Help me find the perfect farm style wooden bench dining seat and table
November 24, 2019 7:20 PM Subscribe
I have the two wriggliest kids in the wood - and I’m looking for a wooden farm style table with dining benches with a low back but with some specific requirements. Home design gurus of metafilter please help!
We currently have no dining table but want one. Chairs for us don’t work (two kids who won’t sit still for various neurodiversity reasons I needn’t go into). Benches tend to work and allow them to wriggle safely while still eating with the family. We have a beautiful new home in an open mountain cabin / farm home style and am trying to keep to that with an all wood bench style dining set. Requirements: the bench seats need to be heavy and preferably not be too high (our kids will climb all over them and we need to have a low center of gravity on the benches). We need a low back on the bench seat (again due to kids wriggly nature and center of gravity we’ve had several near misses and actually falling off of chairs and the floor is hard stone). Preferably at least 72 inches long for the table and bench but can certainly do longer. Width is not an issue.
For some reason despite hours on various furniture sites I seem to run a blank on an available set, but I don’t buy furniture very often so may be not using the right terms or looking in the right places. Price sensitivity - would like to keep under $2,500 total but could be certainly convinced to spend more if it was awesome.
We currently have no dining table but want one. Chairs for us don’t work (two kids who won’t sit still for various neurodiversity reasons I needn’t go into). Benches tend to work and allow them to wriggle safely while still eating with the family. We have a beautiful new home in an open mountain cabin / farm home style and am trying to keep to that with an all wood bench style dining set. Requirements: the bench seats need to be heavy and preferably not be too high (our kids will climb all over them and we need to have a low center of gravity on the benches). We need a low back on the bench seat (again due to kids wriggly nature and center of gravity we’ve had several near misses and actually falling off of chairs and the floor is hard stone). Preferably at least 72 inches long for the table and bench but can certainly do longer. Width is not an issue.
For some reason despite hours on various furniture sites I seem to run a blank on an available set, but I don’t buy furniture very often so may be not using the right terms or looking in the right places. Price sensitivity - would like to keep under $2,500 total but could be certainly convinced to spend more if it was awesome.
I'm pretty sure there are around 1000 woodworkers within 100 miles of you. If you find the right one you can get exactly what you want, in a few weeks, probably for less money.
I've often thought that families with young children should have furniture made out 2 x4's. When the kids become civilized, then get nice furniture. When they grow up you can give it to them, because it is indestructible.
posted by H21 at 8:47 PM on November 24, 2019 [5 favorites]
I've often thought that families with young children should have furniture made out 2 x4's. When the kids become civilized, then get nice furniture. When they grow up you can give it to them, because it is indestructible.
posted by H21 at 8:47 PM on November 24, 2019 [5 favorites]
^ "furniture made out 2 x4's" brought the "This End Up" company to mind, but you'd have to bolt a couple of basic, sturdy chairs together, or try to make the Crossings Bench (short length, high back, but also sturdy) work
*Distressed Brown Wood Gulianna Extra Long Dining Bench at World Market is 82" long*
Scott Living's Wood Dining Bench at Wayfair; tables etc. at site's "Scott Living" section. Better price on SL bench (and more coordinating table options) here and at Amazon
Kenworthy Dining Bench
Industrial Metal and Walnut Wood Bench - Stefani
Boraam Rasmus low-backed bench (see as set) is sleek, & doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere
Magnussen Home Dining Room Bench With Back
Similar church-pew style to Magnussen: Sloane Bench
Atwater Dining Bench with Metal Studded Accents 68" long
Amish Arrow Low Windsor Bench ; Amish dining benches at DutchCrafters
Jofran Dining Room Dining Bench (table/chairs at link)
(I am unsure as to what not-too-high-for-seat-height/low-height-for-back means for your family, though. And I agree, your best bet may be to contact a local woodworker to get the right bench dimensions and (particularly, in this age of pressed wood products) weight.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:00 AM on November 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
*Distressed Brown Wood Gulianna Extra Long Dining Bench at World Market is 82" long*
Scott Living's Wood Dining Bench at Wayfair; tables etc. at site's "Scott Living" section. Better price on SL bench (and more coordinating table options) here and at Amazon
Kenworthy Dining Bench
Industrial Metal and Walnut Wood Bench - Stefani
Boraam Rasmus low-backed bench (see as set) is sleek, & doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere
Magnussen Home Dining Room Bench With Back
Similar church-pew style to Magnussen: Sloane Bench
Atwater Dining Bench with Metal Studded Accents 68" long
Amish Arrow Low Windsor Bench ; Amish dining benches at DutchCrafters
Jofran Dining Room Dining Bench (table/chairs at link)
(I am unsure as to what not-too-high-for-seat-height/low-height-for-back means for your family, though. And I agree, your best bet may be to contact a local woodworker to get the right bench dimensions and (particularly, in this age of pressed wood products) weight.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:00 AM on November 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
Mission Bench from Barn Furniture has a low back and all my furniture from them is sturdy. I personally wouldn't want to sit for long on a bench where there was something blocking where I'd want my legs to sometimes go, but your wriggling may vary. The one they show is 60" long but if you like its looks, it's worth contacting them and seeing if they can make you a longer one. I do wonder if the storage option would be too distracting, though -- it's easy to imagine pinched fingers.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:42 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:42 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
Ooh, I just realized you could put heavy things (like barbell plates, which you can find at thrift stores) in the storage section, to help with ballast. And then find a way to fasten it shut.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:45 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:45 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:33 PM on November 24, 2019