BH | Studio Hambledon 72-Inch Panel-Leg Bench

Before chairs were common, most of a household sat on forms, long backless benches made of boards, pulled up to the table in Tudor halls and farm kitchens alike. Their ends were often cut from a single broad plank, and the idea has never gone away: a bench seats whoever turns up, then slides out of the way when the meal is over.

This is the long version: a single straight hardwood top carried on two broad panel legs, each split down the middle by a slim upright gap. At this length it seats four along one side of the table. The edges are softly rounded, and the finish, in Chestnut or Almond, brings out the grain from end to end. Under each leg, adjustable feet with soft pads can be turned to sit level on old, uneven boards, and they keep the floor free of scuffs as the bench is drawn in and out. Assembly is required.

Run it down one side of a long farmhouse table so four can squeeze in for Sunday lunch. Away from the table it earns its keep in a big entry hall or mudroom, under a window where boots come off and bags are dropped, or across the foot of a king bed with a folded quilt. Chestnut is the warm one and Almond the lighter: set it against white plaster or a deep green wall, with a woven runner on top and a stoneware jug of branches. This listing is for one bench.