Decorating & Design
10+ Breakfast Banquettes Worth Waking Up For
Published on June 9, 2026
A breakfast banquette is a great way to save space, enhance comfort and bring a chic restaurant feel to your kitchen. For some designers, it’s even become a signature move. Scroll down for a few of our best dining nooks from the H&H archives. Which one is your favourite?
“The banquette is something we went back and forth on, and it almost didn’t happen,” says designer Sonya Kinkade. “Now, it’s my favourite feature. I think it tells the whole story of the kitchen with the V-groove panelled walls, lantern sconce and vintage plates. The farmhouse vibe is so cosy.” A lantern sconce and vintage plates bring a cosy, collected feel to the breakfast nook. The table expands to accommodate six to eight people.
You don’t always need a built-in kitchen banquette. The breakfast nook in this modern farmhouse features a freestanding bench and a wood dining table with a scalloped edge that adds a playful, casual vibe to the space. “They use the banquette for eating and as a place to work and read,” says designer Keri MacLellan.
In this luxe cottage guesthouse designed by Katherine Newman a built-in banquette off the kitchenette doubles as a workspace. The commissioned chartreuse ceramic stool is by Zélie Rouby.
In the main lakehouse, an alcove off the dining room is the perfect space for smaller gatherings or as a children’s table.
This eat-in dining area’s curvy banquette and artful pedestal table are custom tours de force. The homeowners found Flamborough, Ont., woodworker Bezalel Moon of Atelier Arking on Instagram, then visited him in person. “We wanted a functional banquette, but also something unique and modern,” says Jeff. “Bezalel has a flair for the details and helped us design the banquette and table, plus the counter stools.”
The back of this L-shaped kitchen banquette does double duty as the kitchen island, providing plenty of counter space.
A coat of white paint freshens up the original brick above this scalloped banquette in this Toronto kitchen. The bulkhead is painted to match the new hutches on either side. “A restrained colour palette of earthy hues brings calm and flow,” says designer Parris McKenna.
This home doesn’t have a dedicated dining room, so designer Beth Lowenfeld created an eating nook adjacent to the kitchen with a large banquette for the clients. “The space feels cosy when it’s just them, but it can also accommodate a large group,” she says.
A new banquette seating area was on Beth Watt’s wish list for her Toronto kitchen reno. The room’s southern exposure bathed it in beautiful natural light, and she wanted to amplify that warmth by creating an inviting hangout zone. Now, the bespoke banquette is one of her favourite features. “We spend every day in this welcoming space; it’s the gathering spot of the house,” Beth says.
One of the standout moments in this serene city home is the walnut banquette in the family room with its camel mohair cushions. “Anything a shade darker than cream was a push,” says designer Jo Levitan, noting that she needed to nudge the clients toward the rich tones on the banquette and the colourful chairs. The banquette also doubles as a quiet homework spot for the owners’ two young children.
Designer Amanda L. Hoyle created a dining nook that’s connected to the kitchen in her Notting Hill flat. She colour drenched the space in a blue-grey pulled from the painting over the sofa in the living room. “I initially envisioned the nook as an office but, during the reno, we realized that, with banquette seating, it would be perfect for entertaining,” she says.
“The room is cocooning like a camper, and kids love it,” says designer Angela Wheeler of this cosy dining area in her Balsam Lake cottage. Though the banquette could fit 15 people for meals, Angela says the kids usually laze around reading or doing crafts on the table.
For this condo kitchen, designer Jacquelyn Clark pushed out the island and built a channelled banquette on the face to create an entertaining hub.
This freestanding custom dining room banquette wraps around a Corian and oak table. “The formal dining room is where they dine as a family, so we wanted it to be beautiful and elevated for entertaining but durable,” says designer Danielle De Francesco. The banquette is upholstered in vinyl, so spills practically bounce off. Having a banquette also means less clutter. “You aren’t contemplating a jungle of chair legs,” says designer Clare Forndran.
In a luxe Toronto Victorian, designer Kim Lambert created a more open floor plan by taking down a partition between the kitchen and dining area, where a banquette now sits.
The curved banquette in designer Michaela Burns’ kitchen is upholstered in caramel-coloured leather with a channelled back and has integrated shelves on one side. “The curve has a softness and gives a welcoming feeling,” says Michaela of the curves and arches used throughout the interiors of her home.
This dining area has a luxe feel with a glass-walled wine cellar and a navy tufted banquette. “I loved the idea of adding warm tones and flashes of metallics that delve into the Art Deco era,” says designer Eva Healy of Avenue Design. “The goal was to add layers of richness, softness and luxury to the space.”
Aly Velji brought warmth to a newly built kitchen in Edmonton by layering in texture, pattern and hits of brass. “We spend so much time here on the banquette,” says the homeowner. “We wanted a space to be able to gather and sit down with the kids.”