---
title: "Custom Banquette Cushions for Kitchen Nook Seating: Sizes, Fabric"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/cushions/banquette-cushions/"
section: "The Cushion Atlas"
author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/"
published: "2026-01-09"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "banquette cushion, kitchen banquette cushion, breakfast nook cushion, custom banquette cushions, built-in bench cushion, banquette seat cushion"
---

# Banquette cushions for built-in seating, from one run to the whole nook

*A banquette is a bench that has signed up for breakfast, homework and the dog. Here is how to size it, split it and cover it so it survives all three.*

> **The quick answer:** A banquette cushion is a made-to-measure seat cut to a built-in kitchen or dining bench and priced by size, like any bench cushion. Seats of about 98 in (2.5 m) or longer are best made as equal pieces, and corners as separate cushions. Many nook cushions go 2 in thick instead of the 4 in standard, in a fabric that wipes or washes clean.

![Terracotta pink outdoor banquette cushion and pillow on a whitewashed masonry bench under a vine pergola with jute rug](https://cushionguide.com/media/banquette-cushions/terracotta-pink-masonry-banquette-cushion-pergola-1600.webp "A clay-pink cushion softens a built-in plaster bench beneath the vines, with lemons, a clay jug and a jute rug close by.")

## What a banquette cushion is, and who ends up sitting on it

One past banquette order ran 138 5/8 in (352 cm) in a single piece, with double piping and a zipper down the long side. It went out at the regular listing price, because banquette cushions are priced by size like any other bench. I still would have split it.

A banquette cushion is a made-to-measure seat for a built-in bench: the kitchen nook, the dining wall, the long run under a window that doubles as a homework desk. When the bench turns a corner, see [L-shaped corner bench cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/l-shaped-cushions/); when it wraps a table on three sides, see [U-shaped banquette cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/u-shaped-cushions/). The whole room lives under [kitchen nook cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/kitchen-nook-cushions/).

## Sizes, splits and measuring the run

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Length and depth | The seat itself, wood to wood, to the nearest 1/4 in. Fractional sizes such as 138 5/8 in are fine. |
| Standard thickness | 4 in (10 cm), though many nook cushions go 2 in (5 cm) so the table still sits at the right height |
| Thinnest | 2 in (5 cm) in standard foam with piping; 1 in (2.5 cm) only without piping |
| Long runs | About 98 in (2.5 m) and longer: equal pieces, such as 92 in made as two 46 in cushions. One piece on request. |
| Back cushions | Soft backs sag when too long: an 88 in back works better as two 44 in pillows |
| Foam | High-density polyurethane, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), medium-firm |
| Cover and piping | Zippered and removable, zipper on the back edge or underside. Piping included; double piping on request. |
| Posts and notches | Width, depth and position of each notch marked on your drawing |

## Shapes and edges: straight runs, clipped corners and curves

Most banquette cushions are box cushions: flat top, flat bottom, a band around the sides and piping top and bottom. The box edge sits square against the wall and hides the small wobbles every built-in bench has. A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and on a long run the piping line is the first thing anyone notices.

Not every nook is square. The workshop has made six-sided seats, stepped benches, curved breakfast nooks and a teal three-piece corner set with a clipped middle piece. Measure every side, draw the shape with every size written on it, photograph the drawing and the space, and approve the clean diagram that comes back before anything is cut. For posts, see [notched cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/notched-cushion-cutouts-posts-casings/); for real angled nooks, see [breakfast nook cushions with an angled end](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/angled-breakfast-nook-cushions/).

## Fabrics that survive breakfast

A banquette sits next to the syrup, the crayons and the dog's favorite spot under the table. One of the regrets we hear most often is a fabric chosen for looks rather than for the life it would lead.

- [Performance and pet-friendly weaves](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/performance-and-pet-friendly/) for kids, pets and rentals: tight, washable, mid-tone, with zip-off covers.
- [Velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) stands up to heavy use, though at a table of small children a wipe-clean weave is kinder.
- [Striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/), the classic nook stripe. The roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so stripes run front to back and a long striped piece needs a seam.
- [Linen-look weaves](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-look-fabrics/) for easy everyday color.

Where spills are likely, ask for a waterproof inner liner. A courtyard or patio banquette starts in the [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/) chart. More in [the best fabric for a kitchen banquette](https://cushionguide.com/guides/kitchen-banquette-cushion-fabric/).

## Foam, thickness and the table that doesn't move

Every custom banquette cushion gets the same foam: high-density, high-resilience polyurethane of about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), medium-firm. It keeps a flat, tailored top for years, so you don't need extra thickness to be comfortable.

