I know, it’s not a glamorous or exciting thing. But I’ll tell you now, every single one of us properly loves this bench.
Our old garden bench was made of a softwood, and the last valiant man standing from a table & bench set we purchased years ago; despite loving care, they slowly rotted and disintegrated until sitting on that last bench was a precarious and risky challenge.
We swore that next time we’d invest in ethically-sourced hardwood; what’s the old saying? Buy cheap, buy twice. If we’d been a little patient and saved just a little more money the first time round, we wouldn’t now be facing a bench-less summer in the garden.
So when Wayfair asked if we’d like to look at some garden products for the summer, we didn’t hesitate and jabbed a pointing finger at this beautiful bench on their website yelping “this one pleasethankyou”.
It arrived in a huge (heavy) flat box, and we envisaged a fun afternoon ahead trying to figure out how to get it to resemble less pile-of-wood, and more sunny-afternoon-resting-spot.
And yet, in less than an hour, there we were resting on our beautiful new bench in the shade beside the ferns. And no, we didn’t lower ourselves gently and gingerly onto the seat – this bench is solid. Sturdy. Despite being a ‘flatpack’ (except it’s not, really, it just arrives in its component parts for you to connect), once together this has the comforting feel of solid furniture that will last for years.
Being teak, it needs no assistance to cope with the weather (though I suspect Mr LittleStuff will be tempted into a sporadic oiling as he’s not keen on the aged grey that teak eventually turns in the elements).
And it sits three of us with comfort – four if we’re politely squished. If two teens plonk themselves on their frail elderly parents’ squashed laps, it will hold all six of us; with not a creak or a wobble or even a slight bowing of the wood.
The arms are smooth and so ergonomically shaped as to demand running your hands across them. The back is curved slightly for perfect spine comfort. The seat slats are broad and smooth-cornered enough to allow short-clad thighs to escape without painful bar marks.
Most of all, it exudes a quiet reassuring aura of old-fashioned comfort. I’ve randomly come across the teens, usually strangers to garden time now they’re too big for garden toys, sitting quietly in the shade, just noodling on their phone. The 11yr old likes to stretch out on her back skywatching, or bring her book or drawing to spread out on its length. I join it every morning with my first coffee as we contemplate the day ahead together. In the late afternoon sunshine Mr LittleStuff & I will take a break and share the seat with a cold drink. And with a rug or two there’s no better spot for some midnight stargazing.
“A bench for all seasons, the BrackenStyle Oxford Bench is built to last. Styled with a sense of traditional heritage, robust yet refined and guaranteed to enhance any outdoor space.”
Currently available from Wayfair for £380
