For a banquet I like the Edward, and actually I like the nail head also. The other is nice, but it seems more like a living room sofa to me. I dont know if Id like Edward as much with a slipcover because I like the tight upholstery on the arms. The nailheads give it character. I think you want to go with very little upholstery on the arms, if you have to have arms. Edward appears to be upholstered in a light color leather from what I can tell, which I think would work for a country kitchen with rustic touches. Sounds like a fun project.

If you are willing to go with a slipcover, you may want to check out Ikea.

You mentioned that the couch will be recessed, but the rolled arms will take up quite a bit more room, and you do need to leave space on both sides (couch longer than table) or it's hard to slide a behind between the couch and table. I'm currently making a window seat that a trestle table will go in front (also informal kitchen eating) and that has turned out to be a big concerns. DH and I aren't large people either.

With Ikea, you can easily take off the legs and put on taller ones to get the height you need and the slipcover could hide all that (great hiding place for cats too, at least in my house). The Karlstad was one I had in mind.

I have an old farmhouse, and the rooms are small. Ikea is mostly made for small places so everything is not made over sized to fit in houses with 10' ceilings and huge rooms.

Can you share more pictures of your table? It looks like a trestle table and I'm still trying to decide exactly what I want mine to took like. It's being made out of some of the old pine heartwood flooring we removed from the house. The wood is all planed and ready to use, so DH is getting after me to make up my mind.

Thanks, macybaby. I'd love to see your farmhouse and table once you're done.

This is the table in my dining room: RH Salvaged Pine Trestle Table. I posted some pics below - both unfinished and with a coat of Monocoat oil. Sorry they're huge - don't have time to resize them right now!

Cottage Home Maine has a similar table. I'm thinking of using their Yorkshire trestle for the kitchen. Cottage Home Main Old Pine Trestle.

I was hoping if the arms were only a few inches taller than the seat cushions then access wouldn't be as much of an issue. So far, I haven't found any armless sofas w/back cushions that I like but I'll check out Ikea.

I do like this one. Can't tell if it has a tight back or one long cushion.

RH Trestle Unfinished

With Clear Monocoat Oil

Ive been weighing decisions on my banquet plans for my kitchen too. Have you seen the banquet seating at Ballards? You can customize the fabric, well you have to and the bonus is theres storage inside them, so any huge items or rarely used countertop appliances etc that take space may go inside them. I dont know if you will find any tufting but the storage is a bonus and theyre very very reasonable. I considered them myself but will probably have DH build me some custom and I will buy the Ballard bench seats, and just toss a bunch of pillows behind for the backrests for it. Im thinking a plain camel colored bench seat because right now Im not sure of any pattern choice I want when I do I can always change out the pillows for pattern seasonally. Every season pottery barn comes out with new pillows and I want to change my color scheme. It will be largely used by the grandchildren a few times a month so its not going to get lots of use in my kitchen. Love your inspiration pic and as I have said before have serious trestle table envy. I will probably wind up with a cost plus cheap imitation of that beautiful table you have.

Meant to say I will have DH build them and buy Ballard bench pillows. Late at night I was getting punchy. Anyway they are a great source bc you can choose a fabric for the banquet and then get slipcovers or seat cushions for your chairs if you want. Or just get a bit of extra of fabric bc they sell it in yardage if you want to integrate a bit more of the fabric in anyplace ie curtain tieback or a table runner with out getting over the top matchy matchy.

pollyanna, I did look at the Ballards storage dining bench online. A saleswoman at PB actually suggested this when I couldn't find what I was looking for there. She said that they were very comfortable.

Unfortunately, it's not wide enough for a 6-7 foot table. Also, I'd prefer to have back cushions and I think it has a tight back.

They have upholstered backs but they seem to be 36 or 48 inch sections, so you would have to put in 2 and that would break the smooth line you want. I found a site that I have never bought from before that I considered. Maybe give them a shot, I have ordered so many times from Ballard I didnt hesitate to recommend them, but heres a site that has some I considered myself for my lr and maybe they could work. I like the Tiffany and Natalie for banquets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch sofas

I called Monarch before (they have a store in my area) and asked about banquette seating. I may be wrong but I'm not sure they could raise the height. That's what led me to Sofa Company.

The Natalie is very pretty - very similar to the Sofa Company's Cambridge except for the skirt, which I can change.

i prefer the leather edward out of two sofas you originally showed for the kitchen... i personally think leather and nailheads would go nicely with what you have-i think leather fits with lots of different decors--i guess i am very partial to leather in general! it's so easy to maintain too---
i also think that with all the slipcovers in your dining room, that more slipcovers in your kitchen would be too much of the slipcover look.

Thanks, busybee. I love leather also - my leather couches in the living room have held up great for 12 years. Unfortunately, it's not in my budget for the kitchen.

I was thinking slipcovers might be a good choice just in case there's a spilled plate of spaghetti or a cup of grape juice :-). The ones in my dining room come completely clean in the wash.

Juddgirl, they are very accommodating, I bet they could do it for you, email them they get back very quickly.