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

Thank your for all the insight so far. I agree woven blinds would look nicer but they wouldn't function well. We have to close the drapes daily due to the west sun and that being a busy road and people gawk in our house. The woven blind over the kitchen doesn't truly block the sun which interferes with tv watching. It would take two blinds to cover the 72" wide by 72" tall window. Since DH and I are a bit OCD having two blinds to raise and close perfectly would drive us bonkers. LOL I know the red isn't probably the best choice for curtains but we didn't know what direction to go. DH fears to much beige as it's rental like and that's what he knew growing up. I realize I don't have much red other than the curtains and throw pillows on the bench. I've been hesitant to introduce to much color without a direction. Above the bench is used for hanging coats (mostly winter time). We were not blessed with a coat closet or mudroom so that area does double duty. It's the door used by us and friends 95% of the time. Is there a way to add art and keep the coat racks? I did recently paint them red but not sure I love them since there isn't much elsewhere. Although I love the color and idea of them being red. I'll try turning the table but not sure there would be enough room to pass through. Our aging partially blind dog probably won't thank me. Haha. I really like the idea of painted table and wood tone chairs. But not sure what color. I think cabinet color would be to much. White might fight the creamy cabinet color. And then I get stuck on color. I don't want it to lean to country or cottage. Again thanks for the input and suggestions. I'm open for more after examining some of my thoughts. :-)

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 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