Who knew a half-baked banquette idea could bring on the chatter like that? Over 800 comments within a few hours time? Insanity. We’re loving all of the ideas and suggestions that you guys are throwing into the pot and promise to keep you posted every step of the way! There are definitely a lot more things to consider and nothing’s set in stone, so I think we’ll probably change our plan by the minute. But you know we’ll gab incessantly about it to anyone who’s willing to listen as we go.
In the meantime, since I should be painting office cabinets (but haven’t had a second to tear myself away from the blog), I thought it would be fun to share this awesome rendering that a sweet (and apparently very good at Photoshop) reader named Amber sent our way:
Now can you kind of start to picture it? Of course lots of things might be different (the counter might not be that color, the table might not be that shape/color, the lights may change/move, the floor will change, the cabinets won’t be brown and have eyeballs on them, there might be open shelves on the back of the banquette instead of just cabinetry, etc). Basically nothing that you see up there is “for sure,” but it definitely helps us start to picture it. So we thought sharing it might help you guys too. And a big wet kiss goes out to Amber for her ninja-like photoshop skillz.
I think the hardest thing for people to “see” before this rendering (us included) is that the banquette won’t block any more of the room than the table that used to sit there did. And people sitting at the banquette will have the same open POV that they would have had at the table (since the banquette seating will be the same height as table seating). And the countertops behind the banquette will also be around the same height as the base cabinets in the room. So hopefully it won’t feel closed off at all (everyone can see over base cabinets… well, except for Clara and Burger). Look, here’s John faux sitting in the new area now:
Now that we see this we’re thinking it could be cute to even add two small stools to the back of the banquette so that the closest-to-the-kitchen countertop could be used as a casual seating area too. Not sure though, because it might also be great prep space. And I can definitely picture us using it to set out things like appetizers if we’re entertaining. It’s all complete speculation and guess work at this point! But thanks again for all of the suggestions this morning. Who knows where we’ll end up!
On and there were actually a few folks who thought seating that faced the hallway and the fireplace was less intuitive than something that faced the work area of the kitchen, but we like the counter being the close part to the work area, and also think the two best views of the room are the frame wall and the fireplace. Plus I’m not mad at the fact that I wouldn’t have to look at a sink full of dirty dishes when I’m relaxing in my nook. Haha. Also because that fireplace is in the corner of the room, turning the L to face the other way (with the seating looking back at the prep area of the kitchen) wouldn’t solve the balance issue that the L-shaped arrangement does when it faces the fireplace. Hopefully this sketch makes more sense of the reasons why (top setup: what we want to do, bottom setup: what it would look like flipped):
See how that fireplace in the corner would make way less sense that way? Sorry for not including a sketch like this in this morning’s post for ya.
Anyway, you’ll have to excuse me, I have some office cabinetry to paint. I bought some new stuff last night (Benjamin Moore Advance paint) and I hear it’s awesome for cabs, so I can’t wait to pop back in with all those details – probably early next week if I ever get all those coats done and snap some photos. Anyone else painting cabinets? Or dreaming of banquettes?
Psst- We just announced this week’s giveaway winners. Click here to see if you’re one of them!
Lauren says
I think it looks great! But even if you end up not being into the whole banquette idea, perhaps an L-shaped island would work with stools? That way the room stays more balanced?
YoungHouseLove says
Always another possibility!
xo
s
tracy a says
this doesn’t have anything to do with this post…but i didn’t know where else to comment it! i was just reading your paint colours page and couldn’t help but notice that your living room beams don’t have the finish type listed…perhaps you meant to, but those darn parentheses got in the way! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! Off to add that.
xo,
s
Ann says
I raised four children who for years did their homework around the Kitchen table whilst I cooked and added my opinions. The Banquette would be perfect for spreading books and projects around and about. Probably not something you have thought about given Claras age but trust me it will be here before you know it and this set up would work beautifully.
Carla @ I Run, You Run says
At first I liked it, but I wasn’t sold, but now I am. It will still work as a prep area when you need to, but it’s a great casual seating area for breakfast and less formal meals. How often do you use your big table, after all? So this is perfect for everyday use, and it looks super cozy (without losing style!). Props to Amber, whoever she is! You should email her with every idea you have and get her to use her awesome skills!
