Solid oak, visible joinery and very little else: this bench is made to look as good in ten years as it does on opening day.
The frame is light oak, with an open sled base of square-section rails and a back made of evenly spaced vertical spindles inside a rounded frame. An oatmeal upholstered back cushion sits across the lower half of the spindles, and the seat is a long upholstered cushion on the oak rails. In a dining room it pairs naturally with oak tables and oak chairs, as shown.
Why it lasts. Exposed solid timber can be sanded and re-oiled when it wears, rather than covered up or thrown away. The cushions are separate from the frame, so they can be cleaned, re-covered or replaced, and the open base makes cleaning underneath quick.
Construction. Solid oak with mortise-and-tenon joints, foam over a plywood seat board, natural oil or lacquer finish.
Where it works. Japanese and Nordic-style restaurants, cafés, bakeries and hotel breakfast rooms.
Options. Length, cushion fabric, oak finish, with or without the back cushion.
