I finally decided how to furnish our new dining nook and banquette. I always knew we’d need a table, chairs and the built-in banquette, but I waited until the renovation was mostly finished so I could feel the space before choosing specific pieces.
Our built-in banquette sits where the kitchen stove used to be, now positioned between the living room and kitchen on the main floor. We love the new layout and the additional built-in storage this renovation allowed. The dining area functions as an extension of the kitchen and the flexible layout suits how we live. The built-in bookcases add a cozy, lived-in feeling that I adore.
I recently rearranged the living room furniture again and finally landed on a layout that feels right. Now I turned my attention to setting up the dining banquette, and I want to share our plan.
My guiding rule with furniture is to reuse what I have whenever possible. We used our previous dining table for more than a decade (it even lived in our family beach house). Rather than spend a lot on new furniture, I prefer refreshing pieces we already own. We painted our old table many times instead of replacing it.
When we moved, we passed many pieces to our kids — our old table and chairs went to our eldest daughter, Kylee. The house we bought already had a table and chairs, which made the transition easier. Now that the remodel is done, we could assess whether our existing furniture would work in the new space.
Decision-making was slow because we repeatedly moved furniture and boxes so rooms could be painted. It’s hard to visualize a design when a room is in chaos, so clearing the space made everything easier. Once the room was cleared, choices became clearer. The new rattan serving cart was an easy, early decision and fit perfectly, which gave me momentum to tackle the rest.
What helped us choose furniture:
1. Our existing table is ideal for this room — sturdy, with a leaf that converts it from round to oval to suit the layout. The center support is preferable to four legs because of the banquette.
2. The table could use a refresh (paint or re-stain), but that small project didn’t justify replacing a perfectly functional piece. It’s something we can do over time.
3. New tables can be pricey and a secondhand one felt unnecessary since ours works. Trendy upgrades weren’t a real need, so we saved money by keeping the table.
4. The chairs turned out to have the most impact on the room’s look. While we considered repainting our existing chairs, the banquette area feels like a focal point of the main floor, so I wanted chairs that fit the broader vision.
New slipcovered chairs
With the vision in place, I knew I wanted slipcovered Parson’s chairs. I had given our previous slipcovered chairs to Kylee and liked the idea of new colors and patterns here. I did find ideal Parson frames secondhand, but they were sold before I could buy them. Ready to move forward, I ordered two new Parson’s chairs and two blue striped slipcovers in Downey Blue fabric.
The striped slipcovers had a long lead time and wouldn’t ship until close to Christmas, but the chair frames arrived sooner. With limited storage, I didn’t want to leave chairs uncovered for months, so I found a second set of slipcovers on sale that shipped immediately. That way the chairs can be used right away while I wait for the blue striped set.
Seasonal slipcovers
I’ve always loved slipcovers and dreamed of owning more than one set to swap by season. Slipcovers can be expensive and I don’t sew, so multiple sets felt like a luxury — until now. The black-and-white ticking will work for fall and winter, and the blue stripes for spring and summer. Having both gives me flexibility to change the room’s mood without committing to one permanent look.
Mix-and-match chairs
To avoid buying four new upholstered chairs, I purchased two Parsons and found a set of rattan chairs to complete the seating. I like the eclectic look of mixing chairs—different textures and shapes create interest. The rattan chairs were available at a nearby store, my daughter checked them out for me, and she’ll bring them over this week.
Two final decisions for the room:
Window treatments: We currently use woven shades from the living room, which we love. In this open area, matching or closely coordinated treatments would be ideal. For safety—particularly with children and pets—we want cordless options, so we’ll replace what we have with similar cordless shades.
Bench cushion: The banquette needs a properly sized upholstered cushion. For now we’re using a mix of a too-small cushion and pillows. I delayed ordering a custom cushion and I’m glad I waited because now I can coordinate the bench cushion and pillows with the chosen slipcovers. Local makers have long lead times, so in the meantime I’m using pillows and a temporary solution that works well until the custom cushion is ready.
If you have recommendations for someone local who makes slipcovers or bench cushions, I’d love to hear them. I’ll share the temporary solution I’m using soon.
* UPDATE! Our dining chairs arrived – you can see them in a follow-up post on the blog. *
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Wall paint colors: Beach Glass Benjamin Moore, and Classic Light Buff Sherwin Williams