What Is a Banquette?
A banquette can have many different meanings, including a parapet for soldiers or a sidewalk in New Orleans. However, for today's modern homeowner, the term most likely refers to a comfortable bench and tabletop arrangement found near the kitchen cooking area. Usually designed for the family on the go, the home banquette combines functional living with relaxed dining.
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Word Etymology
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Contrary to the way the word is spelled, a banquette does not usually refer to a big feast or dinner, as it would in Parisian French. Instead, most references describe the word as being derived from the German word for bench, which is bank. Others place the source from the Provencal dialect in southern France, where the term banqueta is also used to mean bench.
The Sitting Room
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Banquettes first appeared in American homes, not as a kitchen dining area but as a luxurious sitting area in a den, library or ballroom. These banquettes were built-in sitting areas, sometimes of great length, situated under a series of large windows or against a long stretch of wall space. Most commonly, the seat was built at sofa height and a soft backrest was included, but no armrests were present.
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Kitchen Banquette
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The American banquette really caught on when it moved into the kitchen and became used as a sitting and eating space for a busy family. Instead of setting up a full dining table and chairs, designers decided to install a simple tabletop with a bench on two sides. The benches could be across from each other or more commonly wrap around two sides of the small tabletop. Often the wraparound bench would be placed against the wall.
Layout
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Because the kitchen area is a place of high activity, the placement of the banquette needs special thought. It needs to be near the cooking area but out of the way of the main flow of foot traffic. Also, the decision will have to be made whether the bench and tabletop will be the main focus of the kitchen area or in a transition area between rooms.
Other Considerations
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The height of the bench can vary from 18 to 20 inches, while the tabletop usually sits 29 to 31 inches from the floor. The backs of the benches may rise anywhere from 36 to 38 inches from the floor, while allowing 2 feet of width for each person. The depth of the seating area also should be 18 to 20 inches.
Another important consideration is the materials used. Everything should be resistant to liquid and food spills.
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