I’m not sure who Grigoris Themistokleous is nor when or how I came across this quote, but Grigoris said this about benches:
“In the realm of furniture, wooden benches stand as a testament to how craftsmanship seamlessly meets function. Wood, with its timeless appeal, lends itself beautifully to designs that are as much about aesthetics as they are about utility. Whether it’s the raw architectural might of the Brutalist style, the pared-down elegance of Minimalist design, or the balanced innovations inspired by Bauhaus, wooden benches effortlessly elevate livings spaces, making them both beautiful and practical.”
Contemporary Benches
Bench(es)Eighteen
BenchBros In the fall of 2025 I connected with a friend of a friend whose business is removing storm-damaged trees from residential areas. He’d recently begun to turn some of those trees into lumber. I met him at his warehouse in Merrifield, Virginia where I selected a 3.5” thick Cherry slab that, once resawn, was sizable enough to yield the pair of benches I had in mind. Thus began the making of BenchBros.
A build like this involves three often overlapping phases. The first is to envision the piece. Next is to determine how to build it (refine the details, sequencing and techniques) and the third is to build it. The timeframe to make these benches was about five and a half months.
Each bench is 18” high, 14” wide and about 6’4” long. They’re finished with multiple coats of Osmo PolyX oil, followed by a clear ceramic top coat. Portions of the Cherry slabs were stabilized with tinted epoxy and inlaid “stitching.”
The two benches are my third and fourth versions in the Dorsal Series. Each is made of a single board connected in a continues flow of grain. The bench seat and one leg are rectangular and perpendicular, while the second leg is flared out and joined at a 20 degree angle. A fourth board, the Dorsal fin, stabilizes the bench. The fin is Ash, dyed black with India Ink.
BenchFifteen
Spine Designed and constructed 2024. Face-grain Ash slab separated by a laminated long-grain Ash spine. Cherry legs and stretcher. This does not break down for shipping.
43” x 13” x 16.6 high"
BenchTwelvePointFive
Ramp Designed and constructed 2024. White Oak and Figured Cherry bench, with Sapale legs. This does break down for shipping.
43” x 13” x 16.6 high"
BenchTwelve
Inclusion Designed and constructed 2023 - 2024. Black Cherry with Maple inlay and steel legs. Does not break down for shipping.
Approx. 47” x 11.5” x 17 high”
BenchEleven
Wedged Designed and constructed in 2023. The bench features a single flitch of American Ash, supported by Black Walnut legs and cross-stretchers. The Ash slab is wedged in place with detailed Wenge blocks. The finish on the top is Osmo PolyX and on the legs, Odie’s Oil. Both are hard wax oils. This bench breaks down for flat shipping.
54” x 11.5” x 16 high”
BenchTen
Small Designed and constructed 2022, the bench features an American Ash surface. The legs are made of Sapele Mahogany, which is considered a sustainable African hardwood. The finish on the top is Osmo PolyX and on the legs, Odie’s Oil. Both are hard wax oils. The bench does not break down for shipping.
33” x 11” x 16.5” high
BenchNine
Longboy Designed and constructed in 2021, the bench surface is made from a single quarter-sawn White Oak slab, cut into three sections. The sections are joined with Walnut and Bloodwood elements. The four corner legs are Black Walnut, while the center support is bent steel plate. The piece is finished with Osmo PolyX, a hard wax oil. The bench breaks down for flat-pack shipping.
75” x 13” x 18” high
BenchSeven
Designed and constructed in 2019, the bench surface is made from a single quarter-sawn White Oak slab, cut into two sections. The sections are joined with Wenge elements. The bench top is supported by unfinished bent steel plate. The White Oak is finished with Osmo PolyX, a hard wax oil. This bench breaks down for flat-pack shipping.
50” x 16” x 16” high
