The Cutting Table · a common question
Can you make banquette seat and back cushions for a built-in breakfast nook?
Also asked as:Built-in breakfast bench, L shape.Have you ever done banquette cushions?
A built-in nook is carpentry waiting for its cushions. The seat and the back are sized run by run, wall by wall.
The quick answer
Yes, banquette seat and back cushions for a breakfast nook are both made to measure: send the size of each seat run and each back section. An L-shaped seat is sewn as two pieces that meet at the corner, and backs are separate rectangles, for example 18 in (46 cm) tall and 3 in (8 cm) deep, in the same or a complementary fabric.
SaveKey facts
- Banquette seats and backs are made to measure from each run's size.
- An L-shaped seat is made as two pieces that meet at the corner.
- Back pillows are separate rectangles, for example 18 in (46 cm) tall and 3 in (8 cm) deep.
- Backs can be in a complementary fabric.
- A 98 in (2.5 m) banquette backrest was made in two pieces filled with shredded foam.
- Outdoor sets have paired softer 4.75 in (12 cm) backs with firmer 3 in (8 cm) seats.
Have it made
Have Harlan’s workshop cut this for you
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — Harlan
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Measuring the nook, one run at a time
Draw the benches from above
Sketch each seat run and write its length and depth. An L is two runs.
Decide which piece owns the corner
The L seat is made as two pieces, so one run carries the corner and the other butts against it.
Measure each back section
Give every wall its own width and the height you want, such as 18 in tall and 3 in deep.
Split the long walls
A backrest of about 98 in (2.5 m) was made in two shredded-foam pieces.
Why the back is its own cushion
A banquette back leans on a wall, not on a frame, so it's cut as its own rectangle. That lets it sit flat against the paneling, lift out when it needs to, and break where a wall runs long. A back in the seat's fabric looks as if the two grew together; a back in a complementary fabric looks chosen.
Softness is the other decision. One outdoor set paired softer 4.75 in (12 cm) backs with firmer 3 in (8 cm) seats, and I like that logic indoors too: firm under you, kinder behind you. The fill question gets its full answer in shredded foam, solid wedge or fiber.
Read which piece owns the corner before you measure. More built-ins live under banquette cushions and kitchen nook cushions. How many runs does your nook have, my friend?
Seat and back, side by side
| Seat | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | One piece per run; an L is two | Separate rectangles per wall |
| Example size | Your run's length and depth | 18 in tall, 3 in deep |
| Fabric | Your main fabric | The same, or a complementary one |
| One outdoor set | Firmer, 3 in (8 cm) | Softer, 4.75 in (12 cm) |
An L-shaped banquette seat is two cushions that meet at the corner, and the backs are separate rectangles sized wall by wall.
Harlan Pruitt
Buyer questions
- A common question
Do you make seat and back cushions for a built-in breakfast nook?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the size of every seat run and every back section. An L-shaped seat is made in two pieces meeting at the corner, and back pillows are separate rectangles, for example 18 in tall and 3 in deep.
- A common question
Can you do back cushions along with the bench seats?
The workshop's answerYes, backs are made alongside the seats. A 98 in (2.5 m) banquette backrest was made in two pieces filled with shredded foam.
- A common question
How tall should the back cushions be?
The workshop's answerThe standard is 16 in (40 cm) high and 4 in (10 cm) thick. The workshop recommends 16 in over 12 in for back support, but custom heights such as 14 to 15 in are no problem.
- A common question
Can the backs be wedge-shaped?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the width, the height, and the thickness at top and bottom, or a dimensioned diagram. Wedges can be split into pieces and shaped at the bottom for angled benches.
Questions buyers ask next
What fill goes into a long banquette back?
Shredded foam was the fill on a 98 in (2.5 m) backrest the workshop made in two pieces. A solid wedge and fiber fill are the other routes, each with a different feel against your shoulders.
Can the banquette seats and backs be cut from different fabrics?
Yes. The back pillows can be made in a complementary fabric while the seats stay in your main one. Write the fabric code for each piece so every run and back is cut from the right cloth.
Is an L-shaped banquette seat sewn as one cushion?
No. It's made as two pieces that meet at the corner. Measure both runs to the wall and say which one should own the corner; the other butts against it.
