How to Specify Your Custom Built-In Seating Design - A Corn Upholstery Resource
Are you a general contractor, millworker, interior designer, or Architect who needs custom built-in seating? Do you have questions regarding banquette seating dimensions, design, and construction?
There is much more to specifying banquette seating than just height and width. In this post we will breakdown some of the different attributes to the design of built-in banquette seating, as well as terminology we use here at Corn Upholstery, to make sure you get exactly what your project needs. This is just a basic breakdown of booth and banquette seating, so if you have further questions, we are here to walk you through the process and make designing and manufacturing your custom built-in seating a breeze. Just reach out to us on our contact page to get started!
Booth/Banquette Basics
There are many options when it comes to creating your custom banquette and booth seating. The choices can get overwhelming at times, so when you don’t know where to start it helps to begin with the basics. We tend to separate our banquette specifications into a handful of categories. These categories include specifications for the base, optional apron, seat, inside back, and outside back. Each one of these components can be customized in numerous ways and identifying what you’d like for each element will ensure a seamless design consultation and manufacturing process. We have many in-house models here at Corn Upholstery that you can reference as you compile your ideas, but if you are looking to build your banquette seating design from the ground up this post will outline all of the different features and combinations you can use to customize your banquette/booth seating.
Built to your space
As you think through how you want to design your booth and banquette seating, considering where your banquette will be placed is just as important. A true “built-in” banquette requires very specific measurements to ensure it conforms to its critical fit. Corn Upholstery offers expert field measuring to take that responsibility off of your plate, but if you are looking to take on measurements yourself, consider not only the space the banquette will take up but also what dimensions it will need to be to fit through doors, hallways, or elevators. Shipping joints can be added to the banquette to break up its size and allow it to fit through tighter spaces. Standard widths for sections usually start at 48 inches and go up to nearly 96 inches. Beyond 96 inches presents engineering challenges that can increase complexity and costs. If your banquette has an “L” or “U” shape, shipping joints at or near the angles are often used to help fit the entire piece for both shipping and installation. Placement can also determine if your banquette will need to be fully upholstered on all sides. If the seating is being placed against a wall there is no need to use more fabric or budget to upholster the outside back. The same goes for parts of a banquette that are surrounded and built in. By communicating the full picture of the seating placement and the environment around it you will get a more complete upholstery quote in the end.
base basics
A recessed base is the best way to keep your custom banquette maintenance-free. The base gives your seating a sturdy foundation to sit upon while keeping cleaning easy by eliminating the need to sweep underneath the piece. Raising the upholstery off of the floor also protects the fabric from being marred by shoes and cleaning appliances. Many designs look to have the recessed base disappear with a dark finish applied, but multiple finishes, colors, and materials can be used to add interest and make the base a focal point in the overall design.
Banquette Base with No Recess
Banquette with “Standard” Recessed Base
Banquette with Maximum Recessed Base
Banquette with Legs and No Recessed Base
The “standard” recess tends to be around 2-5 inches, but the depth can vary depending on your design and intent. The main contingency to consider when determining the depth of your recessed base is the cantilever effect. If the depth of the base is too far set back, the banquette can tip forward when weight is applied. In this instance, Corn Upholstery would look to recommend a more shallow recessed base or recommend the banquette be anchored to a wall or structure to balance the cantilever effect.
“We at Corn Upholstery are familiar with incorporating all different kinds of materials into the banquette design and are here to help walk you though the engineering possibilities and options available to you.”
Seat Height, Depth, and Crown
The seat of the banquette is the foundation of comfort and functionality. If it is too high, you’ll leave your guests’ feet dangling. Too low and it may be difficult to get out of your seat. If it is too soft then the seat fabric could stretch out prematurely, too hard and no one will want to sit for very long. These are all very important considerations that we here at Corn Upholstery have worked to perfect over the past 74 years. We have found a few standards to each of these factors to ensure your custom seating is ideal for all guests. Our height recommendation for the most universal comfort tends to be between 18-19 inches from floor to top of seat crown (see adjacent diagram for seat crown options).
