Latest Stories
Bench
Roundup: Hidden Living Room Storage
The living room is one room that always seems to accumulate random items, from library books and DVDs to stacks of magazines and kids' toys. Instead of immediately purging excess from the room, which can get tedious, you can cleverly conceal it within furniture items that have storage built in.
Ottomans and benches are a wonderful way to both rest your weary bones as well as hide messy items you'd rather not deal with at the moment.
Jonathan Adler Brings the Gossip Bench Back!
Before the advent of cordless phones (and cell phones and Bluetooth), a telephone was a stationary thing. Back then, the place to answer calls and chat was called "a gossip bench" — see photos here. This long-lost breed of furniture is one part table (to hold your telephone) and one part chair or bench.
Nice and New: Seating For Eating by StudioIlse
Interior designer Ilse Crawford has done it again, this time making her exquisite design skills available to the hungry public. Her design group Studio Ilse will launch this elegant new range of wooden seating, benches, and stools, called Seating for Eating, at next month's London Design Festival (Sept. 19-27).
Do You Have Seating in Your Foyer?
It's pretty standard to have a console table in your front hall, to use as a landing strip for your keys, purse, etc. A bench or another sort of seat is more unusual. But if your home is heavy on the square footage, it's a cute and easy way to fill space.
Do You Have a Bench at the Foot of Your Bed?
I've always loved the look of a bench set at the foot of a bed. Not only is it a convenient place to sit and tie your shoes Mr. Rogers-style, but it's another place to add a bit of color and pattern if you choose an upholstered bench. They're also great if you have a small bedroom, because you can have seating without an entire designated sitting area.
Crave Worthy: Harwick Bench
You don't need to paint your house a neon hue or put a middle finger sculpture outside your home to make heads turn. Set a glamorous, cerise bench like the Charleston Gardens Harwick Bench ($1,195) on your front porch, and your neighbors will be drooling with envy. If you'd prefer this elegant Chinoiserie-style seat in a more subtle color, the cast aluminum bench is also available in a powder-coated white or black finish.
Etsy Find: Handmade Maple Bench
Need to add some organization to your entry? Then try this Handmade Maple Bench ($279). With its streamlined, modern design, compact size, and multiple compartments, it's the perfect place to tuck away everything from shoes to laptop cases when you come home at the end of your workday.
Love It or Hate It? Chalkboard Graffiti Storage Bench
I think I'm over the chalkboard trend. This Chalkboard Graffiti Storage Bench (out of stock), which is made of erasable washable vinyl and comes with white chalk, has just gone too far. I guess in a way this product is innovative, but since when does leaving notes and jotting reminders for yourself have to come at the expense of aesthetics?
Nice and New: Home Decorators Summit Bench
It's funny, a bench isn't really the type of furniture that I seek out. It's really an accent piece and not particularly comfortable either. Though I rarely find myself looking at them, this Home Decorators Summit Bench ($249) immediately caught my eye.
Cool Idea: A Workbench Bath Console
Brisbane, Australia-based design blogger Absolutely Beautiful Things recently shared photos of her home, which is the epitome of elegance. I couldn't help but be swept away by the design of her bathroom, where she used an inexpensive old timber workbench she found on eBay as a sink console, painted white. Paired with white subway tiles, hexagonal mosaic floor tiles, and two mismatched antique mirrors, the workbench has a glamorous rustic look that is so refreshing and understated.
More on PetSugar
Spring
Top Brands
PPQ