hickory bench. I can decide once its here if I want the full set. And that way if I hate it I can throw the ballards bench I did buy in the foyer or something. No point in wasting almost 2 grand if I'm not sure.
By the way, I tried turning the table last night but I'd lose the seat closest to the wall seperating the kitchen from the dining room and one of the reasons I changed to this table was to add more seating. The space isn't that big. It would interfere with the pathway that leads into my family room. Great idea though.
Thanks again everyone.

@GreenHavenGarden: Because of the weight of the marble, I only have 8" at the ends before you encounter the base supports. This makes for a 10" overhang at the diagonal corner. I was very conservative with the overhangs -- I guess I should of had them insert rods. It's really not enough for the short end facing the short end of the bench. I also have another vertical cross support, unlike your beautiful base. The base gets a bit in the way. With your lovely wood top and base, the overhang should not be an issue. And thanks for the kind words re: the kitchen.

This post was edited by gooster on Wed, Jul 2, 14 at 14:33

So I went ahead and ordered it. I couldn't resist bc I had a 15% off code. It took about 6 weeks to get here bc I had them use the Sunbrella fabric (in taupe) vs a stocked option. It came to just under 2grand after the discount. I'm liking it right now but I'm not sure I'll keep it once my boys get older. It takes up a lot of space. Very well made though and the extra storage in each bench is fantastic.
Now I'm trying to figure out what to put on the wall above it. Eventually that wall will come down. Thank you for all the help and advice that was given. I figured id come back and show the final product. Please ignore the comically thick seat cushion. I had one made to match the bench but didn't realize that the "luxury padding" would be so thick. I'm going to have a thinner one made.

I'm glad you posted an update. Surprisingly, it looks smaller than I expected with regard to the length. I guess you can use the thicker cushion as a booster seat. The extra storage is terrific.

It. Looks. Great!!! I missed this thread the first time around, so I just read through - hoping the whole way through you would get the banquette. Congrats! I hope you love it.

@GreenHavenGarden: Thanks for coming back and showing how great it all turned out!

I forgot to mention we really do appreciate the extra storage -- especially for those long items and things that are not used frequently, like Holiday platters. And years down the line, you'll have the flexibility to downsize the eating space.

Nice!

It looks great!

A booster seat. That's exactly what I thought once I unwrapped it. Lol. A 75$ booster seat but, hey, it matches. My 4yr old has been using it at meals so I don't feel it's a complete waste of money :-/
I forgot to add that the color of the fabric is a VERY close match to Benjamin Moore's Taos Taupe. I have that color on the wall that is behind me as I take the pics and shades of it throughout my first floor. Just in case anyone was wondering why that color ;-)

Looks nice but does it prevent the heat from coming out of the registers? I would think it would make the back of your banquette very warm.

The heaters aren't a problem (I don't think). The benches don't sit flush against the wall. It leaves more than 3inches between the wall and the back of the benches. The heaters are one of the reasons I didn't do a built in bench. I wanted to keep the space for the heat to escape. Besides, the heaters aren't electric. They don't get dangerously hot like electric ones do. And like I mentioned earlier, even if I had to turn those sections off for the winter I would be fine. We have too many registers on our first floor and everything on the first floor (except out family room addition) runs off the same thermostat so it gets hot. Many days we leave the main heat off and only turn on the family room.
Thanks though. I did think about that though before I made the purchase.

How to change the pony wall in the breakfast nook without ruining the wood floor. We want to put a bench there. And rectangle table.