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

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

I'm overwhelmed by all of your responses. This forum is really terrific. The chenille I ordered impulsively (Labor Day sale) arrived today. The stripes are patterns (I don't know how to describe it), so it may be a little busy for the cushion, but it is beautiful. Have you ever noticed that when you shop for clothes this time of year the fall clothes look so much more appealing than the summer clothes that you loved in May? That's how I feel about this upholstery fabric. The colors are really warm and rich. I've already bought it and the labor for the cushion is only $30, so I'm going to have it made up. Moccasinlanding was right that the chenille fabric is not an all-over design, so pillows could be tricky. The stripe patterns are of varying widths. Maybe I could cut out different stripes, splice them into solid fabrics and have pillows with bands which match my cushion. I have much work left to do (carpentry on the bench, patching the damage from stripping wallpaper, texturing and painting, etc.), but just seeing all of your beautiful banquettes and discussing the finishing touches has really inspired me and gotten me excited about the final result. Thanks a million!

IâÂÂm delighted that someone here at GW has used me to make their banquette cushions and passed along my shop location at Etsy to others. I donâÂÂt know who the customer was, but itâÂÂs good to know someone was pleased with my work. My advice to newbieremodeler is to make sure that you consider in the cost of shipping the cushions to your Illinois location, if you are having them made out of the area in Virginia. Shipping could greatly increase your overall cost. And be certain that the woman making the covers does wrap the foam cushions with bonded dacron batting before installing the covers. The dacron batting helps preserve the integrity of the foam, as well as add additional softness and fit to the foam. Your cushions will last much longer and wear better with this protection. For areas that will see a lot of activity and be frequently used, a 3â medium-firm cushion with 3/4â bonded dacron batting is highly recommended.