I've taken a lot of cr@p for doing what you're wanting to do. My scale is a bit smaller though. See the unusual spot in the island? That's where my banquette will go. A bench against the island seating two with a half circle-ish shaped pedestal table and two chairs. We had a banquette for our kitchen table in the old space and I knew I wanted to work in a kitchen table spot in the new kitchen. I couldn't make a space large enough on the perimeter for a table during our whole house reno so got a crazy burr in my bonnet to inset the banquette in the island. Many here think I'm nuts, and I think one of the reasons I haven't finished the area 14 months later is because I am doubting my vision now. DH works for a restaurant supply company so has a custom booth maker ready to build this for us. I told Marcolo if it didn't work after it was done, I would just never post a pic and would live in shame forever. We'll see......

blfenton, I am sorry I missed your question about the lumbar pillows. They are IKEA pillows, and they are slip covered in that pattern, so it worked out well for us. I attached a link to the pillows--they come in several fabric covers and are $19.99 each. On our banquette, we have five right now. I also wouldn't want to have a narrow table, as I don't care to knock knees with anyone. Our table is 43"X 54" oval and has two leaves to lengthen it. The butcher block (and cushion) overhangs the cabinets a little bit, so that our legs aren't hitting the drawers or hardware below. I have sat on benches where the hardware was kind of in the way, and I kept hitting it with my calves, so I kept that in mind when designing this particular bench. I think having it done with springs and upholstered like real furniture as circuspeanut suggests would be optimal for seating. I would have loved that! I am certainly not skilled in that area and haven't the money to have it professionally done, so we went the budget route. One of the most beautiful dining rooms I have seen had a loveseat set in a bay window, with the table pulled up with chairs in contrasting fabrics. It looked elegant, yet totally comfortable--a place you would love to sit with the girlfriends over coffee and treats gabbing for hours. *sigh* Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA lumbar pillows

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.

I just now saw the questions posed to me, and I am sorry for not having checked in sooner! ML, the 3-drawer stack I bought was just the 18" base cabinet with 3 drawers, and I ordered it with Arlig (now Harlig) drawer fronts. When you order it like that, everything you need for that arrangement is included in the price. I am sorry I do not remember off-hand how much it cost, but I know it was under $100 at the time. I see the price has gone up to approximately $150 now, but that was 4.5 years ago. That 3-drawer cabinet is in my linen closet now, and I have extra toiletries--toothpaste, shampoo, soap, mouthwash, etc. in one drawer, some cosmetic items and personal stuff in the shallow (top) drawer, and misc bath items in the bottom drawer. This was the cabinet that convinced DH that IKEA kitchen cabinets were a whole 'nother animal than their other cabinets. Newbie, it actually IS my only dining area. It was the "formal" dining room, but we never used it as such, except for holidays and entertaining. Every other day, it became a catch-all. This drove DH crazy, as he cannot stand any kind of clutter. We had a small table in our kitchen area, and that is where we ate. We have two children, and when we first started this, they were a bit younger and SMALLER. ;^) We tore down the wall between the two spaces because it felt so cramped. It is such huge difference having that wall down! I came up with the idea of the banquette when I was trying to create more storage. I looked online for some pictures and drew out the plan on graph paper first. DH was hesitant at first, thought it might be too "frilly-nilly" as he called it. He loves it now. Our table has two leaves, and we have used it that way. There is plenty of room for entertaining and holidays. It would be nice if that were our "breakfast room", and we had a more grand dining space, but our house just is not that large. I am fine with the cozy cottagey vibe we have going. In fact, I am quite fond of it. :^) I imagine I will be even happier when we get around to finishing the basement, which is next on the list. DH wants a year off of house stuff, though, when this kitchen is finally done. I can hardly blame him. He has been amazing! Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA--Harlig three-drawer stack