All eyes were on Pamela Anderson as she walked the Met Gala red carpet in New York last night. However, while we're inevitably scrolling (and discussing) our favorite looks, I am simultaneously preoccupied with her monochromatic kitchen on Vancouver Island – or, more specifically, her banquette seating, one of the cleverest uses of 'dead space' I've ever seen.
Like many of us, Pamela has an awkward corner that, at a glance, does not sell itself as a spacious dining area. However, the model utilized banquette seating to create a bespoke, innovative corner that's as perfect for quick breakfasts as it is for intimate dinner parties (thanks to its conversational seating method).
If you're looking for a kitchen seating idea that makes the most of harsh corners, you could do far worse than follow Pamela's example.
Shop the look
Create a calming and sophisticated bedroom decor scheme with this textured cream pillow, complete with fringed edging for added interest.
This is the first choice cutting board for many American homes and professional chefs' kitchens for a reason. Hardwearing, strong, and made in the USA, you can be certain that you are getting quality.
Effortlessly elegant, this chandelier speaks for itself. Hang it above your dining nook to tie your social space together, just as Pamela has done.
In her dining nook, Pamela pairs curved white banquette seating with a rustic table before tying the look together with a statement print and chandelier. The banquette seating faces antique-style dining chairs to create a conversational corner that encourages socializing, making it the perfect place to hold more intimate dinner parties.
While I'm sure Pamela's home is far from compact, her seating method is perfect for small kitchens like mine. It proves that you don't need excess space to form an area that's large enough for hosting, you just need to be smart about the room you do have. Plus, I am not alone in my thoughts. It's surprising that banquette seating, like Pamela's, is shaping kitchen trends for 2025, but when you consider its qualities, I'm sure it's more than a fleeting fad.
'Separating the dining area from the kitchen can be an effective way to create a peaceful, comfortable seating nook that provides the perfect versatile backdrop for family dinners and busy breakfast times. This can help reduce noise and clutter from kitchen food prep while often being a more efficient use of space than a full dining room,' says Stacey Cobley, a senior designer at Harvey Jones.
Alongside utilizing an unused corner, Stacey adds that you can make use of bay windows to create a dining space in the smallest of rooms. To conclude, she suggests incorporating personality with colored cushions (including neutrals like Pamela's), and throws, which add further texture when we arrive at the cooler months.
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