BH | Studio Lissone Curved Bouclé Bench

The upholstered bench is one of the oldest seats in the house, from the long settles of the medieval hall to the cushioned window seats and end-of-bed benches of the nineteenth century. In the 1970s Italian furniture makers gave soft seating a looser, rounder shape, letting upholstery roll and curve like poured clay.

Two curving ends rise and fold back on themselves at either end of the long seat, making gentle arms. Its seat is a single cushion of dense foam, which lifts out, under a cover that comes off. The upholstery is bouclé, a cloth woven from looped yarn with a soft, nubbly surface, here in Jet or Cream, either of which shows off the curves. Adjustable feet let you level it, and their non-marking pads protect the floor. It is rated to hold 661 lbs and comes ready to use, with nothing to put together.

Place it in an entry below a round mirror, or at the end of a bed made up in white. It also earns its keep as extra living room seating when friends come over, in a home office, or in a studio or reception space. Bouclé gives it a soft line in any room: set it against limewashed walls with a pale oak floor and a single ceramic lamp, or lean into contrast with chrome. This listing is for one bench.