Corner bench and storage cabinet

This simple and stylish corner bench and storage cabinet was designed from start to finish by Charlotte for a family in Leeds to provide a good looking solution to some of the everyday storage problems in their busy household.

The customer’s challenges

The customer was looking for a stylish yet practical piece of furniture that could solve all these issues:

• Divide the space between the entrance and the kitchen
• Fit neatly round their existing kitchen table
• Provide storage under the seat of the bench
• Keep coats, hats and scarves neatly tidied away but within easy reach
• Store everyone’s shoes to stop them mounting up by the door

They didn’t have any particular style in mind but they knew they wanted it to be light, hardwearing and easy to look after.

This was Charlotte’s first solo design project and she liaised with the customer all the way, creating the design and agreeing the specifications before work began. Luckily the customer was able to call into the workshop before lockdown which made it easier to choose materials and agree the finish. We chose a combination of ply and oak which we have finished in oil so it is easy to maintain.

Most of the making was done by Craig with a little help here and there from the rest of the team.

Our solution

• Hinged bench seats give easy access to storage space under the seats
• The cabinet has adjustable shelves on both sides, making it easy to store and access everyone’s coats, hats and scarves
• We designed special shoe racks to fit inside the drawers to keep everyone’s footwear neat, tidy and out of the way
• The design is robust and the finish is super hard-wearing which is perfect for a busy family home
• The use of oak and ply give this whole design a modern, minimalist feel