When I imagined the interior design feature that would fully capture my heart, I didn't think it would be a bench. But banquette seating, as it's more fashionably known as, has officially made it to the top of my list for things going in my dream kitchen - let's hope that day comes soon.
Banquette seating is a dining trend I've seen appear in the most stylish kitchens when searching for inspiration, but often these made-to-measure styles come with a very high price tag. Lucy William's striped upholstered banquette, designed by The House Upstairs, has been a source of desire for quite some time now, but as my budget isn't quite the same, I knew I had to get creative in sourcing affordable alternatives.
Luckily, banquette seating has become increasingly available to buy on the high street. It has the look of a built-in style without the cost of calling in a professional, and you can take it with you when you move house.
My top pick
The striped fabric of this Next bench is so on trend but also timeless - it would make any dining area in a kitchen feel cosy and inviting.
The banquette seating from Next originally caught my eye and revealed how many freestanding styles there are on the high street. While I've long admired banquettes, the barrier to entry has always been the thought of needing to hire a carpenter to create a built-in bench, which feels very committal and expensive.
Buying a freestanding banquette is no different to purchasing dining chairs - an investment purchase that you want to get right, but one that is easily altered if your tastes change.
Banquette seating has become very popular in the last few years as our kitchens have become places to hunker down in, dine and spend intentional time with our families. This upholstered, bench style seating lends itself perfectly to this - it mimics a bistro environment where those dining want to linger and relax.
While freestanding banquettes promote flexibility, you'll still want to make them look like they're built-in and belong to the layout.
'Banquette seating works best when it is treated as part of the architecture of the kitchen rather than as a feature added afterwards,' says Richard Davonport, managing director of Davonport.
'Seat depth should support an upright dining posture and the table position must allow someone to slide in and out without disturbing others, while integrated drawers beneath the seat allow the footprint to provide useful storage and keep surfaces calmer elsewhere in the room,' he adds.
With this in mind, these are my favourite banquettes to buy on the high street, with storage, back support and of course, characterful flair.
Shop banquette seating
If you have a bigger area to cover, this corner banquette will create a dedicated cosy corner and ample storage.
For vintage flair, opt for this pleated storage bench that will add a cosy touch to any kitchen.
If you're struggling for space then this single seat banquette offers the ultimate solution.
I love the wooden bottom of this banquette, it will help to ground the look and blend the banquette into the rest of the room.
While this banquette doesn't have storage, the open legs will be perfect for opening up a smaller kitchen and avoiding a heavy look.
This compact banquette from Dunelm is ideal for smaller kitchens - the sleek legs and seating will add to a Scandi scheme too.
If you're looking to make one change to your kitchen dining space this year, then let banquette seating be it. It will turn any uninviting seating area into one that promotes connection.
