Small kitchen banquette seating ideas

Posted on 26th August 2023

Looking to gain extra storage in your kitchen? Need more seating spots for guests? Enter: banquette seating.

Is your kitchen on the smaller side? No problem! Banquette seating is a clever and stylish way of making the most of awkward nooks while also maximising storage.

Small kitchen banquette seating

There are many ways of introducing this design feature in your space. For example, you can create a dining area with an extendable table, a couple of chairs and a banquette rested against the wall to ensure you have plenty of seats, plus extra organising space underneath. Bonus!

Depending on the size of your space, you can go for a single unit with tall drawers and comfortable padding, or an L- or U-shaped banquette.

green kitchen with table and chairs — Holkham kitchen, from £40,000, Davonport.

dining zone with wood table, black chairs and green built-in bench — Chelford Reed Green kitchen, price on application, Howdens.

L-shaped bench in wooden kitchen — Bespoke kitchens from The Main Company start from £25,000. Photography: Chris Snook.

If you’ve got a large picture window, why not transform it into a cosy reading nook or a bistro-style spot for enjoying your morning coffee by integrating built-in seating?

modern handleless units in Scandinavian style scheme — Tavola Parched Oak and Zola Matte Graphite kitchen, price on application, Kitchen Stori.

dining zone with banquette seating — Close-up of the banquette in the Tavola kitchen by Kitchen Stori.

steel-framed window with bench rested against the wall with drawers underneath — The Hartford collection in Avocado, from £25,000, Tom Howley.

Got unused space in your small kitchen? Opt for bespoke banquette seating, so it fits perfectly in any awkward nook. You can match the design to your cabinetry and include features such as soft-close drawers or lift-up lid-style seats.

Small kitchen banquette seat — Design by Spaceshack London with Grey 03 paint on the walls, £45 for 2.5 litres of eggshell emulsion, from Lick.

Click here for our guide on how to incorporate a built-in bench into your design

Even a single galley kitchen can include banquette seating. How? You have to get creative with the design. For example, you can compromise on worktop space and include a built-in bench between units. Simply add a small table and a couple of chairs to create a stylish dining zone.

green kitchen with built-in seating, table and chairs — Cambridge kitchen in Forest Green, from £2387.99 for an eight-unit kitchen, Benchmarx.

Last but not least, if a kitchen island is on your wishlist and the room can accommodate one, go for a compact, multi-functional design to maximise every inch available. This way, you can include plenty of food preparation space, appliances, storage and – the best bit – banquette seating.

This style of small kitchen banquette seating is ideal for spending time with guests while cooking, keeping an eye on little ones and dining.