Kat says
I used Benjamin Moore Advanced (in either China White or White Dove) this past July to paint the kitchen cabinets, and I loved it! With a thin coat of primer and three thin coats of paint, it looks great. It dried fast but I still let it sit for several days before moving the cabinets around. Also, I totally used y’all’s tips for painting cabinets, so, thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that! So far I’m loving it!
xo,
s
Susan H. says
I’m dreaming of a banquette in my sun room. My problem is that it’s narrow, and so the view would not be out the wall of windows, it would be towards the wall. Wah, wah. Why is it so easy to put a table in a room but so hard to put a banquette!?
I recently saw a kitchen banquette where there was a small hidden table on the opposite side, eg. where your kitchen facing prep space would be. When not in use, it takes up no additional space, but during big get togethers you can pull it out for an additional table top. What ever you’re picturing based on my description, it was REALLY cleaver.
YoungHouseLove says
Woah I can actually picture that and it sounds so smart!
xo,
s
Laura says
I use Ben Moore Advance paint for all my trim and have had great results with it. Can’t wait to see the cabinets!!
Anna says
I’m not sure there’s any point commenting because you guys get so many! Just wanted to let you know that I’m loving your new blog look!
A.C. says
First of all, I love love love the banquette idea (I wasn’t super-sold on the island) so I say Go for it (eventually, over the course of several months or years or whatever you need)! That idea seems like it would really help you manage the awkward, long skinny room by sort of visually breaking it into 2 smaller more manageable sections. Win. I like it. :)
Second (and I’m kinda late to the commenting party, so I apologize if this has already been discussed multiple times), but weren’t you guys originally thinking of widening the doorway next to the fireplace, that connects the kitchen and living room? I guess in my mind when I visualized a wider doorway, that would automatically center the fireplace on that wall but now it might give you less banquette room… I guess you could still do it, just scooch the banquette over to keep it lined up with the doorway and make the side of the L facing the fireplace slightly shorter?… I don’t know. But I’m so excited to see what comes of this idea (eventually, over the course of several months or years or whatever you need)!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we realized that messing with that exterior wall (it’s super thick and made of brick from the other side because it was an exterior wall of our house originally) might be a really hard structural battle, and from the living room we actually like the extra wall (we worried opening it too much after living here a bit would expose all of the evening TV viewing that we do since folks might see right through the house from the curb if that door is too wide- haha).
xo,
s
Amber Foshay says
Hi! Love your blog! :) My sweet Grandpa was a builder and even built cabinets for Frank Sinatra (and had drinks with him!) back in the day. Anyway, he is in his late 80’s and STILL going strong and still building! (He was on 4 story barn roof just the other day! If only I had half his energy!) He designed a kitchen and built it for my mom and dad and a cool thing about it is their floating island. It is on castors that lock and unlock but are completely hidden behind/underneath trim board. Genius because my mom can unlock it and wheel it vertically, horizontally or any which way. She usually has in the one best way for the space, but when she entertains, she turns it another way to make party room. So cool. Wonder if your nook seating could be rigged with that kind of “magic”. Maybe one day you might like to rotate it? With a quick ‘whala’ you could. It would sure make deciding where ot ut it much easier fo rme if I knew it wouldn’t be a FOREVER decision. Best of luck! Love seeing the progress. And I love what good stewards you are — actually saving up for a project! Yay you!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! What a cool guy your grandpa sounds like! And I love the turning capability idea! Gotta love keeping things flexible!
xo,
s
Kim says
The Ikea light fixture that’s above your bed is on Jay Leno’s stage right now!
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet!
xo,
s
kirsten says
So many comments, I feel bad for adding another!
But the more I looked at this, the more something bothered me. Whoever is sitting at the banquet is faced away from whoever is working in the kitchen. And more often than not, in my experience, when you have a family gathering, everyone ends up crowding in the kitchen and chatting while people are trying to cook. Or when kids come home from school, they sit and have a snack and talk about their day and work on homework there. But they’re interacting with the person in the kitchen, and the setup you’re currently contemplating doesn’t appreciate that.
