SaveA Reading by MaggieBanquette & Kitchen Nook Cushions
An L-shaped navy pin-dot banquette with seat and back cushions, read for a full table
A cottage breakfast nook at golden hour, set for a long meal. Right, then: the way to seat more people well is not a longer bench. It is a better back.
Matching back cushions turn a plain paneled bench into a proper banquette you can lean into for a long breakfast.
The quick answer
Banquette cushions seat a crowd well when the backs are sized to the room and every seat is ordered at exact, snug measurements. One busy nook used backrests 14.5 in (37 cm) high and 3 in (7.5 cm) thick on 2 in (5 cm) seats, over medium-firm foam, with two back cushions on the long run instead of one.
Why the back cushions stand on the seat
Guests don't sit on a banquette so much as lean on it. The navy banquette cushions in this nook are the reason people stay for a second cup.
Seat and back are cut from the same navy and cream pin-dot, a small woven pattern from the jacquard family, so the L reads as one piece of upholstery. Yet the backs simply stand on the seat against the cream paneling. Lift them off, unzip, wash. The look of fixed upholstery without the fixing.
A small dark pattern at a family table is no accident. Pin-dot gives the feel of old ticking and keeps a jam fingerprint from announcing itself. There is more on this in kitchen banquette fabric.
Now the props. A mug sits on stacked books right on the seat, which tells you the seat is deep enough to hold things beside you. Cream spindle-back chairs close the fourth side of the round oak table without crowding the corner. A stoneware jug of pink cosmos and wheat adds the one soft contrast to navy and cream. How many people does your table need to hold on a busy morning?
Pinned by Maggie: five spots around the nook
Five pins around the table, from the upright navy back to the cream spindle chair.
- Navy back cushion
Upright back cushions stand on the seat so they can be lifted off for cleaning.
- Pin-dot seat front
A small dark pattern hides marks at a family table.
- Mug on stacked books
Props on the seat show it is deep enough to rest things beside you.
- Cosmos and wheat jug
Pink cosmos add the one soft contrast to navy and cream.
- Spindle-back chair
Cream chairs close the fourth side of the table without crowding the nook.
- Navy back cushionUpright back cushions stand on the seat so they can be lifted off for cleaning.
- Pin-dot seat frontA small dark pattern hides marks at a family table.
- Mug on stacked booksProps on the seat show it is deep enough to rest things beside you.
- Cosmos and wheat jugPink cosmos add the one soft contrast to navy and cream.
- Spindle-back chairCream chairs close the fourth side of the table without crowding the nook.
A hosting checklist for banquette cushions
- Order each run at its exact, snug measurement; fit allowance is the workshop's job, not yours.
- Match seat and back lengths run by run, so each back sits squarely over its seat.
- On a long run, use two back cushions rather than one long cushion with small pillows in front.
- Keep the backs low where the wall says so: 14.5 in (37 cm) backs cleared a cut-out divider.
- Pick a small, dark pattern for a table that sees syrup, crayons and elbows.
- Decide how the seats stay put: corner ties, an anti-slip bottom fabric or a non-slip pad.
- Consider a second set of covers in another color; spare sets can be ordered later.
Nine pieces for a U-shaped nook with a hole in the wall
A buyer messaged the workshop about a high-traffic kitchen nook: a U-shaped banquette with a cut-out divider wall behind one bench. The backrests could be no taller than 15 in (38 cm), or they would block the opening. The buyer also asked for commercial-grade foam.
The workshop confirmed 32-density medium-firm foam, with backrests 14.5 in (37 cm) high and 3 in (7.5 cm) thick on 2 in (5 cm) seats. The seats were one 17.75 x 50 in (45 x 127 cm) and two 17.75 x 62 in (45 x 157 cm): nearly 174 in (442 cm) of cushion for the family.
For the back bench the advice was two back cushions, not one long cushion with small pillows in front. The buyer's exact, snug measurements were confirmed as right, the nine-piece set was ordered during a sale, and a second set of covers in another color was offered for later at half the cushion price. The notes on thickness and table height explain why a 2 in seat can be enough.
- Sizes
- Seats 17.75 x 50 x 2 in (45 x 127 x 5 cm) and two 17.75 x 62 x 2 in (45 x 157 x 5 cm); backrests 14.5 in (37 cm) high x 3 in (7.5 cm) thick
The lesson: Low backrests work well in nooks with obstacles; order exact sizes and match seat and back lengths.
On the cutting table: the navy L
| Pieces | L-shaped seat cushions with separate back cushions |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Navy and cream pin-dot, a small woven pattern |
| Piping | Self piping in navy |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Back cushions | Stand on the seat; lift off and unzip to wash |
| Foam (U-shaped nook order) | 32-density medium-firm |
| Backrest (U-shaped nook order) | 14.5 in (37 cm) high, 3 in (7.5 cm) thick |
| Seat (U-shaped nook order) | 17.75 in (45 cm) deep, 2 in (5 cm) thick |
| Best for | Family breakfast nooks and long weekend meals |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — Maggie
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.
Buyer questions: creeping seats, a toy chest and stacking discounts
- A common question
What's the best way to keep a seat cushion from creeping along a bench?
The workshop's answerTies can be sewn on the corners, you can choose an anti-slip bottom fabric, or you can lay a non-slip pad underneath. Tufted cushions generally don't slide, and the workshop has had no complaints about it.
- A common question
My IKEA Småstad toy chest top is 20.5 x 35.5 in (52 x 90 cm), but the closest option is 19.75 x 35.5 in (50 x 90 cm). Can you match it in corduroy?
The workshop's answerYes. Select the closest option and write the real size, 20½ x 35½ in (52 x 90 cm), plus your corduroy color in the personalization box. The cushion is made to fit the Småstad exactly.
- A common question
Does the shop sale still apply to my custom quote, and can I add a discount code on top?
The workshop's answerCustom quotes already include the current shop-wide sale. Two discounts can't be combined, so you choose one, and the running sale is usually the better choice.
On a long banquette run, two back cushions beat one long cushion with small pillows in front. Two pieces lift off to wash and sit square over the seat.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
Why choose a small dark pattern for a banquette?
A small pattern in a dark color hides marks at a family table and still reads as calm from across the room. Navy pin-dot gives the feel of traditional ticking without showing every spill or fingerprint.
Should banquette back cushions be fixed or removable?
Removable back cushions that stand on the seat give the look of fixed upholstery and still come off for washing. If your banquette has no back at all, add separate back cushions before paying for fixed upholstery.
Can banquette backrests be thicker than the seats?
Yes. One nook paired 3 in (7.5 cm) thick backrests with 2 in (5 cm) seats. The thin seat kept the height right for the table, while the thicker backs gave something to lean on through a long meal.
Do cushions on an L-shaped banquette need a corner piece?
One run of an L has to be longer so it covers the corner; the other run butts against it. Decide which run owns the corner before you measure, and mark it clearly on your drawing.
Stitch straight — Maggie
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