Unlike a table with chairs, which requires quite a bit of floor space, a banquette that’s secured to a wall (or even two walls) eliminates the need for circulation around every side. Newton-based interior designer Liz Caan, who recently designed a backless banquette paired with a cafe table for a corner in a Chestnut Hill guesthouse, agrees. “I use them in spaces where I can’t afford to waste an inch. I hate tables jammed in corners and chairs bumping into walls. A banquette anchors the table and really cleans up the lines of the room.”
Designers say the best banquette is open on both ends, making for easy ins and outs, or L-shaped and tucked into a corner. If benches are long enough to accommodate more than one person, there are a few details that will help ease the seating shuffle. Avoid tables with legs at the corners; they’ll just get in the way. Pedestal bases work best for smaller tables; for larger tables, trestle styles work, too.
The shape of the banquette base is also an important consideration. A banquette with curves at the corners rather than sharp edges, like the one Cambridge-based interior designer Kate Maloney designed for a family with three kids in Wellesley, makes sliding in and out easier.
Architect Carrie Shores, principal of Larson Shores, recommends building a base that slants back to allow ample room to maneuver in and out. She also likes to leave space for sitting with ankles crossed and feet tucked just under the seat. The booth she designed for a Rockland, Maine, couple (before moving her firm to the Bay Area), both of whom are more than 6 feet tall, uses these tricks. Trim at the top of the banquette’s back also provides a point to grab onto when sliding in. Just be sure the trim is not too prominent, lest it poke diners in the back.
