In an ideal world, this would go in my hall, with shoes and bags in the seat and perhaps a little pile of post at one end and then space for sitting. In this, sadly, less than perfect planet, there is no room for that. Curses to that radiator – that is the one spot in the house where I regularly wish we had installed underfloor heating to free up space in what is traditionally the smallest space in the house (never mind the loo, it’s often actually the hall).
Anyway, I digress, if there’s no room in the hall, what about the bedroom, for storing bed linen, or the kitchen for the tea towels and really big pans that don’t need to come out very often? Wherever you choose to put it, it’s a fantastically useful piece of furniture that will help, if not with the actual decluttering, at least with the appearance of it.
£450 for the large one (H93 x W161 x D46cm)
£375 for the smaller (H93 x W111 x D46cm)
We picked up one of these, known here as The Dutch Bench, about 20 years ago in a junk shop called Pine Parlour! It has indeed been one of the longest surviving decluttering bits of kit we’ve owned. Playroom bench, hallway dumping ground, conservatory stand and most recently filling a bay window with cushions and rugs on filled with wrapping paper, Sellotape and other packing materials. (Now that I spend inordinate amouts of time sending things to three off my pay roll sons) Sometimes painted, sometimes stripped sometimes bare or cushioned it has been amazingly versatile. If you see a second hand one in a junk shop check the internal floor as ours were rotten and not easily repaired. A true classic our lives or houses would not be without. Excellent choice Kate!