YoungHouseLove says
See how John looks in the pic? He’s facing the same way he did at the table that was always there. And we have chats all the time like that (with Clara sitting in her high chair facing the frame wall and me sitting towards the fireplace and chatting with him). Maybe we’re just used to it because it’s how we’ve used the room for eight months, but it feels natural to us. It’s not like the banquette blocks sight or anything, just like John is turned to the camera in the pic he can easily turn to the person in the kitchen (where the camera is = person in the kitchen). Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Laura says
I’ve been thinking and thinking about this one, because something about it wasn’t sitting right with me, and finally (thanks to the nice photoshopped photo) I see what has been bothering me. I’m not a fan of the L-shape in there. It seems like too much for that space. But I do LOVE the idea of the lower seating with a small table. So what if you guys lost the side that faces the (future) dining room opening and had only the seating as one straight bench and then on the side facing the kitchen have the granite hang over and put a couple stools? Just a thought… :) This is all very exciting!
YoungHouseLove says
Always another possibility! We just don’t know if we’ll miss out on the extra counter and storage under it if we do an I instead of an L. And an L makes more sense of the fireplace since it seems to nest around it from each side- like Tetris as someone else mentioned. Haha.
xo,
s
Liz says
Just curious. How many people would fit on the banquette? It looks like only three would fit.
YoungHouseLove says
Nancy said 4, so we believe her since she’s awesome at space planning. Although we picture John and I using it (one on each side) with Clara in a highchair nearby for a while. And then we picture two kids doing homework and hanging out in it down the line when they get bigger (while someone cooks nearby). Since we’ll have a table that seats eight five steps away in the dining room, we like the idea of casually using the banquette as opposed to piling tons of people in.
xo,
s
Liz says
I feel like the banquette is trying too hard to work, as was the island. I’m thinking the fireplace is just awkward and should be turned around so it’s just a living room fireplace. No one would ever even have known is was there and then you could really go to town on that kitchen. Huge row of closets/built-ins? Huge L-shaped peninsula open to the dining room? That fireplace is seriously in my way.
YoungHouseLove says
Sarah Richardson has this awesome quote where she says that you shouldn’t recreate an area that you already have in your home since it’s redundant. So because we already have a living room with armchairs/sofas, and a dining room with a big round table for eight, and enough prep space and kitchen cabinetry for cooking, we wanted to create an informal dining area that wouldn’t look too much like two tables next to each other. We thought a lot about if we needed more kitchen room (ex: two more walls of cabinets and counters) and the answer was nope! We even have about five cabinets that are empty on the other side already (I think we showed those when I moved the junk drawer?). So we’re just trying to create something new in our house that has a unique use instead of making another sitting room or another dining room or another kitchen on the other side- that’s how we landed on a little casual breakfast nook type area. Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Liz says
Different strokes for different folks, right? For me, I can’t get enough countertop and storage. I’m sure whatever you do will be brilliant.
KarenH. says
I’m slowly coming atound to the idea od this–like you, I had an immediately (and vehement) “No!” reaction to the idea in Explosion Post, but I think I can see some of the appeal.
Maybe instead of a stool or two at the counter facing the sink, you could have them behind the banquette, also facing the fireplace. They could be dragged to the corners of the wall opposite the fireplace when you want them out of the path.
As for me, this weekend I will be “unpainting” the spareroom walls. Apparently, the water/fabric softener solution that I used to kill the wallpaper border also caused the very first layer of paint (calcimine) to fail and now the entire room has to be stripped before I can paint it myself. Fun!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- good luck with all that stripping. I totally feel for you! And the idea of stools on the other side that can be pulled away definitely could work too!
xo,
s
Sara B. says
First of all I would like to say that I have not had any problems with the new site. Love the fresh design. The one thing that has bugged me for the last couple of years though, is when I want to post a comment, I have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. Is that me or you guys?
