Interiors: Benches

Having just watched the quirky French movie Park Benches (despite some laugh out loud moments, it's a bit too disjointed for me to recommend it), I thought I might focus my attention on benches in the home. Though I've been selling vintage furniture for three years now, the above bench (currently in the shop) is only the second one I've had in my inventory. Besides church pews, great benches have proven difficult to find. I shouldn't be surprised because they work in every room of the house -- in a foyer, a hallway, at the foot of a bed, or as seating for a farmhouse table. Where a sofa might be too bulky, a bench provides seating for more than one without taking up a lot of square footage. As with outdoor benches, they are most often used as places to take a pause -- a spot to put on shoes or peruse a book or grab a bite to eat. In green spaces, benches are often associated with lovers, young and old, pausing to lean on each other. Even inside the home, they carry a bit of that romance with them, which probably explains why people aren't often willing to let them go.

Images: RevivalSmith. Vogue Living magazine, November/December 2011 issue. Period Living magazine, October 2011 issue. Country Living magazine, British edition, November 2010 issue. BBC Homes & Antiques magazine, November 2011 issue. Canadian House & Home magazine, November 2010 issue. Country Living magazine, British edition, May 2010 issue. Campagne Decoration magazine, July/August 2011 issue.