Yes, I think it was the Ode to Banquette Lafacia - take a look at a "Boat" shaped table. I am going to post mine - but you want a "real" table and not the pop-up variety. Mine was done by an Amish/English - not sure if you would call it a cooperative but the Amish do part of it and the English finish it off with the stain, etc. I think the shape would work - they make a table in this shape as well. I think it was called Grand River or Grand Rapids - if you like it, I can find the info. This is a catalog picture - I think this is actually the desk - we also bought the desk but had it sized for our house - so they will work with you to "customize" it. Here it is - decked out for 2 for breakfast - We kept it small as the entry into the kitchen might have been problematic if we went too large. - Mostly, I want you to see the boat shape - not sure if the pictures capture it - but imagine a boat with the ends cut off - it gives a bit more room to climb into the area - but it is not too much that it is not functional. From the other angle Pop goes the weasel - ours pops up to a table height - but since you need to seat 5 -not an option for you.

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.

I went through the same thing, I wanted a pedestal table for my banquet. I also though really wanted a huge table (8x3) and I could not find a table in that size that was not a four legger. Anyhow, I bought the legged table and it's fine. Any infirm or non-flexible guests just sit at the chairs on the other side from the banquet....

How big is your banquette going to be? I think a pedestal table is the way to go, if that will fit your usual crowd. We are planning our banquette around our 54" glass round top pedestal table. In fact, if anyone else has a similarly-sized table, what are the dimensions of your banquette? I just saw in the Ballard Designs catalog a freestanding corner bench (about $1,000) -- do any of you with banquettes have views on the pros and cons of such a thing?