About the new kitchen design…don’t love it. Although it’s visually low, physically that banquette is in the way. Once you open the fireplace it will block light flow too. JMHO.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s us. Haha. We have tried to fix that but whenever we try to move the comment box up to the top it crashes the site. And we can’t figure out how to make it accurately jump to the bottom of the comments instead. We won’t give up though! It’s definitely on the list.
xo,
s
Amanda says
Do you guys plan on forever-keeping the current cabinets/appliance layout in the kitchen, or just working with it as a temporary solution to a future kitchen overhaul? Just wondering if it works for you or not (since I guess I’d find it a bit inconvenient having the oven halfway across the room from the stovetop). Also, love the banquet idea! Sounds very cosy. :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning on keeping it for the long haul except for making a few tweaks (the microwave over the stove hangs too low- it’s not even to code, so we’d like to switch that for a range hood and build in the microwave somewhere else (maybe over the wall oven). But the cabinets are solid wood and in nice shape with things like lazy susans and pull out features, so we’d love to work with them for sure! And the layout is actually great (says John the chef, I wouldn’t know since I’m not much of a cook- haha).
xo,
s
tammylee says
food for thought….
1.only one of the inspiration photos shows a banquette with its back facing the kitchen…
2. it seems a bit like whoever is sitting there would be facing the corner (thoughts of being in the timeout corner)
3. How often will you be using the fireplace?
just thoughts though, you guys always seem to make the right choice in the end.
can’t wait to see the finished deal :)
Mandi says
Nice rendering, that really does make a difference, kudos to the reader who did that! I think if I put stools on the surround, I would put them on the dining room-facing side. It’s connected to the big a bit, and could be a useful place for overflow kids in years to come, at big gatherings . . . and I think I’d rather do Kid Breakfast/Afterschool Snacks at 90 degrees to my workspace, preserving the edge that faces the kitchen for that. You can continue with a kitchen job, and be facing those on stools. It’s also where I’d want company to sit, since company always gravitates to the kitchen. It’s not so conversant-yet-out-from-underfoot to have them with their backs to you and the rest of the kitchen.
I think the banquette is a great idea, and hooray for your kitchen designer – I’d never have thought of it in a million years, either. I’ve seen a bunch lately that feature storage under the seats, that might be a nice thing to have. I even saw one that had the shelves on spring hinges, bringing the contents up higher for easy access/less lifting.
Jen says
LOVE this idea…especially the possible open shelving! I think the stools would be a nice touch also if they would fit. You can never have enough seating in a kitchen.
Madhu says
You are probably not thinking of it yet, but the other side of banquet will be a good homework station for Clara. Kids usually gravitate to kitchen table to do homework.
YoungHouseLove says
I love picturing her doing homework in there. Haha. So cute. And helping me do craft projects at the table tucked into the banquette with me. Maybe I’ll teach her how to sew in there. Now I’m getting carried away…
xo,
s
Ann Merry says
I hate to be negative…and I truly have loved everything else you have done with your house, but I plain do not like the idea of a banquette out in the middle of a room. To me there is no “cozy-ness” factor….I am weird but when I eat at a restaurant, the entire experience is ruined if I am not up against a wall, or in a corner..simply do not feel grounded when I am seated at a table in the open. Also, I believe someone suggested using the counter area as a buffet serving area…..all I can envision is people sitting at the table, with their hair flipping around just inches from the food, or a bowl of gravy running down my back as someone accidentally bumps it over while serving it up. I just don’t see any functionality. Also, do you really want to walk around that structure just to get to the table to serve, clear the table, wait on the million requests from a little one? Sorry to not have anything good to say. A small booth or banquette in a corner of a room, yes, that would be cozy and fun, but I think in this case you would be trying to achieve the benefits of an island, seating and eating area all in one and sometimes it is better to just have a dedicated use for something that works fabulously, rather than have it multi-functional with drawbacks to every function.
YoungHouseLove says
I guess we’re just used to walking around a table there so the banquette isn’t any more annoying to walk around since we’re used to something floating there (and visually think it’ll be lighter than the table since the table is so dark and has a million legs going on). We also think that opening up a big doorway should make it feel more open in there, so a lighter banquette + 5-6′ wide doorway = more open and more flow, not less. But we know it’s not something everyone will love! As for the hair in food thing, we wouldn’t set out food like a buffet with people in it, we’d just use it that way if we’re going to sit at the dining table and want a buffet nearby. I guess in the end a lot of the choices that we make in our house actually aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – some are hardly anyone’s but ours. Haha. It’s definitely one of those personal preference things!
xo,
s
aSarah says
Neat visual; what about the nook being directly across the room, in the corner beyond the new wall opening? Incorporating that edge of the space seems like a possibility, as opposed to using as walk space. It’s a very bright and beautiful kitchen – just an idea!
