I needed to maximise storage, so when I decided to have seating at the back of the room, facing the garden, it was logical to build bench seats that lift up, with storage underneath.
My vision was really basic – like the benches you get in a static caravan – but Jonathan took the idea and refined it.
The shape was radical, making the seating much more stylish but also more ergonomic: you can tuck your legs back when sitting upright. They were carefully crafted in birch plywood, so beautiful that I decided not to cover them with seat pads. And high-quality gas struts from Sugatsune mean that they stay open reliably while you’re diving in to get stuff, yet aren’t so stiff that the kids struggle to open and close them.
One bench is currently a larder for storing dry food. The other is currently half picnic gear and half puppy stuff. The use of the space will change over time but I’ll never regret the extra storage!
