Storage Dining Benches or Banquette Benches? How to Decide

Pick a storage dining bench if you need hidden space for everyday items, want freestanding furniture you can take with you when you move, or rent your home. Pick a banquette bench if you want a cosy, restaurant style seat with a tall padded back that is shaped around a wall or corner and treated as a semi permanent part of the room. Storage benches are about practicality and flexibility. Banquettes are about comfort and a tailored, built in look.

Both make excellent use of space in UK kitchens and dining rooms, and both seat more people than chairs in the same footprint. Our range of storage dining benches UK sits alongside upholstered designs that give a banquette feel, so here we set out the differences clearly to help you decide.

What Each Option Actually Is

A storage dining bench is a freestanding bench with space inside or beneath the seat. Most have a hinged lift up lid, while others have drawers, baskets or open cubbies. They usually have no back, or a low one, and they can be moved like any other piece of furniture.

A banquette bench is a long upholstered seat with a padded back, designed to sit against a wall. Banquettes can be fully built in by a joiner or freestanding pieces that mimic that look. They often wrap around a corner and are associated with cafes and restaurants, which is part of their charm.

Question 1: Do You Own or Rent?

This is often the deciding factor. A built in banquette is a fixture. It may need fixing to the wall, adapting skirting boards and fitting around sockets. That suits homeowners planning to stay for years, but it is rarely practical for tenants.

A storage bench is entirely freestanding. It can move to a new room or a new home with no alterations, which makes it the sensible choice for renters and anyone expecting to move in the next few years.

Freestanding banquette style benches sit between the two. They give some of the look without permanent fixing, though they are typically larger and heavier than a standard storage bench.

Question 2: How Much Storage Do You Need?

If your kitchen is short of cupboard space, a storage bench offers useful capacity without adding another cabinet. It works well for table linen, placemats, seasonal tableware, children’s art supplies or spare cushions.

Built in banquettes can also include storage, with lift up seats or drawers set into the base. But freestanding banquette style benches are often solid or open beneath the seat, offering less concealed space.

If storage is your main goal, a dedicated storage bench is the more reliable option.

Question 3: How Important Is Back Support?

Banquettes win on comfort for long meals. A tall padded back lets people lean and relax, which makes them inviting for lingering over coffee or hosting friends.

Storage benches are usually backless. Placed against a wall with a few firm cushions, they are comfortable for everyday meals, but they do not offer the same deep support. If your household spends long evenings at the table, this difference matters.

One option is to place a storage bench against the wall and pair it with chairs on the other side. Our dining sets UK sale include arrangements like this, which balance backless and backed seating.

Question 4: What Shape Is Your Space?

Banquettes come into their own in corners and awkward shapes. An L shaped or U shaped banquette can wrap around a corner or fill an alcove, using space that chairs could never reach. In a kitchen extension with a corner of glazing, a corner banquette can create a cosy dining zone with views to the garden.

Storage benches are straight and work best along a single wall or beside an island. They suit long, narrow rooms where a straight run of seating fits naturally. Two storage benches can meet at a corner, though the join will be less seamless than a purpose made banquette.

Question 5: How Do You Want the Room to Feel?

Banquettes create a soft, enclosed and intimate atmosphere. They add colour and texture through upholstery and give a dining area a strong sense of identity. They are a statement piece.

Storage benches feel lighter and more casual. They suit relaxed family kitchens, Scandinavian schemes and rooms that need to adapt quickly between uses. They also leave walls more visible, which keeps small spaces feeling open.

Practical Differences in Daily Life

Cleaning

Storage benches with timber or faux leather seats are quick to wipe down. Banquettes have more upholstery, including the back, so fabric choice matters. Removable covers or wipeable faux leather make life easier in busy households.

Getting in and out

With any wall bench, the person in the middle must shuffle along. Banquettes can feel more enclosed, particularly in a U shape. A pedestal table helps in both cases by freeing up knee space.

Rearranging the room

A storage bench can be pulled out for cleaning or moved to accommodate a larger table. A built in banquette is fixed, so the table must fit around it.

Measuring for Either Option

Whichever route you take, measuring carefully is essential. Wall seating sits close to skirting boards, sockets, radiators and windowsills, all of which affect what will fit.

For a storage bench, measure the wall length at seat height and allow a small gap at each end so the lid or drawers can open freely. Check that a lift up lid will not hit a windowsill, shelf or radiator as it rises. Allow roughly 60cm of length per adult, and make sure the bench depth leaves enough room for knees beneath the table edge.

For a banquette, depth matters more. A padded back adds several centimetres, so the table needs to sit slightly further from the wall. In a corner, measure both walls and decide which side will run the full length and which will butt into it. If you are commissioning a built in banquette, a joiner will usually survey the space, but it helps to know your preferred dimensions beforehand.

In both cases, consider how people will reach the seat. Leave a clear path to the open end of the bench, and avoid positioning it where a door swing or appliance door would block access.

Upholstery and Finish Choices

The finish you choose affects both comfort and practicality. Storage benches are often timber, painted wood or faux leather, which suit busy kitchens where spills are common. Banquettes are usually fully upholstered, so fabric choice carries more weight.

Performance fabrics resist stains and are a sensible choice for family homes. Faux leather is easy to wipe and works well in kitchens close to cooking areas. Velvet and boucle feel inviting and add texture, though they suit adult households or rooms used mainly for evening meals. Whatever you choose, removable cushion covers are worth having, as they make cleaning far easier and let you refresh the look without replacing the seat.

Combining the Best of Both

You do not always have to choose. Some households place a storage bench against the wall and add a row of large, firm back cushions to create a banquette effect. This gives a softer seat with storage beneath, and the cushions can be changed easily as tastes evolve. Where you need more concealed space than a bench can offer, modern storage furniture UK elsewhere in the room can take on the overflow.

Others pair a banquette in a corner with a storage bench at the end of the table for overflow seating, or use a sideboard nearby to absorb the storage that a banquette lacks. Our modern sideboards UK sale offer a practical companion for a banquette, keeping tableware close at hand without crowding the seating area.

If you are planning this combination, our article on styling dining tables with sideboards in UK homes offers layout ideas that balance seating and storage in the same room.

A Simple Way to Decide

Run through these statements and see which side you agree with more often:

• I rent or expect to move soon. Storage bench.
• I need extra hidden storage in the kitchen. Storage bench.
• I want maximum comfort for long dinners. Banquette.
• I have an awkward corner or alcove to fill. Banquette.
• I like to rearrange furniture regularly. Storage bench.
• I want the dining area to feel like a feature. Banquette.

The answer is usually clear by the end of the list. If it is evenly split, a storage bench with generous back cushions is a flexible middle ground.

We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes across our dining and storage ranges. You can explore more modern furniture ideas for every room at Furniture in Fashion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a banquette more comfortable than a storage bench?

Generally, yes. Banquettes have a padded back that supports people during long meals. A storage bench against a wall with firm cushions is comfortable for everyday use but offers less support.

Can renters have a banquette?

A fully built in banquette is rarely practical for renters. Freestanding banquette style benches, or a storage bench with back cushions, give a similar look without permanent alterations.

Do storage dining benches work in small kitchens?

Yes. They seat several people in a compact footprint and provide hidden storage, which is especially valuable where cupboard space is limited.

What table works best with a banquette?

A pedestal table is usually the most practical, as it leaves room for knees and makes it easier for people to slide in and out of the seat.