Built-in seating: How to design it effectively

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Built-in seating design - Image credit: Original Style

Built-in seating in any room in the house can be so beautiful and makes such a distinctive design statement, it’s a no-brainer if you have the right space for it. 

With just a couple of square meters spare, you can build (or have built) something sturdy and practical with fantastic design credentials, all for the cost of a skilled carpenter or a weekend of DIY work if you trust in your own skills. No matter which room you incorporate built-in seating into, you’re creating something to last with a distinctively cosy impact in your home, so it’s a win-win.

In this post, we’ll cover how to work with built-in seating in a hallway, living room and dining room effectively.

Built-in Seating in a hallway

Hallways and boot rooms alike seriously benefit from incorporating built-in seating into the design, both for practical and aesthetic purposes.

When designing yours, start with the basis of just two to three seat’s width and prioritise storage. Storage space under the seating panel is a must but also consider open storage around the seating and open hooks to air winter coats and hang umbrellas.

built in seating hallway

Hallway built-in seating - Image credit: ILIV

Built-in Seating in a living room

When it comes to built-in living room seating, you’re going to want to supersize the kind of ideas you’d apply to a hallway. Think wider and far deeper, as if building a sofa into the wall and floor, creating something striking and super comfortable.

Design-wise, you can use the soft seating fabric as a cue from which to base your broader colour scheme around and also do add depth with a textured material.

Living room built-in seating - Image credit: Benjamin Moore

Built-in seating in a kitchen / diner

Working built-in seating into your living room design can be an unusual and smart choice. Think of your favourite cosy restaurants with booth-style seating but apply this to the more open feel of a dining space.

Either work a smaller bench onto one side of your dining table or a surrounding banquette for the most joyous mealtimes. With this option, you’ll want to focus less on material choice and more on the hidden storage and paint shade to nail both practical and aesthetic features.

kitchen built in seating

Dining room built-in seating - Image credit: Armac Martin

Built-in Seating in a garden

We absolutely love seeing built-in, bench-style seating in a garden. It’s casual, social, cosy and stands up to the elements. You could consider the classic choice of a timber construction, as you’d find in other spaces around the home, but we’d suggest opting for brick or concrete for the sake of longevity.

If you’re looking at more of a weekend DIY project, then converting wooden palettes is a budget-friendly and easily accessible option. This can be paired with homemade cushions if you’re a dab hand at sewing. In any case, cushioning is key here for comfort so it’s a space you’ll love to sit in (without the sore bottom).

built in seating garden

Garden built-in seating - Image credit: Artisans of Devizes

Would you try to work built-in seating in your home? Which room do you think it would suit the most? Or would you like to share the built-in seating inspo you’ve seen with us. Get involved with the Fifi McGee community.

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