The table stays put, so every inch of cushion comes out of the gap between seat and tabletop. That is why so many nook cushions end up 2 in thick, not the standard 4 in. How far is it from the top of your bench to the underside of your table? Run it through the [seat height calculator](https://cushionguide.com/studio/seat-height-calculator/) and [banquette cushion thickness and table height](https://cushionguide.com/guides/banquette-cushion-thickness-table-height/).

Backs have no rigid board inside: a removable piped cover with shredded foam about 4 in (10 cm) thick, or a firmer foam core wrapped in fiber. See [back cushion height](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/) and [seat-and-back cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/backrest-cushions/).

## Three cushions for a table with small hands around it

A family wrote to the workshop needing three piped banquette cushions: 50 x 18.5 x 2 in, 59 x 18.5 x 2 in and a small 21 x 11.5 x 2 in piece. They had one firm requirement. The kids are messy, so the fabric had to be very easy to clean.

The workshop didn't suggest thicker foam or a darker color. It sent the premium fabric chart, which is water-resistant and wipes clean, and offered other charts if none of the colors suited. All three pieces stayed at 2 in. Nobody needed extra thickness; they needed a fabric that forgives.

I learned the same lesson on my own kitchen bench years ago, dear. The jam won.

## Banquette mistakes I would rather you skipped

- ✗ Giving the full wall length for both legs of a corner banquette. One cushion owns the corner; the other is shortened by its depth.
- ✗ Picking light linen for a rental, or corduroy for a daily family bench, because it looked lovely in the photo. Corduroy ribs can split under hard use.
- ✗ Ordering one soft back pillow for a long run. An 88 in back sags; two 44 in pillows hold their shape.
- ✗ Leaving the layout out of the order note. Write each piece's size and which piece owns the corner, and ask for a photo before it ships.
- ✗ Unpacking every piece before checking the color at one end of the roll pack, so a wrong set can't go back sealed.

> A long banquette seat fits better in equal pieces: a 92 in run made as two 46 in cushions lasts longer and zips off for washing one half at a time.
>
> — Maggie

## Styling a banquette, and the tools to plan it

A banquette is a long stripe of color across a kitchen, so decide what it is talking to. The terracotta pink cushion under a vine pergola borrows its color from the clay; the cobalt ticking stripe stands up to busy woodland wallpaper; the sage velvet takes its caramel piping from an oak table.

Pillows are sold separately. A buyer in the US who had ordered a navy ticking stripe banquette cushion came back for three matching lumbars: 24 x 12 in covers with 25 x 13 in inserts. An insert about 1 in larger than its cover looks full and plump. See [lumbar pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/lumbar-pillows/).

Before you order, build the run in the [3D bench cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/bench-cushion-builder/), decide where to split with [long bench cushions: one piece or two](https://cushionguide.com/guides/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/), and gather what the workshop needs from [getting a custom cushion quote](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-quote-what-to-send/).

> **Tailor's margin:** Write each banquette piece's size, and which cushion owns the corner, in the order note. Clear notes beat clever measuring.

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** How is a custom kitchen banquette cushion priced, especially a really long one?

**The workshop's answer:** By size on the listing, the same as any bench cushion. A 21 x 138 5/8 x 2 in cushion with double piping and a zipper down the long side went at the regular listing price, and fractional-inch sizes are fine. A built-in set with backs sized to the remaining height is quoted together. Tufted nook sets come as one custom order link, with making and delivery times confirmed in the quote.

**A common question:** My banquette seat is 92 inches long. Should the cushion be one piece?

**The workshop's answer:** The workshop suggested two equal 46 in (117 cm) pieces: they fit better, last longer and are easier to handle. Seats of about 98 to 118 in (2.5 to 3 m) and longer are normally split, and a 197 in (500 cm) nook was made in three pieces. Each piece is its own cart item. It's still your choice; send a photo and measurements for advice, or ask for one piece.

**A common question:** There's a post at one end of our banquette. Can the cushion be cut around it?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Mark each notch's width, depth and position along the edge on your drawing and add a few wide-angle photos of the seat. The workshop redraws it as a template and asks you to confirm before cutting. The zipper runs along the back edge, so say if a notch sits there. Ties are an optional extra; give each one's position and length.

**A common question:** Can you make a padded back panel with a board inside that screws to the wall?

**The workshop's answer:** Not as standard. The backs have no rigid board, so they can't hang on a [French cleat](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#french-cleat). They're made like back pillows instead, with shredded foam about 4 in (10 cm) thick or a firmer fiber-wrapped foam core, and attach with hook-and-loop strips, adhesive, loops on a rod, or ties on the top corners that hang from hooks or a rail. A channel back of vertical rolls would need upholstering onto a thin board.