YoungHouseLove says
We taped out some possibilities using that corner and they all felt kind of off. Who knows where we’ll end up though!
xo,
s
Courtney says
Love all the ideas, however I would close off the door to the hallway and back the banquette up to that wall. That way you can still have an island, albeit smaller, plus the banquette open to the kitchen. You already have so many doors into that kitchen, I think you could lose one! Just a thought…you guys are doing wonderfully!
Ellen says
Someone may have mentioned this, but you have so many comments it would take me all morning to read through them! :) Putting extra storage around the outside of the banquette (for platters, plates, table cloths, centerpieces) would come in so handy! You could even have storage under the seats! Oh, the possibilities!
Brandan WH says
I just wanted to share that the cut-out picture of John almost made me spit out my water! Completely hilarious!
Tracey says
My computer just flipped out, so hopefully I don’t post twice! I WAS typing…
All I can say is… OOOOOHHHH. LOL. I was one of the playa hata’s not understanding why you’d want the L to face the hall, but now with the blueprint as my guide I totally get why you’re wanting it that way. It would look all wonky and off-centered my way. And I totally get your not wanting to look at dirty dishes. ;P So you have my blessing now. LOL. Oh… and I do think it would look cool with an open shelf somewhere. You could show off some neat cookbooks or kitchen-oriented white porcelain animals… Oh the fun you could have!
P.S. – Is it weird that I told my hubby the other night that if we lived in VA I think our daughters would be bff?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, not weird at all. Clara is quite the socialite. I’m sure they’d get along swimmingly. Haha.
xo,
s
athome says
Sort of looks like an office cube. Must say, I have 2 kids and the banquet would cut down on usable space so much that we would have to use dining room for all meals and homework or crafts. Your houses are always light and airy; a banquet would be a very large, solid and obstructive feature especially for extended views of the fireplace. Good luck with the kitchen decisions!
Ashley says
Fun idea! There are so many options with the banquette. Short backless barstools that tuck under the countertop overhang wouldn’t get in the way when you wanted to stand and use the countertop as a workspace. Might be most functional to put a couple barstools just on the dining room side (as you mentioned) and store the things you use least over there. Then on the kitchen side you’d have easier access and could store things that’d be used more frequently, maybe some in open shelving. It would be fun to keep art supplies and stuff for school projects, etc. in there. You’d also have room to pull up a couple chairs to the banquette table if you need them, like in several of your inspiration photos. Maybe your desk chairs, since they’re handy.
Sarah Hamilton says
Ok, so I didn’t read through all the 300+ comments, but it reminds me of an office reception desk. I feel like John just needs to turn around and say “Welcome to YHL, May I help you!?” in a nice, cheery voice of course.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m going to get him a headset! Just kidding. With stools and a runner or vase on the table and warm cushy pillows at the banquette and a pretty chandelier over it we’re thinking it won’t look like a desk at all. You never know though! It might be fun to dress John up like Dwight Shrute…
xo,
s
toni from says
dwight….lol, rofl, crying now….lol
Emily M says
I definitely agree that flipping the arrangment to face the kitchen is not the answer but I myself would not feel comfortable sitting at that banquette as you have it planned. I think what usually makes those cozy is that they are in a corner against a wall. With it floating in the middle of the room, especially once you open the wall into the dining room, I’d feel so much like my back was facing all the action and I couldn’t see what was going on. I don’t know, that was just my initial reaction to the banquette idea. I guess it would only apply if you had company cause otherwise you would all be sitting down together.
Nat says
one more comment to add to your pile :)
if you’re going to be replacing that fireplace with an electric one maybe you can move it (ie. center it) at the same time?? So the issue of “facing the fireplace” will eliminate itself.
I wouldn’t put a bench in your kitchen, as much as I love them. It looks too contrived, and overthought. If you were to center (if architecturally possible of course :) the fireplace you could continue with your “island” idea.
