Kitchen open to the family room with no defined dining spot
A built-in bench can define a dining area in an open kitchen without adding walls.
Serving Lisle & nearby Downers Grove, Woodridge
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Lisle, IL
We build banquette benches and breakfast nooks in Lisle kitchens, with storage under the seat and a table sized to fit.
- Local crews working in Lisle ZIP 60532
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Eat-in kitchen problems a banquette solves in Lisle
We build banquettes as built-in furniture, not as kits: plywood boxes fastened to the wall, faced and finished to suit your kitchen, with cushions or upholstered seats on top. In Lisle that usually means a straight bench, an L in a corner or a U in a bay.
Table that's hard to slide into
Table legs in the way make benches miserable. A pedestal or trestle base lets people slide in from the side.
Island seating that isn't working
If nobody stays long at the island, a built-in bench and table offers seating with a backrest.
No room to pull out chairs
Built-in seating saves the clearance chairs need, which is often what makes a small eat-in area work.
A breakfast nook nobody uses
If the eat-in corner collects mail instead of people, the seating is the problem. A banquette makes it a place you want to sit.
Outlet or heat register in the way
Covering a heat vent with a bench blocks the warm air. We route it through the toe kick or a front grille so the room still heats.
No storage near the table
Under-seat storage turns the bench into a cabinet. Drawers are easier to reach than lift-up lids when people are sitting.
Worn-out old banquette
If the existing bench sags or wobbles, we take it out and build a new one fastened properly to the wall.
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 boxesSturdy frames anchored to studs so the bench doesn't move.
- Storage under the seatUnder-seat drawers or lids built into each bench section.
- Seat backs and trimBackrests and trim finished to match the kitchen or the nook.
- FinishingPainted or stained to match the cabinets or as a deliberate contrast.
Materials and options
Backs: paneled, upholstered or openThe back can be solid wood, cushioned or the wall itself with a cushion.
Straight, L-shaped and U-shaped banquettesStraight benches for a wall, L-shapes for corners and U-shapes for bays.
Drawers vs. lift-up seatsDrawers for things you use often, hinged lids for seasonal storage.
Pedestal and trestle tablesRound tables suit corners and bays; rectangular ones suit straight benches.
Painted or stained woodA painted or stained finish chosen to match or contrast with the kitchen.
Before and after: kitchens near Lisle
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Lisle
This one is a 1990s two-story colonial in Lisle. The kitchen as it was: beige sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light in the ceiling. The main complaint was an empty corner with a wobbly table nobody used. After: a built-in banquette bench with storage drawers and cushions under the window, with a round pedestal table. Work included outlets and heat registers, building the bench boxes, plus seat backs and trim.
Before
AfterA Downers Grove postwar Cape Cod: before and after
A postwar Cape Cod near Denburn Woods, a typical kitchen for Downers Grove. The kitchen as it was: brick-pattern sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light. The main complaint was a breakfast nook that never got used. The result: 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 building the bench boxes.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Woodridge
This one is a two-story colonial from the 1990s near The Ridge. What we started with: oak parquet and a brass chandelier over the nook. What bothered the owners most: 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 sizing the bench and table, outlets and heat registers, plus storage under the seat.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Woodridge →
Before
AfterLisle kitchen, 1990s two-story colonial: pantry design & installation
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 Lisle →
Before
AfterKitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in a 1980s two-story, Lisle
What changed: a new island in dusty blue with a black honed granite top and seating.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Lisle →How your banquette build goes
- 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 installWe build, finish and install the banquette, then make final adjustments with you.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette questions from Lisle homeowners
Can a banquette go against a window?
Often. The bench back stays under the sill, and we check that the window can still be opened.
What is a built-in kitchen bench called?
A banquette, or simply built-in bench seating.
How long does it take to build a banquette?
Building and installing usually takes several days; cushions and the table may follow separately.
What table works with a banquette?
A pedestal or trestle table, so legs don't get in the way. Round for corners and bays, rectangular for straight benches.
How much does a built-in banquette cost?
It depends on size, shape, storage, finish and any electrical or vent work. You get a written, itemized estimate after we measure.
Can you do banquette build in a Lisle 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 you work in my part of Lisle?
Yes. Our crews work across Lisle, including Oakview, The Meadows, Four Lakes Village — ZIP 60532 — and nearby Downers Grove, Woodridge, Wheaton.
Working in Lisle
- A lot of Lisle 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.
OakviewThe MeadowsFour Lakes Village
ZIP 60532
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette nearby
Other kitchen services in Lisle
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.