Wooden Benches with Back
Buy the best wooden benches with back selected and recommended by interior designers. By Chloe Hughes.
Great for sitting in a garden, or the park, these lovely and sturdy rustic benches with backs are a staple of certain scenes. Observe an old woman feeding pigeons or a man lacing up the skates on his daughter's feet, and it is likely, in these settings, they are both sitting on a bench. Add a rustic quality and you have a handsome addition to that very scene.
Wooden Benches with Back
Buying Guide
Chloe Hughes
Interior Design Expert
Chloe is a highly-regarded expert in all things vintage and antique. She’s excited to share her vast knowledge with readers and clients wishing to infuse their homes with a mixture of old-time warmth and modern comfort. In addition to her design work, Chloe regularly volunteers at her local community center, teaching DIY projects to adults and kids.
The perfect size for a rustic bench with back is one that sits the number of people you will most often have in your home, and also isn’t too big for the space. Start by measuring your space, as that is the most important limiting distinction. Remove everything from the area except for furniture, measure the space, and reserve a two-foot buffer. The remaining area is the amount of room that your bench can take up.
Your bench, if it’s going next to a table for dining purposes, should be roughly the length of the measurement between the table’s legs, or minus approximately 7 centimeters.
Irrespective of whether you have a soft or hard rustic bench with back you will need to do some maintenance on it to prolong its lifespan. Over time, rustic benches turn a silver-grey color and most owners prefer it this way. The change in color also doesn't affect the structure or quality of the bench.
These benches typically need cleaning once a year with soapy water and a brush to get rid of residues and dirt. A pressure washer also works wonders. If the rustic bench is finished then clean it weekly using a cloth and soapy water. Rinse off the soap quickly and allow the bench to dry completely.
Regardless of where you decide to place your rustic bench with back (indoors or outdoors), having a sturdy and long-lasting piece of furniture is never a bad investment.
Fortunately, some benches can last for decades when made of high-quality wood, such as oak, pine, and cedar. These types of wood not only offer maximum protection from rot, decay, and other weather conditions but their natural tones also give off a rustic vibe, perfect for creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.
If you like rearranging your furniture every now and then, look no further than a cedar wood bench with back. Despite being durable and strong, this material is lightweight, making it easy to move around. Plus, cedar ages beautifully into a silver-grey shade.
Alternatively, pine is a relatively strong softwood with an unbeatable rustic and country charm. The main downside of pine is its inability to withstand the outdoor elements as strongly as hardwood. Nonetheless, it can still last for a while when pressure-treated and properly maintained.
As for oak, this type of wood ticks off all the right boxes. It doesn’t warp even when exposed to moisture and heat, it’s heavy-duty, and it has a naturally appealing wood grain.