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.
Serving Woodridge & nearby Downers Grove, Lisle
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Woodridge, IL
We build banquette benches and breakfast nooks in Woodridge kitchens, with storage under the seat and a table sized to fit.
- Local crews working in Woodridge ZIP 60517, 60439
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Eat-in kitchen problems a banquette solves in Woodridge
A banquette fits more people into a corner than a table and chairs ever will. Our finish carpenters build benches into Woodridge kitchens and nooks with drawers or lift-up seats underneath, set at a comfortable height for a standard dining table.
A breakfast nook nobody uses
Nooks with loose chairs feel cramped. Fixed seating against the wall uses the space much better.
No room to pull out chairs
When chairs hit the wall or the island every time someone stands up, a banquette on one or two sides solves it.
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.
Island seating that isn't working
If nobody stays long at the island, a built-in bench and table offers seating with a backrest.
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.
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.
What's included
- Measuring the nookWe measure walls, windows, bays, outlets and vents in the area.
- Sizing the bench and tableWe plan the bench layout and the table so people can slide in and sit comfortably.
- Outlets and heat registersAnything in the wall or floor behind the bench is moved or vented through it.
- Building the bench boxesPlywood bench boxes built and fastened to the wall framing and floor.
- 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.
- Cushions and tableSeat and back cushions coordinated with an upholsterer, and a table chosen to fit.
Materials and options
Painted or stained woodA painted or stained finish chosen to match or contrast with the kitchen.
Drawers vs. lift-up seatsDrawers are easier to reach; lift-up seats hold more but need people to stand.
Pedestal and trestle tablesRound tables suit corners and bays; rectangular ones suit straight benches.
Cushions and upholsteryPerformance fabrics or vinyl hold up best in a kitchen.
Backs: paneled, upholstered or openWood-paneled backs, tufted upholstery or a simple open back against the wall.
Kitchens like yours in Woodridge: before and after
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Woodridge
A 1990s two-story colonial near Seven Bridges, a typical kitchen for Woodridge. What we started with: oak parquet and a brass chandelier over the nook. The reason for the call: not enough seats around the kitchen table. After: 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 seat backs and trim.
Before
AfterDowners Grove kitchen, 1960s ranch: built-in breakfast nook & banquette
The site: a 1960s ranch near Shady Lane Estates. The kitchen as it was: brick-pattern sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light. What bothered the owners most: 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 building the bench boxes, storage under the seat, plus cushions and table.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1980s two-story in Lisle
The site: a 1980s two-story near Oakview. The kitchen as it was: 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. The job covered outlets and heat registers, building the bench boxes, plus cushions and table.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette in Lisle →
Before
AfterPantry Design & Installation in a 1990s two-story colonial, Woodridge
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 Woodridge →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Woodridge
What changed: a new island in dusty blue with a dark soapstone-look quartz top and seating.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Woodridge →From first visit to final walk-through
- Send photos of the spaceA few photos of the corner, bay or nook and rough measurements are enough to start.
- Measure and planA visit to measure and draw the layout, seat heights and storage.
- Written estimateAn itemized estimate for the bench, storage, finish and any electrical or vent changes.
- Build and installBench boxes built and installed, finished, then cushions and table placed.
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette questions from Woodridge homeowners
Do you do the cushions?
We focus on the woodwork and can arrange cushions through an upholsterer if you'd like.
Banquette or kitchen island seating?
If you want a real table, a banquette. If you want counter space plus a few stools, an island.
Can a banquette go against a window?
Yes. We set the back height below the windowsill so the window still opens and the trim stays visible.
What is a built-in kitchen bench called?
Usually a banquette. You'll also hear breakfast nook, booth seating or built-in bench.
What table works with a banquette?
We recommend a table with a center pedestal and size it to the bench length.
Woodridge contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Contractors register with the Village at no fee; a certificate of insurance naming the Village is required before a permit is issued ($100,000/$300,000 public liability, $50,000 property damage). We take care of that before work starts.
Can you do banquette build in a Woodridge 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 Woodridge?
It depends on the scope. Woodridge's rule in short: Permits are required for alterations that move or add walls, and for all electrical and plumbing work (and all HVAC work). We handle the permit when one is needed with Village of Woodridge Community Development Department (Building Permits).
Do you work in my part of Woodridge?
Yes. Our crews work across Woodridge, including Seven Bridges, The Ridge — ZIP 60517, 60439 — and nearby Downers Grove, Lisle, Bolingbrook.
Working in Woodridge
- A lot of Woodridge kitchens date from the 1970s. 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 Village of Woodridge Community Development Department (Building Permits) handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
Seven BridgesThe Ridge
ZIP 60517ZIP 60439
Built-In Breakfast Nook & Banquette nearby
Other kitchen services in Woodridge
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.