The Bench is Dead. Long Live the Banquette.

I hate benches at dining room tables. Hate them. Vehemently.

What have benches ever done for us? Reminded us of sandy sandwiches during childhood picnics? Forced us to negotiate with our friends to get up from the table? Aggravated our lumbago?

They’re impractical and uncomfortable. They just don’t make sense.

Benches at dining room tables are a fad. They’re design groupthink. Some genius posted one on the socials a decade ago, got a bajillion likes, and along came the herd.

Banquettes, on the other hand? I love a banquette. Banquettes can be designed for comfort AND style. They can save space by pushing a table closer to the wall. They can generate coziness. Most importantly, though, you can customize a banquette. A bench is a bench is a bench. A banquette can reflect who you are.

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Banquettes are a trend – fresh but functional. They solve problems, adapt to personality, and stick around longer than that Pinterest bench from 2014. They are concepts that are new, or applied in new ways, because they solve a problem or create a benefit. They are flexible enough to cater to different design styles and personalities. And so they last longer.

© Andrea Rugg // andrearugg.com // @andrearuggphotography

Take this banquette example from my good friend Kate Roos of Kate Roos Design. (Photo courtesy of the incomparable Andrea Rugg.) Not only does it save space, it creates a family gathering spot and it has personality. I immediately understand the kind of person who lives here. If it were plush, pink velvet, that would tell a story, too. Not to mention if you add some ridiculous, ornate, gilded legs to it. (I see your Hillwood Estate and raise you a Breakers.)

A bench will never have that kind of personality.

Benches will look ridiculous in a dining room in a few years. I already chuckle when I show up at a house and see a dining table bench. “Oh no. Another victim.” And while a banquette might look dated down the road as well, it will always be comfortable and useful.

A good designer will consider anything. But if you want me to co-sign on a fad, you better have a very good reason. If you’re seeking novelty, sorry, but you’re actually following, not leading. You’re a glorified lemming.

I want my clients to tell me how they are, how they live, what they value. If a bench is the best option, cool! We’ll use one. But it’s usually not.

If you really want that wow factor, let me design something no one else has. Something that makes your dinner guests say, “Where did you get this idea?”. That’s not a fad. That’s a flex.