Blotch, Bench in Cherry

A sturdy bench for the dining table - this was what the client wanted from his new bench. With more freedom to be creative came the opportunity to make the piece a bit more unique. And so after toying around with a few different ideas, it was eventually decided that the horizontal beams (apron and stretcher) would be curved with matching curvatures. The stretcher (lower beam) you see in the pictures is the second one we made. The first one had a tenon that broke off while inserting the wedges. No handmade piece is ever perfect enough, but each mistake allows us to learn from it and help us make the piece even better.

Cherry is not the only wood used for this project. Another detail of this bench are the walnut wedges in the through-tenons visible from both sides of the bench. The wedges were added not just for their aesthetic beauty but also to secure the mortise and tenon joints. The joints were left exposed and protruding slightly as the client expressed his desire to be able to see them because they represent a handmade piece.

The pillowed edges of the bench top softens the edges, adding to the comfort for the user. Furthermore, the beautiful grain on the bench top is interspersed with areas of different grain direction and density, a natural feature called blotching. Some consider this to be a defect, but we think it gives depth and enhances the aesthetics of the bench. We especially love how the wood has depth when you look at it from different angles, much like how a hologram reflects light from different angles to provide a sense of depth in the material.