It is a more modern and more practical solution, in my humble opinion :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly the brick fireplace is deeply situated in our foundation and goes up and out the roof, so moving it could be a 10K job since it’s hugely structural (whereas adding a gas insert is a simple job). We kind of like the whole work with what you have challenge though! Should be fun to see where we end up!
xo,
s
toni from says
I love the photoshop pic of your room. So nice of a reader to do that for you. I totally get the drawing and why you have it facing the other way, it makes total sense. Also I didn’t understand prior to this post just how much of a surface you would have behind the banquets-major score!!! I was picturing a church like bench with a rounded back (hope that makes sense.) Yup I’m an even greater proponent of the banquet and think a combo of perhaps one long shelf and cupboard, storage on the bottom might be cute for the side of the banquet facing the rest of the kitchen, or perhaps also 6 really cute drawers with fun hobby lobbyish, but on the cheap handles, in of course ORB! Can’t wait to see what it all looks step by step.
Vanessa says
LOVE the banquet idea! We are actually in the process of putting in our. L shaped with a pedestal table!
Sara says
So here’s my thing … (and let’s start with a hello. I’m quasi-new here! … so hi!) I do enjoy the multi-purpose banquet. And I concur, with the counter of the banquet nearest the kitchen you could (in theory) prep there. But are you really going to carry food all the way over there to cut and chop? To then carry back to the kitchen to cook? Hmm. Maybe it’s a good place to set snacks and bevvies. But here’s the other thing I’m thinking. With that room surrounded by openings (one into the hallway, one into the formal dining room and one facing the fireplace),your back is always at an ‘opening’. And for some reason that makes my fung shei feel all wonky. Like there isn’t a “flush” (closed) wall to put your back to.
And hypothetically if people are sitting at the banquet as you’re prepping (you know people love to congregate in the kitchen), if they’re sitting along the longer edge (to John’s right in the pic), their back is to you. So I guess the question is are you trying to create a mini-dining area (banquet squared off and separate from cooking space) along with the fireplace? Or are you trying to create a more open floor plan for people (either your spouse or guests) to sit ‘n nosh ‘n gab while you cook? It’s a matter of perspective and intended use, right?
On another note: I own a condo in DC and my cabinets are in p!ss poor shape. I am dying to repaint but my BF is terrified of the mess. What’s a condo-living lady to do without the space to spread out and sand/paint/swear/re-cover/stress?
YoungHouseLove says
We figure since the table has been there 8 months with our backs facing the same way we’re ok with the whole fung shui thing. As for if we’ll use it for prep, you could be right. If it’s too far we’d just probably use it more for setting out food and snacks or stuff like that. But I’m sure we won’t regret having the storage and surface area. We don’t picture guests sitting there as we prep or anything (we usually all stand around chatting or hang in the living room or dining room) but do picture kiddos doing homework there (we could still chat if cooking since John easily smiled at the camera in the second pic, which is the same thing a kid could do if he/she wanted to face whoever was in the kitchen area). We see it sort of like the table that had been there forever, just more well-planned and built-in and functional.
xo,
s
Cynthia says
I actually think it could be odd using the counter as a prep space or to put appetizers before dinner. I guess if guests were eating in the dinning room and then going to the counter to get appetizers then that would work b/c it would act kind of like a modern buffet table. However, imagine John with long flowey hair in the picture of him sitting at the table. Imagine him leaning back and getting his hair in the spinach dip you have set out as an appetizer. Imagine him stretching after filling up with a good meal and him knocking over a stack of books or one of your white ceramic animals that you love so dearly. To me, having a counter behind your head while eating seems to create problems or seem awkward. For a prep area? If you are like me, then you splatter and make huge messes when you cook. I wouldn’t want chocolate to fall on my seat or cushions, or flour to splatter everywhere. It is your space and can use it in a way that is best for you. For me, it would be awkward. I LOVE your changes so far though. Beautiful house!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we would only put out dishes/apps to create a buffet on the banquette when eating in the dining room with larger groups. For casual smaller meals at the banquette nothing would be behind us. Haha.
xo,
s
Ash says
That photoshopped pic does help a lot. Especially the added “doorway” to the dining room. I’m totally sold now. :)
As for cabinets, I’ve been painting the insides of my cabinets for nearly a week now (they’re kind of like your paneling fiasco– the stain just keeps bleeding through). I can’t wait to have my kitchen back to functional again. My husband I are are getting tired of pizza! ;)
sara says
have you considered making that like a hearth room? with maybe some dark wicker furniture? a place for firneds to sit and chill while you work in the kitchen, the set up shown there seems kind of odd having like cabinets thrown in the middle of the room. with the fireplace an off the kitchen sitting room might be nice, and it could be a place for kid(s) to do homework/play while you make dinner
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we thought about making another living area, but with one of those right behind it (there’s an adjoined living room) it felt a little repetitive. Who knows where we’ll end up though!
xo,
s
Helen says
Please do this. Pleeeeeeeease. For the sake of all those folks out there who have always wanted to dine next to a cozy fireplace (regardless of whether or not it’s roaring).
