I've never built a banquette, but my kitchen and dining room is exactly like yours, layout and dimensions. We don't have a wall between the DR and LR however, so we've put a buffet server on the long wall between DR and LR. Clearly, you've outgrown your house. My dining room looks so much bigger than yours because I'm not trying to make it do double duty by storing stuff that should be in the kitchen. The open storage is not doing you any favors of making your space look comfortable and peaceful at dinnertime. Rather than built-ins, consider a hutch or buffet server with some closed storage that you can take with you when you move. Simplify your stuff, and I guarantee you'll add to the function, and you'll feel much more relaxed. There's a principle of elementary education that says if the classroom is disorganized and chaotic, the students will be too. Besides whether a banquette is doable, does it make sense for future buyers? I would ask a realtor before I went any further. I don't like the idea of the banquette against a peninsula with a sink. My counter extends 19" beyond my sink, and I get splash almost to the edge. Seating--we have a 36" x 54" table--a little narrower than most rectangular tables. We put 4 chairs on the long sides. I find that arrangement more roomy than a chair at each end. Extensions pull out from under the table on the short ends for guests. Mine is positioned with the long side along the peninsula, but you could turn yours the other way.

cpang74 - thanks for the kinds words! housepoor2 - We are really pleased with the quality of the Ballard benches and I would recommend them 100%. They are very comfortable and well made. That said, I have to admit I made a mistake with the fabric. I used their "customer's own material" service and ordered indoor/outdoor fabric from another website. After just a few months of use I can already tell that that it will have to be re-upholstered sooner than later - the fabric is starting to pill and the white stripes are looking dingy (even though the fabric is supposed to be washable). I can't complain to Ballard because it's not their fabric - and the most I could realistically expect from the fabric supplier (I haven't tried yet) would be to refund the fabric cost (which is a fraction of what re-upholstery will cost). So, my advice would be to stick with one of Ballard's fabrics - that way they're responsible for everything. I think they have microfibre which would probably be durable.

We ended up eliminating our planned morgue drawer as we decided against the banquette, but I think we planned for a 24 in deep drawer. Keep in mind that it may be cumbersome to pull out a 36-48 in drawer (especially if it opens into a traffic path or near other objects) so the utility of a super-long morgue drawer might not be offset by the increased cost. And I would expect that hardware necessary to support the weight of a full 48 in deep drawer would be at least as costly as you are describing!

You are very welcome, Mary. Anne Hathaway's cottage is darling. Here's the link: https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/studio-shamshiri-gives-a-storybook-california-cottage-singular-appeal?fbclid=IwAR0tO8DuHJzvHUY0cH_iUCQrLAmTM5LkLDs--0zsonkRYo-WiBsHsaIEV_w What I like about Anne Hathaway's cottage is that she kept it classic and not overdone. I could just hang there easily. The other pic is just an inspiration as to how a banquette can be embellished. Lately I've been repurposing tall entertainment/tv cabinets, in kitchens as pantries. You can add shelves easily and the depth is great, as it used to hold those clunker TVs of the past. Sometimes you can get them for free on craigslist. Then you can paint them a great color with a coordinating color on the cabinet interior. I fitted one as my bar and it works brilliantly. Again, if you want an update of the floor plan showing the position of the front door and windows in the family room, mark it up and send it over and I'll revise.