Backless Bench – What Should You Know When Choosing One?
Benches are back with a vengeance, especially if you are creating a rustic or country home. What’s much more back to the country than kicking back on a wood bench and talking about the days gone by. If you have a western theme, the bench might be where a cowboy removes his hat to talk about the cattle trail that was only wrapped up. Backless benches are actually seeing a move into the dining room as old style harvest tables are coming back into vogue and being coupled up with backless benches where all the guests will take a seat.
When you’re poised to invest in these timeless beauties, you need to know what you are looking for. This might also mean you need to know what you need to be looking for, if you haven’t purchased this style of bench before.
Function – Why do you need a backless bench? There are plenty of good answers to this question, but knowing what you are going to use bench for will help you in selecting the right one. As we mentioned, benches are back in the dining room, sitting around more traditional tables. They are also handy to have around, in case you happen to have a few unexpected guests show up, as you have an instant addition to seating. Backless benches are also popular near the front door. They are a good way to change in and out of winter gear when it is rough outside. How many times have you tried to balance on one foot while taking a damp winter boot off the other?
In addition to being a place to sit, a backless bench may be a good way to add storage to your home. While it doesn’t have a back that doesn’t mean it can’t have a storage area below the seat where you can put all that winter gear after you take it off.
Space – where are you going to be putting these benches? Do you have a specific place in mind? Have you actually thought about the other furniture that is around that area? Unless you want to be forced to completely rearrange the room, make sure you measure the available space so you don’t fall in love with a backless bench that won’t fit in the area that is open. Also if you are putting the backless bench in a hallway, and you know the bench length is right, think about the depth. If it is a extremely skinny hallway, you need to have a skinny bench, or you will end up stubbing your toe on the legs every time you go down the hall.
Style – Gone are the days where a backless bench was a slab of wooden on top of two other hunks of wood. There are numerous modern benches these days that will go with whatever theme you have in mind, from modern to Victorian.
Once you have a picture in your mind of the size and style of bench you need to best suit your needs, go get one and be part of the ‘in’ home decorators.
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