Here's one we designed, built, and finished for a couple in California who have a small house and an L shaped built in banquette seating bench. This is a 56 inch long table which accepts (4) 5-inch wide leaves. The way this works is that the "breadboards" are attached to arms which live inside the table. Pull out these breadboards, and you can set the leaves on the arms. Each leaf has a tongue on one end and a groove on the other.
This is what it looks like without leaves (breadboards have been slid back into place). 56 in long x 38 wide is a strange looking size, but the piece was built for function, and once it was placed in its proper context, I was surprised at how natural it looked. A perfect solution for someone who likes the simple look of straight tapered legs.
The end view, showing a very large side overhang. This shape is essential for a built-in banquette, especially one built in an L configuration. It is impossible to get a traditional four legged table (with normal sized overhangs) to work next to a banquette, due to the necessity of sliding the body in and out of a bench seat. This is why pedestal and trestle forms are typically used in that scenario. When we designed this piece, we didn't know if it would look quite right. There's a precedent for this sort of shape in Shaker design, but the aprons are usually quite a lot wider, which we wanted to avoid due to the potential of knee-banging. In the end, I was surprised at how much I liked this form.
A view of the entire top, showing all four leaves in place. This is solid alder, and we have colored and distressed the piece so that it looks old. The husband lived in England and knew what authentic tables were supposed to look like.
A closer view of one corner of the top, showing texture and color. The target sample for this piece was a small bit of carving which had been collecting dust in my workshop. The finish was all worn off and the little piece looked dry and very old. It is tricky to get a fully coated penetrating finish to read like an old dried up bit of millwork, but we did the best we could.
And here it is, placed in its proper context next to the built in bench. Harry approves and has apparently claimed it as his. Isn't this a nice spot? Light and bright and cozy all at the same time.
If your cat would prefer such a table as this, here is a link to pricing for this length / width. Each table like this is priced by size and features, so please get in contact with us for other sizes or designs. We are happy to talk with you about what works in your home.