Chef’s Table

Have you ever made a reservation for a chef’s table at a restaurant? A chef’s table is a special table only available in some eatery’s that are located near or in the kitchen itself. It can be a thrilling and intimate dinning experience for the foodie in you. Many residential kitchen designs have this already; a dine-in kitchen with a corner banquette, or bistro table thoughtfully placed for the chef and one or a few other lucky ones.

The image above is a kitchen design by Frank Ponterio. See the use of a seductively darker paint colour to envelope the small dining area just steps away from the kitchen cabinets. The slipcovered linen chairs are brilliant, not only do they give an inviting feeling of plush furniture, but the slipcovers can be removed for easy cleaning. A great piece of art and pendant light fixture anchor the table to its designated spot.

Get this look*:

Paint: My closest guess is Metropolis CC-546 by Benjamin Moore

Light: A Melon Glass Pendant like this one from Shades of Light.

Art: Underwater Ballet by Bruce Mozart for a similar look.

Chair: Slipcovered Dining Chair by Crate & Barrel.

For further inspiration, another example of a chef’s table is this stunning banquette by Steven Miller Design Studio:

The tall back of this deep wine-tone banquette defines this corner of the kitchen. It looks as though the top of it reaches to just about 60″ off the floor. The scalloped corners and brass nailhead trimmed edges tailor it nicely. A welcome contrast is the demure bistro table with marble top.

Get this look*:

Art: Select an abstract portait in warm neutrals like “Portrait of a Woman” by Jeanne Hébuterne, at All Posters (customizable matte and frame).

Lighting: (not shown in this inspiration shot, but there is a sconce to the right mounted higher than the banquette for all important ambiance lighting) Henleaze Wallsconce is similar, from Allmodern.

Banquette Material: Fine leather upholstery leather in Gypsy Red by Kyson Leather.

Paint: My guess is Natural Linen CC-90 by Benjamin Moore.

Table Base: Three legged bistro base in cast iron from Andy Thornton. For the top, have one made at your local stone dealer in a white marble.

*Note: These are suggested recommendations to get the look, but are not exact replicas as shown in the inspiration images above.