Another build in my series working through the projects in “The Anarchist’s Design Book”, this boarded bench was built for two reasons. 1: I was looking for a simple, inexpensive project that could be completed in a weekend as a hand-tool only exercise. 2: I needed something to store dry goods in that wasn’t my dining room floor (my kitchen remodel has yet to get to shelves and cabinets). This was the perfect project.

Originally, I intended to keep this bench unpainted and finished with a simple oil/varnish blend. I found, however, that this did not pair well with the greenblack beadboard of my kitchen and I had plenty of Holkham green linseed paint on hand. So I painted the bench, and I liked the painted look so much that I intend to build two more of these benches: one black and one red.

But, thanks to Lost Art Press, I’ve had carvings on the mind recently. No sooner was the paint dry than I realized the bench aprons were the ideal location simple geometric carvings. A few preliminary walks with a pair of dividers and I had a semi-circle layout that I was pleased with. On a whim, I added a few simple wheat motifs, which seemed appropriate given the bench’s intended function of holding 50lb bags of flour.