Disclosure: This project was in partnership with Behr Paint, however all opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links may be included in this post.
I really like building things. I’m not an expert in it by any means, but I’m pretty good at basic builds. I’ve most definitely mastered the art of those built-in shelves I make, as I’ve done three sets of them now. 🙂
As I’ve said before, my Pap did a lot of woodworking. Now he was the expert. Unfortunately, by the time I wanted to learn about that stuff, he had already hung up his hat in that department, but I think that feeling I get when I feel a little sawdust against my palms comes from him.
In our kitchen remodel, we ripped out cabinetry in one corner and knew we were going to eventually build banquette seating there for a breakfast nook. This is what it looked like when we first got the house:
Well when it finally came time to build that banquette seating, I was all about doing it myself. I drew up the plans, I did the measurements, bought the supplies, started putting it together – everything. I think in the back of my head I thought that if I could just do this one project all by myself and it turn out ok, that somewhere my Pap would give me a nod, a big grin and say “Good job.”
I really picked the wrong project for that validation I thought I needed.
This banquette is not a difficult build for two people. It is a difficult build for one person, as Grunt Labor so lovingly pointed out to me when he came home one day and found me with glassy eyes, drinking a beer, staring at the halfway completed banquette that wasn’t anywhere near square. I felt like such a failure, but he was right, it wasn’t a one person job.
Palm Print Pillow / Tiger Stripe Pillow / Malachite Pillow
In order to get this thing square and level and all that other good stuff, you need one person holding the lumber steady and level while the other is screwing it together.
So, after dropping all of my crazy notions into the bottle of beer I was drinking, Grunt Labor, Nicky and I all ended up putting the banquette together. Grunt and I built the bases, then Nicky came over to help with the cutting of the panels to go on the front and sides of the banquette because I was wrapped up in getting the rest of the house ready for an upcoming party. It truly takes a three man effort around here often and I am so damn lucky that God saw fit to give me two husbands for the heavy lifting and mopping up of my emotional breakdowns.
I may not have gotten that nod from my Pap that I was hoping for, but I’m damn sure certain I got a big ole’ belly laugh from him.
You can find the full tutorial for how to build the banquette on Behr’s Designer Stories. Just remember, this one calls for reinforcements. 🙂
And if you want to see our full kitchen remodel, it’s here.
Disclosure: This project was in partnership with Behr Paint, however all opinions are 100% my own.
Love it, it is perfect.
Thanks so much, Marty!
I absolutely love this! I’ve been tossing around the idea of something like this in our new house, but haven’t fully committed because I was afraid the project was too big to handle on our own. So, thanks for changing my mind! I do have one question. I’ve wondered about doing some sort of storage bins underneath, or inside the bench as a lift top. What are your thoughts on this from a design perspective?
Thanks, Amber! So glad you like it! I think you could add some storage underneath. It should just be a matter of putting hinges on the top of the banquette, rather than nailing it down.
Jenna, I know exactly how you felt, I have been there too many times. I’m not a builder, but if I wanted a banquet I would have to build it myself and it would never get done, so I would have a mess or end up hiring someone to finish it for me, so yes you are very lucky to have two husbands to bale you out.
Isn’t it funny how when we are doing something, a new flower bed or painting a room or furniture, in the back of our minds we want approval from someone who has passed on. Every time I get in my flower beds I think of my grandma and grandpa and wonder if they would like what I am planting or how I designed my flower beds. Every time I paint a wall or move furniture my mom creeps into my mind, and When I wash the patio or my car there’s my dad. I think my dad is the one I think of most often and the one I always needed approval from the most. When I drink a beer or two I know for sure my mom is smiling cuz she loved beer and Conway Twitty.
Don’t ever beat yourself up for trying so many of us would never ever even attempt to build a banquet, but that is how you learn trial and error right?
Love that banquet and your kitchen, just beautiful, you and Grunt did good, really good.
Thanks so much, Patty. Your comments always bring such a smile to my face and sometimes a tear or two. Love ya, gal!
Those malachite pillows are bad to the bone. Everything you do is brilliant! Keep on posting!
Oh, I just love those pillows, Jane! Thanks!