Commissioning Bespoke Restaurant Banquettes: From Drawings to Sample to Delivery (2026)

Short answer: A bespoke banquette commission runs in seven stages: brief, site dimensions, shop drawings, materials and fire specification, sample approval, production, then crating, shipping and installation. Most problems are prevented at the drawing stage, so insist on dimensioned drawings showing frame, foam, stitch layout and trims, approve a physical sample in the real material, and allow typically 30–45 days of production for standard designs or 45–60 days for custom work after approval, plus transit.

Commissioning bespoke seating is not like ordering from a catalogue. You are asking a workshop to build something that exists only as a sketch and a floor plan. This guide sets out how the process works with a factory-direct maker such as Maison Banquette (a line by EASEN Commercial Furniture), what you should receive at each stage and where projects typically go wrong.

Who does what in a bespoke commission?

Clarity about who owns the site dimensions is the single most important point. If a wall moves 3 cm between survey and installation, a fitted banquette will not fit.

Stage 1: The brief

A good brief lets the maker quote accurately and draw quickly. Include:

• Floor plan with walls, columns, doors, windows, radiators and service points.
• Elevations or a sketch of the look: back style, height, trims, end caps.
• Seat count and table plan if already decided.
• Materials: preferred fabrics or leathers, timber species and finish, metal finishes; whether you will supply COM or COL.
• Market and building: country and building type, which determine fire rules.
• Programme: opening date and the date the site will be ready for installation.
• Reference images: useful, but always say which feature of each image you want.

From this we return questions and an itemised quote, usually per piece or per linear metre, with options shown separately.

Stage 2: Site dimensions

For freestanding banquettes a dimensioned plan is often enough. For fitted banquettes, curved runs or work around columns, use a measured survey of the built walls once plastering is complete. Note:

• Wall lengths at seat height and at back-top height (walls are rarely perfectly plumb).
• Floor level variations along the run.
• Skirting, radiators, sockets and access panels.
• Door widths, corridor turns and lift sizes on the delivery route, which decide the maximum section length.

Stage 3: Shop drawings

Shop drawings are the contract between design intent and production. You should receive, for each piece or run:

1. Plan showing length, depth and section joints.
2. Front elevation showing channel or biscuit set-out, welts, trims and end caps.
3. Side section showing seat height, seat depth, back rake, foam build-up, plinth set-back and frame.
4. Details of metalwork, capping rails, end caps and any cut-outs.
5. Materials schedule listing covering, foam, timber, metal and finishes for each part.

Check the drawings against your design and the site. Look especially at channel widths at the ends of each run, joint positions relative to tables and lights, and seat height relative to your tables. Production starts only after written approval.

Stage 4: Materials and fire specification

At this stage, confirm:

• Fire requirement for the jurisdiction and building (for example BS 7176 medium hazard in UK restaurants, CAL TB 117-2013 in California). This determines foam type and may require an interliner or back-coating.
• Covering data: abrasion result, pilling, fibre content and fire test reports.
• COM/COL quantities, calculated from the drawings including pattern matching and welts, plus a delivery address and date for the material.
• Finishes: timber stain and lacquer samples, metal finish samples.

We specify fire-retardant foams and contract fabrics to the destination market's rules on request, and provide test reports for specific items where available. Where the jurisdiction requires a specific test on the finished composite, that test should be planned now, not after delivery.

Stage 5: The sample

A physical sample is the best investment in a bespoke project. Options include:

Approve the sample in writing, and keep it, or photographs and a description of it, as the reference for production.

Stage 6: Production

Typical timing for Maison Banquette is 30–45 days for standard designs and 45–60 days for custom work, counted from approval of drawings and sample, and confirmed in each quote. Hand processes such as close-nailing, deep buttoning, embossing or curved frames can extend this.

During production, ask for progress photographs at key points: frames before upholstery, upholstery before final assembly, and finished pieces before packing. Frames are the best moment to check dimensions, because they cannot easily be changed once covered.

Stage 7: Packing, shipping and installation

Upholstered furniture for export should be wrapped, corner-protected and crated, with each section labelled to match the plan. Long runs are made in jointed sections with connecting bolts. We ship by sea and quote:

• FOB: price to the port of loading; you arrange freight and import.
• CIF: includes sea freight and insurance to your destination port.
• DDP: delivered with duties paid to the agreed address.

Your installer will need the drawings, fixing details and section labels. Allow time on site to fit, level and join sections, fix to floor or wall where required and make good.

What drives the cost of a bespoke banquette?

Bespoke seating is quoted per project, but the cost drivers are predictable, and knowing them helps you spend where guests will notice.

A practical approach is to concentrate expensive detail where it is seen: sculpted end caps at the aisle, a signature booth in the window, mohair on the feature run, with efficient channel backs and contract fabric elsewhere. The room still reads as couture, and the budget goes further.

A commissioning checklist

1. Brief with plan, elevations, materials and programme sent.
2. Itemised quote received, with options and exclusions clear.
3. Site dimensions confirmed or survey completed.
4. Shop drawings reviewed against design and site; approved in writing.
5. Fire requirement confirmed in writing; foam and covering specified to suit.
6. COM/COL quantities and delivery dates agreed.
7. Sample approved in writing.
8. Production schedule confirmed; progress photographs agreed.
9. Shipping terms, crating and labelling agreed.
10. Installer briefed with drawings and fixing details.

Common mistakes

• Dimensions from the design drawing rather than the built site. Fitted banquettes must be built to what was built.
• Approving renders instead of drawings. A render shows mood; a shop drawing shows what will be made.
• Late fabric changes. Changing covering after drawings may change fire composite, quantities and lead time.
• No allowance for the delivery route. A 4 m section that cannot pass the stair is a problem only the drawing stage can solve.
• Skipping the sample. Firmness, welt colour and channel depth are almost impossible to judge from a photograph.
• Ignoring transit time. Sea freight and customs add weeks to production time; plan backwards from opening.

FAQ

How long does it take to commission bespoke banquettes?

Allow time for briefing and drawings, then typically 30–45 days of production for standard designs or 45–60 days for custom work after approval, plus sea-freight transit and installation. Your quote confirms the schedule.

Do I need a sample?

For couture work we strongly recommend at least a stitch and welt mock-up, and a full section for large runs or signature pieces. It is the most reliable way to avoid costly surprises.

What are shop drawings?

Dimensioned production drawings prepared by the maker, showing plan, elevations, sections, details and materials. They translate the designer's intent into instructions the workshop can build from, and are approved before production.

Can you match existing furniture or panelling?

Usually, yes. Send photographs, dimensions and a finish sample, and we will draw and sample to match; see the Neoclassical Pilaster Banquette for an example of joinery-led work.

What shipping terms do you offer?

We quote FOB, CIF or DDP on request. All banquettes are crated for export and labelled to match the plan. Browse our signature booths for pieces that are commonly commissioned.