What is it about built-in dining banquettes? Architects say it encourages a sense of familiality and adds a diner-like quality of intimacy to a kitchen. Here's a roundup of modern options.

Above: A built-in banquette in Venice, California, by Marmol Radziner.

Above: A family dining niche in Mill Valley, by architect Ken Linsteadt; photo by John Merkl.

Above: In a Chicago apartment designed by Dirk Denison, custom cabinetry designed by Todd Webb includes a banquette with hidden storage. Photo by Alan Shortall for Chicago Home Magazine.

Above: A custom dining niche by Own Entity in New York, located in the Roman and Williams-designed 211 Elizabeth Street project in New York. Photo by Sean Karns.