**A common question:** I love a cushion in one of your photos. How do I order the exact fabric and piping?

**The workshop's answer:** Send a screenshot of that exact photo, since listings show several cushions, and the shop names both codes. The tan cushion with brown piping, for example, is linen L07 with velvet 110 piping. For an older photo with renumbered codes, write 'same as the first picture' and it will be matched. Sunlight and camera angle can shift a tone slightly, but it's the same fabric.

**A common question:** Our breakfast nook is curved at one end. Can you still make the cushion?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Curved breakfast nooks, stepped benches, six-sided window seats and rounded ends have all been made. Draw the shape on paper with every side measured, including rounded corners, joints and cut-outs, and send a photo of the drawing plus one of the space. The workshop redraws it as a clean diagram for you to confirm, then quotes, and it can match the fabric of an earlier order.

## Banquette questions, answered short

### Can a banquette cushion overhang the front edge of the bench?

Up to about 2 in, when an inner support wrap is added so the overhanging edge doesn't droop. Say so in writing, with the overhang you want; otherwise the cushion is cut to the seat size you give.

### Is a banquette seat cushion sold together with its back cushion?

No. Listing prices are per single cushion, and a seat and its backrest are separate items. Add the backrest to the cart at its own size and write 'backrest' in the note. Pillows styled in the photos are sold separately too.

### Will a long striped banquette cushion have a seam in it?

Usually, yes. The fabric roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so on long cushions the stripes run front to back, across the cushion, and a long striped piece has to be joined. Stripes are matched on the top face only.

### What keeps a banquette cushion from creeping forward?

Ties sewn into the seams at the corners or back, or a non-slip base that replaces the whole bottom panel and grips by friction. The base isn't adhesive or rubber, leaves no residue and is safe on wood. Hook-and-loop tabs and snaps aren't made.

### Can a banquette back cushion be as firm as the seat?

Yes. Backrests are softer than seats by default, but a backrest can be made equally firm. For a flatter, more upright back, ask for a solid foam core wrapped in fiber instead of shredded foam.

### How many people can sit on my banquette?

Plan on about 24 in of bench per diner, so a 72 in straight run seats three comfortably. Design guides also ask for at least 36 in of walkway beside the table, and 42 in or more if you can spare it. Pedestal or center-support tables let more knees fit, because corner legs block the seats at each end.

### Will a ready-made 4-piece nook cushion set fit my built-in banquette?

Only if your runs happen to match its pieces. Stock nook sets come in fixed sizes with a tolerance of about 2 in either way, often filled with fiber and marked spot-clean only, and stock pieces can come up short of the seat. If any run differs from the set by more than an inch or two, cushions cut to your measurements avoid the gaps.

### What seat height should a banquette cushion give at a 30 in table?

About 17 to 19 in from the floor to the top of the cushion, with 18 in the usual target. That leaves roughly 10 to 12 in between seat and tabletop. To find the thickness, subtract the bare bench height from 18 in: a 15 in bench wants a 3 in cushion, and a 16 in bench a 2 in one.

## Related at the atelier

- [Banquette Cushion in Aubergine Velvet for a Small Bistro Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/aubergine-velvet-banquette-seat-back-cushion-bistro/): A banquette cushion in a small nook should give back depth wherever it can: a separate, slim back cushion resting on the seat, a seat thick enough to reach table height, and a round table with…
- [Banquette Cushion in Taupe Boucle with Caramel Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/taupe-l-banquette-caramel-piping-oak-table/): A textured taupe boucle suits a kitchen banquette because its loops soften the look, disguise small marks and feel warm on bare arms.
- [Can an L-shaped cushion have a cut-out for a pillar or corner?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/l-shaped-cushion-cutout-pillar-notch/): An L-shaped cushion can have a cut-out: either one piece with a precise notch around the pillar or corner, or separate sections that butt together around it.
- [Can I buy extra fabric by the meter to match my cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/buy-cushion-fabric-by-the-meter/): Extra fabric can be bought by the meter to match your cushions: tell the shop how many meters you need, for example of linen L-07 to upholster matching chairs.
- [Making a paper template a cushion workshop can actually use](https://cushionguide.com/guides/paper-template-for-custom-cushion/): A cushion template is a full-size paper tracing of the seat, marked top side up, with the wall edge, two measured reference lines and every edge length written on it.
- [Sage green bench cushions, olive and khaki: greens that aren't 'a green green'](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/sage-olive-and-khaki-cushions/): A sage green bench cushion is best chosen from a physical swatch, because greens shift more than any other color under kitchen and window light.
- [Which piece owns the corner? Joining L-shaped bench cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/l-shaped-cushion-corner-joint/)

*Stitch straight — Maggie*

---

Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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/cushions/banquette-cushions/