Dining banquette seating

WendyL

🖼️

The project:

I recently built a DIY dining banquette base to make better use of an empty wall in our dining area and create extra seating for family and guests. I used basic materials (pine and structural hardwood from the timber section) built a solid frame and glued on the hardwood as the face. With a bit of sanding and a couple of coats of cabbots, the base came out very nice. The cushions were designed by myself ( and a local professional was engaged to make it). This project has completely transformed what was previously an unused space, making it feel more functional, cosy and custom designed. It was a rewarding project that combined practicality with style, and I’m really happy with how much the new seating has added to the room and how comfy my guests are.

- Materials:

SpecRite Structural Hardwood

Pine Structural MGP10

Trim

Cabbots

- Tools:

Drop saw

Drills

Glue / clamps

Router

Sander

- Step 1:

1. Drew the plans
2. Liased with Upholsterer to make sure measurements were correct for maximum comfort
3. Calculated how much timber was needed
4. Cut the frame and assembled with screws
5. Glued and clamped Specrite ply to face of base
6. Trimmed ply with router
7. Applied trim to corners
8. Sanded hardwood until smooth
9. Applied a couple of coats of cabbots

MitchellMc

Hi @WendyL,

What a fantastic addition to your dining space. Banquette seating is such a great way to make the most of an unused wall, and yours looks beautifully finished. I especially like that you worked with your upholsterer during the planning stage to make sure the seating would be as comfortable as it is stylish.

Do you happen to have any progress shots or photos from the build? I'm sure our members would love to see how the frame came together before the hardwood face and cushions were installed.

Many thanks for sharing your project.

Mitchell