Stace says
Howdy Why-eh-ch-elle! I love the stool idea in fact I immedietly pictured it as soon as I glimpsed into your kitchen future and then I saw that you considered it too… I think it will help break up the room alot… here is the kitchen/stool area… here is my breakfast nook area. Or something like that. The stools can be easily tucked away somewhere if you have comapany and need the space to serve drinks and small bites. YAY for kitchens.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha for some reason the why-eh-ch-elle has us cracking up. Never seen it written like that. Too funny. Like it’s a question. Why? Whyyyy? Haha.
xo,
s
CLDesigns says
I about to start painting my kitchen cabinets with regular old latex paint, but the Home Depot guy was trying to talk me into Rustoleum’s new product called Cabinet Transformations. There are lots of colors to choose from, but none are what I want for this project. But I’m wondering if you or anyone else has tried this product? Is it better than latex paint? I’m not convinced….
YoungHouseLove says
It’s definitely better than latex paint alone! That’ll peel right off. You should sand and use oil-based primer (or VOC free Kilz Clean Start) first, and then follow that with thin even coats of latex paint. That works really well though, so feel free to skip the Cabinet Transformations kit if they don’t have the color you like. Good luck!
xo,
s
Caitlin says
somebody probably already mentioned this in comments above, way too many to read! but i think it’s such a different spin on a kitchen, i really like it. it might even be cool to have some sort of storage/shelves on the outer (non seat) sides of the banquette.
CLDesigns says
One more thing – have you ever used a paint sprayer for paining cabinets? We decided to invest in one that we can use again later for staining our fence. Just wondering if you have a preference – roller vs sprayer??
YoungHouseLove says
We love small foam rollers and a brush to get into cracks. More control and less drips that way. Paint sprayers can be really hard if youre not a pro at using them. Good luck!
xo,
s
kristy says
I love the banquette, and the idea of using a couple of barstools for additional casual seating. If you choose to use the countertop for a buffet, just move the barstools to another room for a few hours.
Love it!
MichelleLG says
yumo! i love a good nook!
Brittnee says
Well I saw it before but this definately completes a few things in my mind. I think this is a great idea plus extra seeting would be helpful when future kiddos need to sit somewhere for casual family dinner time.
Stefanie says
Ha~ Love the pic with John at the banquette! Don’t forget to add yourself and Clara to the dining room (Amber added – very nice). And maybe Burger curled up by the candle-lit fireplace?
Lovely family!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we totally have to get Clara and Burger in there.
xo,
s
Lauren B. says
WOW! Perfection! Do it! Immediately! Fire up the ole’ Kreg John, that banquette belongs in your kitchen. BANQUETTE! BANQUETTE! BANQUETTE! (picture me banging my fists on the table!) Lauren
Janie says
Enjoy reading your blog; love your enthusiasm, energy and your ideas. The banquette idea looks great sketched out. They’re fun at restaurants, but not great for every day living. I had a banquette & 3 children I can tell you that as soon as I could afford to get rid of it, I did! It’s very hard to clean, even if you use sunbrella type fabric, or (god forbid) something vinyl. Children will drop food and push food/crumbs into the corners…it’s disgusting. I know, hard to imagine little Clara doing something like that, but she will. Also, constant fights…..no one likes to be blocked in, it was worse than who got the front seat. And if a glass of milk /juice spills…..well you get the picture.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the feedback! We’ve heard from tons of people with banquettes and kids who love them and some who don’t, so I think it’s one of those personal preference things! We hope to make our table easy to move and our seats easy to wipe down (maybe just wood with washable pillows to soften things up). We definitely plan to think things through though!
xo,
s