Bespoke Designed Rustic Garden Bench

Bench completed with table in place

The feature item to complete this garden project was a bespoke designed bench.

Initial design concept, shows table and brick pillar options
Initial design concept, shows table and brick pillar options

Woodnewt was commissioned to design, manufacture and build a brick and timber corner bench. The brief was to be a simple rustic bench but with the added complexity of being affixed to reclaimed brick built supports.

Ground cleared to set concrete footings
Ground cleared to set concrete footings

The location chosen for the corner bench was essentially into a hedge and against a tree. I dug out the soil to set concrete footings for the brick built pillars. The footings were set deep enough to allow the patio to be built over the top.

Bricks stacked to get a visual feel and position for the bench
Bricks stacked to get a visual feel and position for the bench
With timber added, yep, seems to work
With timber added, yep, seems to work

To verify the exact location for the bench, we stacked bricks and dropped some timber on to effect a bench, all was good. Once the brick pillars were built it wasn’t going to be easy to relocate it!

Concrete footings including shuttering
Concrete footings for bench pillars including shuttering

Making some shuttering, the concrete footings were poured for the brick pillars

Careful design and ergonomics were employed
Careful design and ergonomics were employed

I researched, designed, and then built a prototype for approval prior to full manufacture, ensuring a comfortable bench for all to use.

The prototype gets approval
The prototype gets approval

Initially an integral corner table was requested, but was reviewed and changed to allow a corner seat to be added which would accommodate more to be seated on the bench.

Construction of a strong self supporting corner seat
Construction of a strong self supporting corner seat
Bench completed with the corner seat
Bench completed with the corner seat

The brief was to have a ‘rustic’ bench, but for comfort and aesthetics, I shaped the ends of the armrests.

Shaping the bench arms using a profile template
Shaping the bench arms using a profile template

The bench arms and supports are cut and affixed into the seat and back supports and with coach bolts securing the armrest supports to the bench frame, this results in a solid and robust build.

Detail of armrest fitting
Detail of armrest fitting

As the build was coming to completion, the request for the corner table returned, I built a removable corner table to allow the bench to function with flexibility.

Table design and components
Table design and components

The Table is a essentially a timber frame cut with rebates, allowing rebated slats to be dropped in and affixed.

The frame joints for the table are biscuit jointed, glued and screwed. The slats are glued and secured by screws from beneath.

Table top assembled
Table top assembled

The table supports allow the table top to be simply dropped into position to affix securely. The height of the table perfectly matches the arm rests to compliment the seating comfort.

Oiling the bench gives the wood a warm colour and highlights the grain
Oiling the bench gives the wood a warm colour and highlights the grain

To finish, the bench has been oiled with light oak stained deck oil to complete the garden ensemble. 

If you like what Woodnewt has designed and built here, contact me and we can discuss what Woodnewt could do for you.

Garden Patio – Reclaimed Sandstone.

Moss growing in the patio cracks

Planning the patio

The patio was laid with reclaimed sandstone from a dry stone wall. laying out the stone selection on pallets allowed easier selection of each stone shape and size to be laid. Mortar was mixed by hand on a ‘builders spot’ allowing a few stones to be laid and then giving time to plan the next set to be laid.

Patio Stones
Patio stones

Patio Build Method

Differing thicknesses and shapes of the pavers meant that the sharp sand mortar bed that the stones would be laid on varies from about 50mm to 75mm. There was a slight downward slope of about 40mm away from the Brick BBQ area. As the patio was laid level, We therefore ensured an adequate depth of the mortar base as the laying progressed. 

Laying the patio stones
Laying the patio stones
Mixed shapes and sizes of stones
Shapes and sizes mixed

The gaps between the stones have been set to accommodate moss, alpines and sedum to grow in, to give an aged cottage garden feel to the patio. Drainage between some pavers ensures rainwater evacuation

Patio laid around the bench base
Patio laid around the bench base.
Moss growing in the patio cracks
Moss growing in the patio cracks
Sedum planted in the patio gaps by the bench
Sedum planted in the patio gaps by the bench