This bench is crafted from an Oak beam that was salvaged from a school house that stood in Batteaux, Ontario (near Collingwood). It was a unique piece amongst a pile of Pine and was one of those fortuitous finds that makes working with reclaimed wood so worthwhile. When it got to my shop, after a brief stint in a kiln to remove any residual moisture and any potential insects that might have opted to make it home, I was instantly impressed by both its heft and beauty. A simple unfinished bench seemed ideal.

The plank was so simplistically beautiful I was particularly keen to keep the whole thing simple and tidy. It was an instance where I didn’t want, nor felt the need, to incorporate any extraneous materials. In the end I took inspiration from simple beauty of Japanese design and when with these simple angled legs with a matching, corresponding taper on the seat itself.

Once assembled, I opted to leave the bench untreated. I will often work with waxes and/or varnishes to add durability to a piece, however, in this case, the Oak had such a time-softened patina, I could not bring myself to seal it in. It’s still in my shop and every day I look at the weathering, wrinkles, cracks and circular saw marks I find myself awestruck by the beauty that can be found in something as simple as a 120 year piece of wood. I’m also reminded that I’m a pretty lucky person to have the opportunity to do what I do.