Awkward kitchen corner
If a corner of the kitchen has no purpose, a built-in L-shaped bench and a table give it one.
Serving Carol Stream & nearby Glendale Heights, Winfield
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Carol Stream, IL
We build banquette benches and breakfast nooks in Carol Stream kitchens, with storage under the seat and a table sized to fit.
- Kitchen remodels across Carol Stream ZIP 60188
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Eat-in kitchen problems a banquette solves in Carol Stream
A banquette fits more people into a corner than a table and chairs ever will. Our finish carpenters build benches into Carol Stream kitchens and nooks with drawers or lift-up seats underneath, set at a comfortable height for a standard dining table.
No storage near the table
Banquette seats can hide drawers or lift-up lids for table linens, placemats, games or seasonal dishes.
Not enough seats for the family
When everyone can't sit at once, a banquette along the wall usually adds seats without enlarging the table area.
Bench that's uncomfortable to sit on
A bench that's too deep, too high or perfectly upright gets avoided. We set seat height, depth and a slight back angle with the cushion thickness in mind.
Empty bay window
Bays tend to become dead space with a plant or a chair in them. Built-in seating that follows the angles turns them into the best seat in the house.
Outlet or heat register in the way
An outlet or a floor register behind the bench needs a plan. We relocate outlets to stay accessible and carry the heat through a grille in the bench face.
A breakfast nook nobody uses
Nooks with loose chairs feel cramped. Fixed seating against the wall uses the space much better.
Worn-out old banquette
A dated banquette with flattened cushions can often be refaced and re-cushioned, or replaced if the frame is weak.
Everything in a banquette build
- Measuring the nookA visit to measure the space and note anything in the walls behind the bench.
- Sizing the bench and tableSeat height, depth, back angle and table size planned together.
- Outlets and heat registersOutlets relocated by an electrician and heat routed through a grille in the bench.
- Building the bench boxesPlywood bench boxes built and fastened to the wall framing and floor.
- Storage under the seatDrawers in the bench face or hinged lift-up seats, as you prefer.
- FinishingPainted or stained to match the cabinets or as a deliberate contrast.
- Cushions and tableSeat and back cushions coordinated with an upholsterer, and a table chosen to fit.
Finishes and options
Pedestal and trestle tablesRound tables suit corners and bays; rectangular ones suit straight benches.
Painted or stained woodPaint-grade wood that matches the cabinets, or stained wood for a furniture look.
Backs: paneled, upholstered or openThe back can be solid wood, cushioned or the wall itself with a cushion.
Cushions and upholsteryLoose cushions or fixed upholstered seats in durable, cleanable fabric.
Drawers vs. lift-up seatsDrawers are easier to reach; lift-up seats hold more but need people to stand.
Before and after: kitchens near Carol Stream
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Carol Stream
This one is a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Carol Stream. What we started with: oak parquet and a brass chandelier over the nook. The reason for the call: a bay window with no real place to sit. After: a built-in banquette bench with storage drawers and cushions under the window, with a round pedestal table. The job covered measuring the nook, sizing the bench and table, plus cushions and table.
Before
AfterA Glendale Heights 1980s two-story: before and after
This one is a 1980s two-story in Glendale Heights. What we started with: beige sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light in the ceiling. What bothered the owners most: a breakfast nook that never got used. After: a built-in banquette bench with storage drawers and cushions under the window, with a round pedestal table. Work included measuring the nook, outlets and heat registers, plus finishing.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Glendale Heights →
Before
AfterA Bloomingdale two-story colonial from the 1990s: before and after
The site: a two-story colonial from the 1990s near Old Town Bloomingdale. The kitchen as it was: 12-inch beige ceramic tile and two hanging glass pendants. The reason for the call: a breakfast nook that never got used. Finished kitchen: a built-in banquette bench with storage drawers and cushions under the window, with a round pedestal table. Work included measuring the nook, sizing the bench and table, plus building the bench boxes.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Bloomingdale →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Carol Stream
Finished: the closet next to the kitchen rebuilt as a pantry with solid wood shelves, pull-out baskets on the bottom and a light.
Pantry Design & Installation in Carol Stream →
Before
AfterKitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in a 1990s two-story colonial, Carol Stream
What changed: a new island in terracotta with a warm walnut butcher block top and seating.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Carol Stream →The project, step by step
- Send photos of the spaceShow us the space and tell us how many people you want to seat.
- Measure and planA visit to measure and draw the layout, seat heights and storage.
- Written estimateYou get a written quote listing every part, including cushions if we coordinate them.
- Build and installBench boxes built and installed, finished, then cushions and table placed.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette questions from Carol Stream homeowners
What table works with a banquette?
Tables with a central base are easiest to slide in and out of. The edge should overlap the seat a little.
Are banquettes worth it?
For small eat-in areas, usually yes. They seat more people in less space and add storage under the seat.
How deep and high should a banquette seat be?
Seat height with the cushion should match a dining chair so the table works. Depth depends on whether the back is angled or cushioned.
Do you do the cushions?
We size the cushions and coordinate them with an upholsterer, or build the bench for cushions you buy.
Banquette or kitchen island seating?
Some kitchens have both. In smaller rooms a banquette often fits where an island would crowd the aisles.
Can you do banquette build in a Carol Stream condo?
Associations usually set rules for work hours, elevators, deliveries and insurance, and many require approval for plumbing, electrical or structural changes. We provide the certificate of insurance and follow the building's rules.
Do I need a permit for banquette build in Carol Stream?
It depends on the scope. Carol Stream's rule in short: Permit required for most remodeling; exempt only if no structural change and no alteration or relocation of plumbing, heating or electrical; fixture swaps without piping changes are exempt. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department, Building Permits & Inspections.
Do you work in my part of Carol Stream?
Yes. Our crews work across Carol Stream — ZIP 60188 — and nearby Glendale Heights, Winfield, Bloomingdale.
Working in Carol Stream
- A lot of Carol Stream kitchens date from the 1980s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Condo or townhome? We follow association rules on work hours and elevators and bring the insurance certificate your board asks for.
- We know how Community Development Department, Building Permits & Inspections handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60188
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette nearby
Other kitchen services in Carol Stream
Pull-Out Shelves & Cabinet OrganizersRoll-out shelves and organizers built to fit your existing cabinets.
Pantry Design & InstallationPantry cabinets, closet conversions and walk-in shelving, built to fit.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula InstallationNew islands and peninsulas with seating and storage.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.