When I sat down to work through this Craftsman storage bench, the starting point was pretty clear: the client’s house has a strong Arts and Crafts character, and anything I put into that space needs to feel like it belongs there.
The case itself is straightforward; it’s 60 inches wide and 20 inches deep, which fills the space without taking over the room. I went with four recessed panels across the front and carried the same treatment around the sides.
The feet are tapered, which is very much in the Craftsman Style vocabulary. They lift the bench just enough off the floor to give it some visual breathing room, but they’re not so tall that the piece starts to feel leggy.
Now, the two details that really make this piece work for this particular client:
Quarter-sawn white oak was the obvious choice. The client’s entryway was trimmed out using that same type of oak and the same panel system as the wainscotting. The medullary rays that show up in quarter-sawn oak are exactly what Arts and Crafts designers were drawn to. That tight, almost figured grain pattern reads as intentional and considered. It also moves less with seasonal humidity changes. The quarter-sawn white oak will be stained to match the oak in the entryway.
Rope molding that trims out each panel ties it directly to the existing trim detail in the house. That’s not a small thing. It’s the detail that makes a client feel like the piece was made for them, not just made and delivered. Without it, the bench is nice. With it, it’s part of the house.
The lid is a lift-top for storage, and I spec’d torsion hinges. A top this size and weight slamming shut is a real problem for fingers. The torsion hinges slow everything down and let the lid close on its own terms. It’s a small mechanical choice that changes the whole experience of using the bench every single day.
Altogether, this is a piece that does what good custom furniture should. It’s useful, it fits where it lives, and it doesn’t call attention to itself in a way that wears on you over time. You can watch this craftsman storage bench be built.
Benches
