The Kitchen Design Trend That's Slowly Replacing The Traditional Dining Room

The kitchen has evolved from the simple room where food is stored, prepared, and cooked, though without those functions, it's not a kitchen. You could argue that open concept kitchens were the first big trend in modern home design that homeowners fully embraced, and real estate agents say open concept kitchens won't be going away anytime soon. The latest kitchen designs are trending toward the personalized and the innovative rather than hewing to traditional definitions of the rooms we eat and dine in. Banquette seating, an alternative to traditional chairs, can be customized in endless ways to complement a homeowner's individual tastes.

More homeowners are seeking kitchen designs that reflect their personality and fewer are emphasizing how the design will affect the home's resale value, and they think that a separate room dedicated to dining is a waste of space. They want the kitchen to be multifunctional, to be open and airy, and to reflect their lifestyle. The beauty of a banquette is that it can be any shape, and its size is only limited by the size of the kitchen. It can tuck into a corner, curve to fit under a bow window, run along a wall, or back up to a kitchen island. They're versatile: Banquette seating can be formal enough for a fancy dinner or a comfy spot for poker night. Homeowners also expect the integration of sustainability and technology into kitchen design. With a banquette, this can be as simple as adding a charging station or as futuristic as hiding a monitor on a lift in the back of the seat. Choose products like reclaimed wood, bamboo, and recycled metals to build your banquette.

If you're lucky, you can find a banquette that fits your kitchen perfectly, but if you have an odd-shaped space, or if you're having your kitchen remodeled, a custom-built unit would be on trend, whether you DIY your banquette seating or hire a carpenter. A banquette can be a single bench facing a table with a couple of chairs on the other side, or you can use banquettes on either side of the table, on two sides that form an L, or a U-shape around three sides like you see in a restaurant. The table doesn't have to be a rectangle that aligns with the banquette. It can be round, oval, or ameboid — whatever expresses your individuality while remaining functional. Upholstered cushions are comfortable, or you may prefer vinyl if your family meals are messy. Make sure the seats are hinged so you can use the interior space for storage.

Colorful kitchens are in. Complete your banquette in style by pairing it with another design trend — the use of earthy colors rather than one of the hundreds of variations on white that might actually decrease the value of your house. Use terracotta, moss green, or muted brown paint or upholstery; more than 75% of the respondents to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) KBIS designers survey said that green is the top kitchen color for 2025. Consider having multiple sets of cushions you can switch out to create different dining atmospheres.