---
title: "Banquette Back Cushions and Seats for a Breakfast Nook"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/banquette-seat-and-back-cushions-breakfast-nook/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-07-01"
updated: "2026-07-01"
keywords: "banquette back cushions, breakfast nook seat cushions, l-shaped banquette cushions, built-in bench back cushions, kitchen nook cushions"
---

# Can you make banquette seat and back cushions for a built-in breakfast nook?

*A built-in nook is carpentry waiting for its cushions. The seat and the back are sized run by run, wall by wall.*

Also asked as: Built-in breakfast bench, L shape.; Have you ever done banquette cushions?

> **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.

![Navy and cream pin-dot L-shaped banquette seat and back cushions in a cottage nook with oak table and pink cosmos](https://cushionguide.com/media/banquette-cushions/navy-pin-dot-l-shaped-banquette-seat-back-cushions-1600.webp "Matching back cushions turn a plain paneled bench into a proper banquette you can lean into for a long breakfast.")

## Key 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.

## Measuring the nook, one run at a time

1. **Draw the benches from above**: Sketch each seat run and write its length and depth. An L is two runs.
2. **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.
3. **Measure each back section**: Give every wall its own width and the height you want, such as 18 in tall and 3 in deep.
4. **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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-fill-shredded-foam-vs-wedge/).

Read [which piece owns the corner](https://cushionguide.com/guides/l-shaped-cushion-corner-joint/) before you measure. More built-ins live under [banquette cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/banquette-cushions/) and [kitchen nook cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/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) |

> **Tailor's margin:** Banquette back cushions are separate rectangles, like 18 in tall and 3 in deep; on a 98 in wall, the back is split into two pieces.

> 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 answer:** Yes. 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 answer:** Yes, 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 answer:** The 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 answer:** Yes. 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can you make wedge-shaped back cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-wedge-back-cushion-measurements/): Yes, wedge back cushions that are thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top are made to order often.
- [How do I size back pillows for an L-shaped or angled banquette?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/size-back-pillows-l-shaped-banquette/): To size L-shaped banquette back cushions, measure each wall's usable back line and split it into two or three pillows.
- [Can I buy just the L-shaped corner backrests without the sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/l-shaped-corner-backrest-without-sofa/): Yes, L-shaped backrests are sold on their own: choose the L-shaped backrest option on the listing or ask for a custom link.
- [Bench Seat and Back Cushion in Jacquard and Terracotta Bouclé](https://cushionguide.com/readings/geometric-backrest-terracotta-boucle-seat-closeup/): For a bench seat and back cushion in two fabrics, put the forgiving cloth on the seat and the pattern on the back.
- [Back cushion filling compared: shredded foam, a solid wedge or fiber](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-fill-shredded-foam-vs-wedge/): For most benches and banquettes, a shredded-foam back pillow over a firm foam seat is the right default: soft to lean on, yet it keeps its shape against a wall.
- [Outdoor Back Cushion Proportion: Amber on a Gray Patio Sofa](https://cushionguide.com/readings/amber-outdoor-back-cushion-gray-garden-sofa/): A patio back cushion should come close to the thickness of the seat cushion below it, because that proportion props the sitter upright the way the sofa was designed.
- [How tall should a back cushion be? Sizing backrests to your seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/)
- [Replacement cushions for a nursery glider, piece by piece](https://cushionguide.com/guides/glider-rocker-replacement-cushions/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/banquette-seat-and-back-cushions-breakfast-nook/