Banquettes | The Built-ins

Last week I wrote about using sofas, loveseats, settees and benches as banquettes. This week I pay homage to the built-in banquettes. Enjoy!

I'll start with 2 photos from Candice Olson. This dramatic red velvet tufted banquette that goes right up to the ceiling is the banquette that started my obsession. I have a wall that would be PERFECT for such a grand statement. It's the dining room and the first wall you see when entering our home - the place to make a statement.

 

Alas, The wall has multiple light switches and an air-intake that make reconfiguring electrical and HVAC for such a built-in banquette very costly. I've repaired my broken heart and now I'm searching for the perfect sofa, loveseat or settee per last week's banquette post. Still, I enjoy and envy the built-in banquette. I hope you enjoy this collection and find inspiration for your own home!

 

Candice Olson

 

source unknown

 

via Houzz

 

via House of Turquoise

 

via Luxe & Lillies

 

via HGTV

 

via Absolutely Beautiful Things

 

via Tell Your Interior Designer

For more banquette inspiration, check out these posts:

• Banquettes
• An Ode to Banquettes

Do you love banquettes? Check out my collection of banquette inspiration on Pinterest. Do you have a banquette? I’m jealous and would love to see it! Please share photos with us on Facebook.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Banquettes

As I've mentioned before - I love banquettes. There is something inherently glamorous about a banquette. Or perhaps it's because I imagine a dinner party of my friends piling onto a big banquette in my dining room. I can't quite put my finger on the source of this love, but it's there. Oh, it's there.

Banquettes are often thought of as built-in, such as this dramatic gem of a dining room via Toby Fairly. These built-ins can be a great solution to a tricky area.

However, the look and feel of a banquette can be easily achieved by pulling a sofa, loveseat, settee or bench up to your table, without the expense and construction mess of a custom built-in. Allow me to explain... visually.

 

A sofa fits perfectly between cabinets in a kitchen nook. via House Beautiful, February 2012 issue.

 

Another perfectly sized sofa. This one features a beautifully shaped back and another favorite: nailheads. Source unknown.

 

A very simple sofa becomes more interesting as a banquette. Source unknown.

 

This dramatic settee makes a big statement in this otherwise understated dining room. source unknown.

 

A punch of pink pattern brightens up this kitchen with the sofa turned banquette. Source unknown.

 

This clever Kitchen design features an armless sofa as banquette with a table where many others would have used bar stools. I love the originality and out of the box thinking! Source unknown.

 

An elegant sofa creates a contrast to the more rustic dining table in this interior design. The effect is stunning. via Four Walls and a Roof.

 

The Interior Designer of this hotel went big and bold. This space features a large, curvy hot pink sofa as banquette. Wow. via Ohmygosh! Design.

 

A beautiful curved sofa in a glamorous dining room, via Elle Decor

I wanted to add a built-in banquette to my dining room. However, the location of light switches and the air-intake vent make that project well beyond my budget. No problem - I now have my eye on a settee that I want to include. Stay tuned for more!

Do you love banquettes? Check out my collection of banquette inspiration on Pinterest. Do you have a banquette? I'm jealous and would love to see it! Please share photos with us on Facebook.
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Happy Colors | Red

The next color up on our list of Happy Colors is Red.

Lots of Red

 

via Etsy

Red lacquered cabinetry would be a very bold move on it's own. Add red lacquer to the appliances, walls and ceiling and you've got a statement-making space.

 

via The Kitchen

Red walls make a great backdrop for lighter colored artwork.

 

Source Unknown

 

via Apartment Therapy

This bold bedroom design uses both a vibrant and more muted red tones along with graphic patterns. See more of this room here: Love it or Leave it: Red Patterned Bedroom

Mary McDonald via Veranda

Black, White and Red

Red is a perfect accent to schemes that are black and white, or to schemes that are gray. Yes, you could place any color in these rooms and it would really stand out as an accent, but there is just something special about red in these rooms...

 

via Decorpad

 

via House to Home

And I couldn't post without including another banquette, this lovey red banquette adds a great pop to a dining nook and overall gray room. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes

 

Source Unknown

 

via House Beautiful

Red Accents

While red is stunning with Black & White, or gray, it is also a great accent with other color schemes, in large and small doses.

 

Source Unknown

 

via Domino Magazine

 

via House to Home

 

via Beautiful Habitat

 

via Beautiful Habitat

And what says Red and Happiness as much as a red wagon?

 

Via U Create

For more on the Happy Color Series:

• Orange
• Lime and Apple Green
• Purple
• Yellow

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Happy Colors | Yellow

It's hard to dispute yellow as a Happy Color. Yellow is associated with joy, sunshine, warmth and freshness. Just look at any child's drawing and you're likely to see a bright yellow sun or a yellow happy face. I love yellow and have used it in both my own, and client's homes. And this is certainly not the first time I've mentioned yellow in the Beautiful Habitat blog.

Yellow is a big bold happy color, so let's start with the boldest of yellow rooms.

Whole Lotta Yellow

 

 via tumblr

 

 via The Style Files

 

via Canadian House & Home

 

via Eddie Ross

Even when not used as an overall color or on walls, yellow still makes a big impact in rooms and interiors.

 

via Day Design & Decor

 

via Pattern Hound

 

via Coastal Living

Yellow wallpaper makes a great statment on it's own

 

via High Street Market

or as a backdrop to other artwork

 

via Belle Maison

And if that's too much yellow for you, remember that it does make a great accent color in more neutral decor.

Yellow Accents

Starting with a lovely yellow banquette. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes

 

via Palmer-Weiss

 

Lovely Bedrooms, both via SAS Interiors

 

via CB2

 

A wonderful room for a girl, via Douglas Friedman

 

ia Shelter Interior Design

 

An easy DIY accent via Brooklyn Limestone.

Have you used yellow in your home? Or maybe you've been too intimidated to try this bold hue? Share with us here, or on Facebook!

For more on the Happy Color Series:

• Orange
• Lime and Apple Green
• Purple

 Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com