“I’ve seen them look really sexy in the corner of a bedroom,” says New York-based interior designer Sebastian Zuchowicki. He’s talking about banquettes – the built-in (or not), upholstered (or not) benches-slash-sofas that have long been a space-saving hack in kitchens, but are increasingly playing a starring role in chic interiors.
A custom banquette by interior designer Sebastian Zuchowicki. The sconce and table were commissions by architect and interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch; the mirror is by Carlos Otero © Adrian Gaut
How about a five-sided banquette, upholstered in denim and fitted into a bay window? This is the dining set-up of designer Matilda Goad and her husband Tom Corbett-Winder, founder of project management and design company Blockhouse Build. “It’s proved to be incredibly hard-wearing for everyday family life”, says Corbett-Winder, who creates bespoke banquettes for many of his projects. In one north London home a curved seat was fitted around three sides of a pedestal dining table – complete with under-bench storage and steps for a dachshund – in a butter-yellow lacquered finish.
A bespoke banquette by Marta de la Rica for a residential project in south-west London. The banquette is upholstered in a fabric by Namay Samay © Jasper Fry
