When I was a kid, you had to enter the house through a screened-in porch. There at the back door was a long, rustic Colonial style bench, which was painted a muted, grayish blue. If you sat on it, you could look at the rose bushes that lined the outside wall of the porch. I coveted that bench as a young adult.
When I bought my first house, I asked my mother if I could have it. She gave it to me after much fussing about it. She loved it, too. When I sold that house, I sold the bench to an antique dealer. I hope it has a good home.
The blue Colonial bench left me with great memories of sitting outside smelling the roses, taking off my winter boots before going inside, my brother sitting on it to take off his clothes after coming home from working at a gas station all day, eating after-school snacks, and simply lounging on lazy summer days. It was the perfect addition to the living room of my Colonial saltbox style house.
Benches: a brief history and use
The first bench was probably a storage chest that was moved around to double as seating. In medieval times, benches were planks of wood with legs that commoners sat on. Chairs were reserved for royalty or even the head of the household, and hence, the word 'chairman' is used today for people in high positions. Eventually, backs and legs were added to chests and planks to give us what we might call a bench today.
A bench is a versatile piece of furniture. It can be movable or fixed and made of wood, steel, wrought iron or upcycled from something else. Picnic tables have benches that are either attached to or separate from the table (I prefer separate, since I'm so short, I can rarely reach the table if the seat is attached!). Benches are used at indoor dining tables as an efficient way to seat large numbers of people. They can contribute to a rustic look if they are simple and made of distressed wood.
Where to place a bench
Breakfast nooks are sometimes created with built-in benches, sort of like a booth in a diner. Built-in seating always saves space, and it can double as storage, which is great for small homes.
A bench can be used along a wall as extra seating for special occasions. Here in New Mexico, adobe homes frequently have a banco in the living room. This is a built-in adobe bench that usually radiates out from a kiva fireplace. It can hold accent pillow and artwork or knick-knacks, but we also end up sitting on it. Bancos are built outside in the courtyard for extra summer seating, eliminating the need for lots of outdoor furniture.
At the end of a garden path you might find a bench to sit on and read or have a drink. It's a relaxing place to enjoy the flowers, trees and wildlife. This can be a focal point, too, if it is visible from the rest of the yard.
A bench at the foot of your bed is a good place to sit down and get dressed and undressed. It can also hold an extra blanket or some reading material. A chest can be storage for extra linens, too. Double duty furniture is best for efficient use of space.
Benches are accent pieces and seating alternatives too
Some benches are more decorative than functional. They act as accent pieces or focal points in a home. Placed in a hallway, a bench becomes part of the transition from one area to another and may rarely get sat upon. Small love seats are good for this type of use.
If you have a quandary about seating, consider a bench instead of a series of chairs. It is a more efficient use of space, but it does have its limitations as to where it can go. As always, design with your needs and your budget in mind, but always have fun!