Corn Upholstery has found that the two highest quality and best performing seat suspension constructions are wrapped steel spring coils or high-resiliency foam over substrate. Each construction option has its benefits and allows for many different seat dimensions. Many other manufacturers will cut corners with their seat suspensions using inferior methods such as webbing or “no sag” sinuous springs. We have discovered that these methods are not made to last and will result in premature maintenance or failure. Corn Upholstery never cuts corners with the quality or value of your custom banquette seating.
Inside back pitch and overall height
The inside back of a banquette affects many aspects of the overall dimensions of the piece. At Corn Upholstery we have determined what amounts to our standard dining pitch and our standard lounge pitch to achieve the best comfort for the banquette’s setting. With a banquette used for dining at a table, we recommend to set the pitch of the back at 98 degrees while a banquette in a more relaxed environment and for seating exclusively we recommend a more relaxed pitch around 102-105 degrees (see diagram).
One aspect of a banquette’s dimension that is often overlooked during the design phase is the ratio between the pitch of the inside back, the banquette’s overall height, and its overall depth. The adjacent diagram demonstrates the connection between these dimensions. As the height is increased, the overall depth must increase to compensate for the angle of the seat back. The more angled the seat back, the more the overall depth increases. Many times a built-in banquette or booth has a critical fit for its space, so determining these dimensions early can cut down on a lot of headaches as your project progresses.
“Corn Upholstery never cuts corners with the quality or value of your custom banquette seating.”
Upholstery design
With your banquette or booth at its perfect fit for your space, this opens up discussion on the design aspects of the upholstery and what materials will be used. For an in-depth look at different types of tufting offered by Corn Upholstery follow the link on the adjacent image to read our post breaking down the numerous tufting options we provide.
While tufting is a timeless design element, you may want to go in a different direction opting for a more simple, tightly upholstered seat or back. Perhaps you would like to have vertical or horizontal channeling incorporated into your banquette; the options are endless. If you need any inspiration for your design, follow the links here to our Products or Portfolio pages to see our latest installs, manufacturing capabilities, or Corn Upholstery standard models.
Corn Upholstery Tufting Blog Post
Left: Horizontal Channeled Inside Back w/ Waterfall Seat
Center: Vertical Channeled Inside Back w/ Waterfall Seat
Right: Button Tufted Inside Back w/ Boxed Seat
Seat upholstery has many customization options ranging from considerations for comfort, durability, design, and cost. In general, your seat cushion can either be tightly upholstered and non-removeable or it can be a loose cushion or removable seat for easier reupholstering. Your tightly upholstered seat can have a boxed design with seaming at all edges or a “waterfall” design that allows the upholstery to flow seamlessly from the seat back to the seat bottom. Comfort, cost, and durability revolves around the support system for the seat itself. For more information on our seating support construction and recommendations, follow the link over to our Contact page to reach out with more questions.
Accents and Extras
Design for your booth or banquette doesn’t have to stop at the upholstery. Elevating your seating from functional furniture to a piece of art revolves around the details. Will your custom seating have turned wooden legs? Metal trim? Nail head detailing? Privacy screens? Calling out all of these details are an important part of the specification process. Providing inspiration images or drawings can also go a long way to helping close the gap between the dream design and the finished piece. As a completely custom furniture manufacturer, we are equipped to help you create your unique pieces.
Another popular feature is the addition of power into your banquette. No matter where your seating is placed, your guests’ power hungry devices are always with them. By incorporating outlets and USB ports into your custom built-in seating you’re adding a convenience your guests will appreciate. We at Corn Upholstery are familiar with incorporating all different kinds of materials into the banquette design and are here to help walk you though the engineering possibilities and options available to you.
Feeling Inspired?
There’s virtually no limit to how to style your banquette and booth seating. If you’re feeling inspired to get your project going head over to our Pinterest page to see more of our portfolio as well as inspiration we have collected ourselves. We are here for you if you need any help or have questions, just reach out to us at our Contact page and we will be happy to give you a no-cost quote or answer any questions you may have!
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