If you have the right space a banquette is one of my favorite additions to an eat in area.  What’s so wonderful about a banquette?  You have seating above AND  storage below!

Benches generally allow for more people to smoosh in for a fun, intimate space.  This easily seats 5 adults but many more can sit comfortably- especially kids.

We had this built by a handyman and used piano hinges on the lids for easy opening and closing. ALL of that seating area (including the corner) is hidden storage. One more tip- it’s built to come apart in 2 pieces so I could move it with me…but I didn’t.

(Ignore smudged tile- it’s wet in the photo)

It’s easier to build it to your table specifications than to find a table that matches. Or you could always have a custom table built!

We used this simple rectangle table with it which I painted with chalkboard paint.  My kids loved to sit and doodle on the table and their friends did too!

This was one of my very favorite spaces in our Florida home largely due to the cozy banquette.  We left it and the table with the house and I hope the new family loves it as much as we did!